Memento Essay

Memento Mori Essay
"Memento Mori" is a short story following a man struggling with anterograde amnesia and his
pursuit of his wife's murderer. The short story was adapted into a feature length film titled Memento
which makes many changes to the narrative structure and characters of the short story, but maintains
the same premise. "Memento Mori" features multiple narrators, one first–person and one
third–person. The first–person narration is provided by the story's protagonist Earl via notes
addressed to a "you," which turns out to be Earl. The third person narrator provides details as to
what actions Earl is currently taking in the present time. After successfully murdering the man he
believes killed his wife, Earl is riding in the back of a car. The ambiguity of the third–person narrator
in this scene causes the viewer to question whether Earl escaped via a taxi or was apprehended by
the police. The story reaches its climax as Earl loses his pen and begins frantically trying to obtain a
replacement so that he can document his success in killing the man who ruined his life. All tension
dissipates after the car hits a pothole and "dies", forgetting the events that just transpired. The
ultimate antagonist in this story is Earl's anterograde amnesia. His condition is the primary obstacle
...show more content...
The date of his birth, and another date which Earl does not remember the significance of. The
second date is likely the date his wife's murder. The title of the story is symbolic. "Memento Mori"
is a Latin phrase which loosely translates to "remember your death" and is most often used to
describe objects that remind people of death such as skulls. The bell is meant to serve as a
memento mori for Earl that reminds him of his figurative death following his wife's murder. Earl
lives in short increments, constantly "dying" and being reborn as a new individual. Earl himself
hints at the irony of the bell in one of his
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Theme Of Memento
Christopher Nolan's neo noir thriller film, Memento (2000), follows the life of the protagonist,
Leonard Shelby, as he searches for the person who murdered his wife, whilst dealing with
anterograde amnesia, forcing him to use "memento's" to retain new memories. Through the
employment of mise–en–scГЁne and sound design, the central theme of 'the pursuit of vengeance'
could be conveyed. Additionally, the theme 'the fragility of memory', is illustrated to the viewer
through cinematography and editing. These techniques and themes are most evident in the dramatic
final sequence in the film, specifically when Leonard finally gets revenge and Teddy unveils the truth
about John G to him.
Through Nolan's utilisation of props and costumes, Memento...show more content...
This exemplifies that he no longer trusts his own memory and has begun to accept the horrifying
truth presented to him by Teddy. Nolan's application of close–up shots illuminates Leonard's facial
expression as he recognises the unreliability of his own memory when Teddy confronts him with the
truth about his wife.
Through Nolan's application of editing, such as flashbacks, in Memento, the story of Sammy Jankis
can be linked back to Leonard's past as well as the central theme of the fragility and unreliability of
memory. Leonard's unreliable memory is clearly conveyed as the sequence rhythmically displays
scenes showing that the protagonist's wife survived the assault, which is evident as she removes the
shower curtain from her head in a flashback. This indicates the unreliability of Leonard's memory
and the devastating result of 'Conditioning [himself] to remember, learning through repetition'.
Nolan's employment of flashbacks within the sequence expresses Leonards desperate attempt to
escape guilt through the fragility of his memory. This is exemplified in the flashback when
Leonard's memory of pinching his wife adjusts to him injecting insulin into her. Nolan's utilisation of
editing illustrates the fragility and unreliability of Leonard's memory, specifically when he learns
that he

Film Analysis of Memento Essay
Film Analysis of Memento
Columbia Tristar Films starring Guy Pearce, Carrie–Anne Moss, and Joe Pantoliano released
"Memento" in 2001. The movie was produced by Suzanne and Jennifer Todd, and was directed by
Christopher Nolan. Christopher Nolan also wrote the short story and screenplay. This film is about
a man named Leonard, played by Guy Pearce, who suffered a major brain injury to the hippocampus
that left him with a rare memory disorder called anterograde amnesia. This disorder causes Leonard
not to be able to form any new memories. Leonard is now trying to find and kill the person who
murdered his wife to avenge his wife's death. Carrie–Anne Moss plays a friend of Leonard, or so he
There is no way to take time to think situations over, a decision must be made immediately or the
thought will be forgotten.
While Leonard's memory problem causes him not to be able to form new memories, his memories of
everything that happened before the incident are still intact. According to MemoryLossOnline,
"Memories for events that occurred before the injury may be largely spared, but events that occurred
since the injury may be lost. In practice, this means that an individual with amnesia may have good
memory for childhood and for the years before the injury, but may remember little or nothing from
the years since" ("Anterograde"). Throughout the movie, Leonard recalls information that he
remembered before his incident, such as the insurance case he investigated that dealt with another
form of anterograde amnesia.
Leonard has the ability to carry on normal conversations with people, but after the conversation in
over or if he gets distracted for more than a few moments, he forgets what he was doing. This is
because "short term memory is generally spared, which means that the individual may be able to
carry on a conversation; but as soon as he is distracted, the memory of the conversation fades"
("Anterograde"). In one scene, Leonard is arguing with Carrie–Ann Moss' character about her
boyfriend. Moss'

My Memento
My Memento I remember I sat in high school in my 11th grade English class every morning
thinking I didn't really know how to write a five–paragraph essay. I would occasionally think, "I
can't do this, this isn't me." My teachers would always push me even when I was a little kid. I've
always had to write five–paragraph essay's, but I don't know this time it was different. I guess it
was my 11th grade year, and I knew I had to pass this SOL on the first try because for the next I had
12th grade classes. It was very difficult to get me in focus. We had about five essays to write that
whole semester and at least two–paragraph blogs due every Friday. My teacher told us that it would
improve our writing skills by the time we went into that testing room on October 16, 2016. I
started doubting the things she'd say. I thought she was just saying it to make us feel better about
writing so much. I remember clearly walking into that class on the first day of school. We all
introduced ourselves, then started telling us what was going to happen in our English 11 course.
She then proceeded to assign us our very first essay. That essay was due that Friday. I sat there
and thought "This is going to be so hard!" I was very upset because we had just returned from our
summer break, I did not know how to write a proper essay. I just knew I was going to get a bad
grade. I went home that night trying to plan my essay out. I wrote a rough draft but nothing really
sounded right. I decided to

Memento Movie Essay
This week we spent both classes watching Memento. The movie's story wasn't linear, instead two
stories were shown simultaneously one starting at the beginning of the plot and one starting at the
end of the plot, and both meeting in the middle. The story moving forward in time was shown in
black and white, and the story moving backwards in time was shown in color. There were other hits
to help viewers decipher at point of the plot they are watching. Some of the hints include what
tattoos he has and what condition his car is in.
The movie was about a man, Leonard, who had a condition. His condition didn't allow him to retain
new memories for more than a few minutes since his serious head injury. The way the movie was
structured allowed viewers

A Comparison Of Memento And Memento Mori
Unlike other pairs of literary work and their adaptations that the movie version is published after
the literary work, "Memento" and "Memento Mori" are created in the inverse order. The main plot
of the two stories is very similar: a man having no short–term memory finding and killing the murder
of his wife. They are inspired by the same idea, anterograde amnesia. For creators, the factors they
need to look at when presenting a story largely depend on the medium of story–telling. The qualities
of different mediums and the characteristics of the audiences of that medium determine many
preferences of creators when designing the plot and the characters. Of course, those preferences are
not rigid rules, but we can easily find that there are many common traits among the literary
products or movie products of the same type. This is also why some literary works and movies are
criticized to be formulaic. In "Memento Mori", the author deleted some elements that are presented
in the movie to make the story more suitable to be presented in the text. The first thing deleted from
the movie is a large proportion of the plot. In "Memento", the director presented a relatively
complete story line, and explained how the whole event happens in detail. Although the movie is not
chronological and is rather obscure, audiences still can have a thorough understanding of what
happens at the end of the story. However, in "Memento Mori", the focus of storytelling is different.
The author did not

Memento Essay
Memento paved the way as one of the most comprehensive and complicated use of film shots
within the choice of films. The director, Christopher Nolan used a variety of shots and editing to
get his point across and delve the viewer into the main characters point of view. Memento is
centered on Leonard, who suffers from a form of amnesia that makes it so he cannot form new
memories. To aid him with his short–term memory loss, he utilizes tattoos and polaroid pictures
with notes to recall his primary objective: avenge his wife's rape and murder. The film starts from the
end and works its way back, in a clever technique that allows the viewer to see as if they were also
suffering from Leonard's disability. The reverse telling of the screenplay leads itself as one of the
most peculiar films to be seen. This style is confusing but ultimately offers a different experience
to that of a "normal" film storyline. Many of the scenes feature extreme close up shots on Lenny,
especially when showcasing his personal notes and tattoos that aid him in piecing together "John
G". The usage of such shots allows the viewer to partake in the movie solely from Lenny's point of
view and understand his mind frame. The movie starts at present time and starts working its way back
He tricks himself to target Teddy, after Teddy reveals to him that he has already killed John G
years ago and that his wife survived the attack. Pinpointing the climax in Memento is hard since
the story is told in a highly unconventional nonlinear structure. There is no exact point in the
storyline were the viewer can decide when the movie starts making sense, aside from the very end
when Leonard asks himself if he lies to make himself happy. In other words, Leonard lies and keeps
this vengeance facade up to help himself through life after dealing with the trauma of his amnesia
and death of his

Memento : A Lesson In Cognitive Psychology
A Cognitive Analysis of the Movie Memento
A Lesson in Cognitive Psychology
There are many ways that one can analyze a work of art. To say that something as complex as
artistic expression can only be looked at or defined in one dimension is nothing short of a lie. In
realizing this, we must also realize that film is like any work of art, the many messages and ideas
behind a well thought–out film are nearly uncountable. With that in mind, perhaps one of the best
ways to analyze film is through a method known as "Cognitive Psychology". Cognitive psychology
deals greatly with practical perception, emotional, and conscious responses of viewers. By using
cognitive psychology, we seek to explain how we recognize objects, fit disparate elements into
orderly patterns, experience joy and sadness through art, and simultaneously understand multiple
meanings and so forth. When we apply this theory in practice, it revolutionizes the way in which
we can see the meaning behind movies, instead of relying on traditional concepts and roles to
determine the ideas behind a work of film; we can shift the critical emphasis on a film to the
viewer. In effect then, the viewer becomes an active participant in the creation of a film's effects
and meanings. While there are a wide variety of movies that can be looked at using this method,
perhaps one of those that come easiest to mind is Memento, a thriller in which the main character is
afflicted with antro–grade amnesia, or the inability to create new

Narrative Structure Of Memento
Time can be a thinker's most thought–provoking yet infuriating concept to grasp. Infinitely complex,
time plays a crucial role in everyone's life. We do not know much about it, other than that it is there.
What is before time or after time? Most movies move through a linear fashion. There is a beginning,
middle, and end. Narrative structure can slightly be bended or modified, but for the most part it
follows the same basic formula. The movie Memento (2000), directed by Christopher Nolan, follows
Leonard Shelby, the main character with short term memory loss, trying to avenge his fallen spouse.
He only remembers up until the time his head was bashed into a mirror after his spouse was sexually
assaulted. The movie is told in a unique way through two stories that do not make complete sense
until the end. Memento's unconventional narrative structure puts the audience into Leonard's shoes,
which is apparent in the movie's convoluted flashbacks, out of sequence story, and bleak ending.
One of the most conventional uses of a flashback is to give the viewer some answers through back
story. In Memento, the audience is getting information thrown at them, but it is confusing and
mysterious. It invites the viewer to ask more questions rather than answer questions. Nolan does this
intentionally, so that the audience relates to Leonard's jumbled life. Roger Ebert, a well–known film
reviewer, wrote "One striking element of the film is a series of flashbacks that illuminate, or confuse,
the

Short Term Memory Loss In Memento
Memento was released on September 5, 2000 and is directed by the hands of Christopher Nolan.
It won the Saturn award in the best action, adventure, and thriller film category. Memento may be
a movie on the screen, but it brings an interesting story in your head! Asserting that Memento is a
film that is played backwards, it is actually superficial and can sometimes be misleading. This film
is written by Christopher Nolan as well tells a story of a man who suffers from brain damage
condition in which a person can remember their past clearly up to the point of an injury. Leonard,
the main character suffers from this disorder. Due to the short term memory loss, he uses notes and
photographs to track down the man he suspects to have brutally killed

Memento
Structure and Color
The film Memento was directed by Christopher Nolan in 2000. His brother, Jonathan Nolan, was the
one who sparked the inspiration for this film with his short story Memento Mori. The films cast
includes Guy Pearce as Leonard, the man whose memory resets every fifteen minutes, Carrie–Anne
Moss as Natalie, the woman who lost her beloved, and Joe Pantolianoas Teddy, the cop who
pretends to be Leonard's friend. Christopher Nolan in known for his film's non–linear structure. The
structure and color of this film gives the viewer context to how it is for Leonard, for they are
solving the puzzle much like the way he has to.
This film's structure is as non–linear as it gets, for it is much like the way Leonard lives his life day
When the story is progressing chronologically the scenes are shown in black and white. This
seems to be this way because it is like the outlines to coloring page, it is a baseline for the story.
So when the story is told in reverse it is displayed in color to fill in between the lines, to color in
the whole picture. "Everything in color is in a reverse order sequence plot and each scene signifies
fifteen minutes of story time, which is generally how long Leonard's memory lasts. The reverse
order sequence scenes make up the main plot of Leonard's investigation to find the man who killed
his wife. These segments are separated by shorter segments of black and white scenes in
chronological order that make up one sub–plot in which Leonard is continually talking on the phone
to a mysterious cop" (Memento Analysis). This color, and lack of color, helps the viewer's
understanding of the storyline. Without the switching from color scenes to the black and white
scenes the non–linear structure of this movie would be even harder to understand if at all
understandable. Both the non–linear structure and colored/black and white scenes complement each
other. They need each other for the film to be successful.
The two elements of structure and color that flow throughout Momento are the reason this movie is
comprehendible. Without one the other could not work so they have to be used hand and hand for
the success of the film. Elements such

Why Mementos Are Important
Everyone has a memento of some sort that means so much to them. The though of losing,
misplacing or forgetting the piece of memory can tear someone apart. Mementos are what helps a
person remember something in the past. It could have been from a love one that has passed or a
memory from a trip that took place. A memento can be anything that hold value to someone. A
personal treasure that I hold dearly on to my grandfather's pocket watch. This treasure was gifted
to me when I was a small child. My grandfather's pocket watch has been through quite some ups
and downs. It helped him keep his time while he was away at war and gave him the exact time
when my father was born because my grandfather didn't trust the doctors. This pocket watch is
much more than keeping time, it created memories when time stood still. The pocket watch is a
treasure that I will keep and pass down to my grandson or granddaughter. My grandfather's pocket
watch is significant because since he is no longer here, I am able to grasp watch just like he did. He
taught me how to tell time on this watch, and I will never forget that day....show more content...
Mementos help someone remember their loved one they lost in life. The sight, touch or smell
can bring a flood of memories and tears. The memory can never be taken back, so the keepsake is
what is left. Keeping personal treasures are important because it reminds a person of all the
memories attached to it. Personally for me, when I misplace the pocket watch I feel lost. It is so
dear to me, and I feel empty when I can't find it for a day or two. Once it is found, I feel relieved
and happy because I know my grandfather is smiling down at me because he knows that I always
misplace things. When I am busy with life, I forget the about my grandfather. Luckily, when I see
that pocket watch all the memories of him come back to

Analysis Of The Film Memento
The film Memento (Christopher Nolan, 2001) uses the set of depth–of–field and angles to enhance
the film's connection to the audience. The use of cinematography works through the film using
narration, camera motions, and angles to show to the uniqueness and differ from other films.
Memento's organization of scenes and use of close–ups give the audience their own idea and thought
the process to create a relation to the character and to try to understand him.
At the start of the film, the story is shown to be presented backward as one scene is color and
another in black and white, and narrated in two different ways. In the beginning scenes, there is an
introduction of a Polaroid fading back to white and blood running up the walls which correlates to
Leonard's memory and how the fading polaroid relates to his fading memories. There is a close–up
on these scenes showing that the film is concentrating on this intensely, which captures the attention
of the audience. Memento's editing structure connects to Leonard's personality by showing
close–ups of his tattoos and polaroids. This relates to the plot as important information is revealed
from his mini–notes on each picture, such as the "Don't believe his lies" or "He's the one, kill him"
which ultimately lead to Teddy's death. What Leonard wrote regarding Teddy stains the relationship
they have and causes Leonard to misunderstand his relation with Teddy. Other close–ups are the
shots of tattoos, where one was "Remember Sammy Jankis" which shows as a constant reminder of
his situation and medical condition, but also give the audience a sympathetic feeling toward his past.
The little notes Leonard gives himself convinces him that he is on the right path, however, as the
audience, we can tell that the information he is receiving is skewed. The constant reminder from the
close–ups shows Leonard's reasoning of the motivations for his actions, although his constant need
for his notes and living the way he does gives off the idea that he is unstable. Leonard's close–up in
the mirror of the reflection of his tattoo "John G. raped and murdered my wife" shows the audience
what his motive and desires are without needing Leonard's narration for this. The use of the

Momento Point Of View
Momento is a film directed by Chris and Jonathan Nolan. Leonard Shelby is the protagonist of the
movie and suffers from anterograde amnesia. Because of his amnesia, he has to tattoo facts on
himself in order to remember things. The film has two main points–of–view. One being Leonard's
point of view and the other telling a parallel story. This can be considered to be a third–person
point–of–view because it often shows Leonard talking to himself in his head. Leonard was an
investigator called to check on Sammy Jenkis. Sammy also suffered from permanent short–term
memory loss. Leonard also had an acquaintance named Teddy. Teddy, actually, was behind the
murder of Leonard's wife by getting Leonard to give his wife too much insulin. Teddy was eventually

Who Is Memento Target Audience
The movie Memento is made for a target audience. The age group would be anywhere from early
twenties to late thirties because it is so confusing. Children would not be able to follow the plot or
story so definitely an older range of viewers are what they were targeting for. The movie is aimed for
either gender but men might be more drawn since most of the characters are male. Also the action
and suspense might target more men than women. The targeted viewer is probably working and
either in a serious relationship or married. Since Lenny loses his wife, or so we think, many people
will be able to connect with his struggle because they have someone they love dearly. They will
either have young kids or no kids and would have graduated from college

Memento the Movie Essay
In the film Memento, written by director Christopher Nolan, the main character Leonard Shelby, is
a confused and damaged man that wants the revenge for the murder of his wife. We can say that
Lenny lives in his own world uniquely different from everyone else. The reason for this is his
inability to store short term memory and convert into long term memory. This disability renders
Lenny's life into a repeatable lifestyle and has to start from scratch about every 15 minutes. The
only source he has is to go back to is his notes and tattoos he discovers every morning on his body.
It seems as though he only has his past memories but the only memories we learn about in the movie
is about Sammy Jenkins and the murder of his wife. I think that...show more content...
Since they fill up his mind with many lies, his whole world is a big lie.
The things that Lenny knows about his world is the kind of certainties that people take for
granted, like objects that your memory recognized right away. In this quote, Lenny decribes how
his memory plays a big role on how he knows some objects and how we take that for granted.
"Leonard Shelby: I know what that's going to sound like when I knock on it. I know that's what
going to feel like when I pick it up. See? Certainties. It's the kind of memory that you take for
granted." He also does know everything thing that happened with his wife. He flashes back in a
few segments and replays everything that happened when his wife dies. Lenny remembers past
memories about his world like it happened yesterday. He remembers Sammy Jenkis with his
condition and can't seem to forget him. I found a good quote that Lenny says. It describes his
own world and how he feels about it. Leonard Shelby: "I have to believe in a world outside my
own mind. I have to believe that my actions still have meaning, even if I can't remember them. I
have to believe that when my eyes are closed, the world's still there. Do I believe the world's still
there? Is it still out there?... Yeah. We all need mirrors to remind ourselves who we are. I'm no

Essay On Memento
The film "Memento", directed by Christopher Nolan, is about a man named Leonard Shelby who
has short term memory loss due to an injury he sustained when his wife was murdered. He
remembers his life before the incident, such as being an insurance claim investigator. In order for
him to remember things after the injury, he takes polaroids of people and writes notes on them.
Leonard also has tattoos of facts on his body which helps him remember. He is on a mission to find
and kill a man named John G., who he believes killed his wife. The director, Christopher Nolan, uses
an original type of narrative structure throughout the film which helps allow the viewers to better
relate and understand the condition of Leonard Shelby. "Memento" is edited in a way that made it
The color scenes are told in a reverse order, which once again, lasts fifteen minutes. The color
scenes help make up the plot of story, which is Leonard trying to find the man who killed his
wife. At every beginning of these scenes, Leonard is starting a new memory, as if he was waking
up from a dream. These scenes also allow us to know his thoughts. The thoughts are important for
the viewers as it allows us to know what he's feeling. In between these reverse order segments,
there are black and white scenes, which shows Leonard talking on the phone to a mysterious cop.
These scenes are told in a chronological order. The noir films develop a sub–plot about a man named
Sammy Jankins, who is not able to make new memories since his car accident. Through Sammy,
Leonard explains what his condition is like and how it differs from Sammy but in reality, Leonard
is Sammy. This is because in one of the black and white scenes, we see Sammy in a nursery home
and as someone passes by the screen, it changes to Leonard for a split second. Thus, proving that
Sammy is

A Psychological Viewpoint on Memento
Memento is an American psychological thriller adapted from a short story, Memento Mori written
by James Nolan. The story displays the life of Leonard Shelby. Shelby has anterograde Amnesia
brought about by an injury to his head. He suffered this injury while confronting two people who
attacked his wife at their home in the middle of the night. Leonard kills one of the attackers during
the attack, although the second one escapes. Due to the injury and resultant amnesia, the last thing
Leonard remembers is his wife dying. He is unable to remember new information after that day. The
movie shows how he devotes his life to finding and killing the second attacker.
The movie uses a unique presentation style where the director starts with a...show more content...
This focus seemed to motivate him to carry on, and gave him a purpose to live.
Problem
Shelby, suffers from a rare form of amnesia which makes him incapable of creating new memories.
Any bit of information he learns since his injury must be recorded or will be quickly forgotten. Due
to his memory problem, he would often find himself lost at places. He'd ask himself questions like
"Why am I here?" or "What was I doing?" He often made errors in judgment if the information or
clues available to him were incomplete. He was also slightly paranoid; he didn't trust new people
and avoided new situations. This is why he had no social life and only a couple of people he
could trust. Since his condition prevents him from creating new memories Leonard uses a clever
system of Notes, Polaroid photos, and Tattoos to record clues which may lead him to finding the
man who killed his wife. Every morning he would wake up and the body tattoos will remind him
of what happened and what his mission is. He will use post it notes, polaroid pictures to reconstruct
what he was doing and what he needs to do today. He followed some simple rules – focus on the
objective and take short notes and picture of relevant clues after key events. But the fact that
Shelby was aware of his condition made life even more challenging. Since he was AWARE of his
condition he forced himself to live a very structured routine; every morning he'd wake up study and
observe his body

Essay on Memento
Memento
Memento is a movie directed by Chris Nolan. It was released in 2000. The leading actor is Guy
Pearce. Carrie Anne Moss and Joe Pantoliano are also in this movie. Memento is a perplexed thriller.
Leonard, the main character, is excellently played by Guy Pierce. He is constantly confused, yet still
acts in a nonchalant way. Teddy (Pantoliano) and Natalie (Carrie Anne Moss) play puzzling
characters, throughout the whole movie the viewer questions, whether they may or may not be
Leonard's friends.
The characters are not conform the general image of Americans, but that has a lot to do with the
fact the audience does not know whether they should trust Leonard's story or Leonard's friends.
Teddy does not look like an ordinary cop, and...show more content...
He lives his life by taking notes and Polaroid pictures, the "facts" he records in tattoo form all over
his body. Every time he loses his concentration it's as if he has just woken up, he is constantly
assessing his situation. It is a nearly impossible way to live life. The only thing that keeps him
going is the idea of revenge against his wife's murderer.
The way this movie messes with time in the past is not new. Pulp Fiction did it, and many other
movies did, but never like the way Memento has chosen to work it. The movie is broken up into
individual segments, and each one ends where the one before it began. This is confusing, but it
does not take long to understand how the story is going to be told. Nolan wants the audience to
feel what it is like when you cannot make any new memories and cannot trust anyone. That is what
Nolan accomplish, the audience feels like they are in Leonard's shoes. This method Nolan uses
creates an amount of tension and suspense. The audience knows what happened, but now they want
to know why it happened. We learn the bits Leonard forgets. Nolan created a unique movie,
blending color and black and white images and with this technique of filmmaking. It is truly
original; the audience will feel just as confused and lost as Leonard when each scene begins.
In a way this movie is social commentary, in a world that wants people to believe they can trust
everyone the movie shows what it is like when you

Film Techniques In Memento
Christopher Nolan's Memento
June 15, 2001 was business as usual for the Hollywood. The usual string of expensive summer
blockbusters were rolled out, with an array of commercial triumphs ("The Mummy Returns") and
disappointments ("Pearl Harbor"). It was heartening to film fans that a classic sleeper could still find
room in a marketplace filled with bloated extravaganzas nurtured by gray–suited Hollywood
greedheads. Unbenost to the gray–suits, the per–screen average for writer/director Christopher Nolan
's "Memento" –– a challenging art–house noir made for $5 million and released by a novice
distributor –– was but $2 less than the per–screen average of "Pearl Harbor," a $200 million
mediocrity, whose lavish, flag–wrapped premiere...show more content...
And there's no question that this is a film that encourages repeat business: That is, its puzzles are
so intriguing and so impenetrable at first viewing that filmgoers are almost forced to go back for a
second look if they want to figure out just what the hell was going on. "Memento" is like "The
Sixth Sense" and "The Usual Suspects" in that nearly every scene takes on a different meaning once
you know where the film is going.
Or should that be "where the film has been"? Unlike "The Sixth Sense" and "The Usual Suspects" ––
indeed, unlike almost every other celebrated "puzzle film" in cinematic history –– "Memento's"
puzzle can't be undone with a simple declarative explanatory sentence. Its riddles are tangled up in
a dizzying series of ways: by an elegant but brain–knotting structure; by an exceedingly unreliable
narrator through part of the film; by a postmodern self–referentiality that, unlike most empty
examples of the form, thoroughly underscores the film's sobering thematic meditations on memory,
knowledge and grief; and by a number of red herrings and misleading clues that seem designed
either to distract the audience or to hint at a deeper, second layer of puzzle at work –– or that may,
on the other the other hand, simply suggest that, in some respects, the director bit off more than he
could chew.
All of the notices about the movie have told us that the story is told in reverse order. We hear that
Leonard, played by Guy Pearce ("L.A. Confidential"),

Memento Essay

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