The 2010 Christopher Nolan film “Inception” shot in a variety of locations around the world, including France, England, Japan, Morocco, Canada and the United States.  Ariadne, played by Ellen Page, explains the dream world to Cobb, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, by changing the landscapes. These scenes were filmed at Pont de Bir-Hakeim in Paris. Ariadne appears to make these steps elevate. In reality, the way she alters it is how it actually appears.

LOCATION: Pont de Bir-Hakeim, 75015 Paris, France

Cobb watches from this direction.

They cross this area over the street as people representing Cobb’s subconscious start bumping into Ariadne.

Ariadne then starts moving mirrors in this area.

Here is the spot where Ariadne shatters the mirror and changes the landscape. Once again, the way it looks after she changes it is how it actually appears. Pont de Bir-Hakeim, a bridge that crosses the Seine, has been featured in many films, such as “Last Tango In Paris,” “Elevator to the Gallows,” “Ronin,” “Forget Paris,” “National Treasure: Book of Secrets,” “Mission: Impossible – Fallout,” “The Conformist” and more.

It is seen one more time from this angle as Cobb starts to remember being there with his wife Mal, played by Marion Cotillard.

Quite a few scenes were filmed around Southern California. At this intersection in Downtown Los Angeles, Cobb goes over plans with his team to execute a mission within a dream.

LOCATION: Wilshire Blvd / Hope St, Los Angeles, CA 90017

Directly across the street are the corner steps where Cobb picks up a man in a taxi and kidnaps him.  The same steps were used in “The Social Network,” when Jesse Eisenberg shows up to a business meeting wearing a robe.

LOCATION: 707 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90017

Yusuf’s van falls from the Schuyler F. Heim Bridge, a vertical lift bridge in Long Beach. This area has since changed some. The exact stretch of the liftspan seen in the film has since been removed and a fixed stretch of bridge now exists in it’s place. Construction on the remodeled bridge began in 2011 and was completed in 2020.

LOCATION: Schuyler F. Heim Bridge, Terminal Island Fwy, Long Beach, CA 90802

Cobb walks with Mal through a deep dream state called “limbo,” where the dreamers risk being unable to awaken.  This area is part of The Music Center building in Downtown Los Angeles, facing toward The John Ferraro Building.  Cobb also walks with Ariadne through the same area.

LOCATION: 135 N Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Cobb and Ariadne continue walking through the surreal landscape, where old houses are seen partially submerged in water.  This was filmed at The John Ferraro Building, which has been featured in countless films and television shows, such as “The Nice Guys,” “Hancock,” “The Omega Man” and more.  The buildings submerged in water were CGI, replacing the L.A. skyline on the left, but the section of the Ferraro Building on the right side is the real location seen in the film.

LOCATION: 111 N Hope St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Mal, believing she’s trapped in a dream and will only awaken by leaping to her death, sits on the ledge of this building.

LOCATION: 215 W 5th St, Los Angeles, CA 90013

Some props from the film could be found on display on the Warner Brothers Studio Tour.

LOCATION: 4000 Warner Blvd, Burbank, CA 91505

Related articles: Memento (2000), The Dark Knight (2008), The Dark Knight Rises (2012)