Leonard Shelby, a detective with short-term memory loss, is trying to solve the mystery of his wife's murder. He can only recall recent events and must take notes and photos to piece together clues. The film tells his story backwards to mirror his condition. It received widespread critical acclaim for its complex, nonlinear narrative structure and performances.

1. James Tungate, Sam Macdonald and Jamie Woolnough
MEMENTO

2. INFORMATION
Memento is the story about Leonard Shelby a detective struggling with short term memory loss. He
cannot recall any of his past events but must find out why his wife was called.
• Director: Christopher Nolan
• Writers: Christopher Nolan (screenplay), Jonathon Nolan (short story “Memento Mori”)
• Starring: Guy Pierce (Leonard), Carrie-Anne Moss (Natalie), Joe Pantoliano (Teddy)
• Genre: Mystery, Thriller
• Run Time: 1 Hour 53 Minutes
BOX OFFICE
• Budget: $9,000,000
• Opening Weekend: £90,682 (UK) (20 October 2000)
• Gross: $25,530,884 (USA) (9 November 2001)

3. REVIEWS
• Rotten Tomatoes - 92%
• Metacritic - 80%
• Empire Magazine - 4/5
• Rolling Stones – 4/5
• Uncut Magazine – “One of the most compelling and challenging of the year, you’ll be
gripped, enthralled and exhausted. A modern class. UNFORGETTABLE!”
• The Guardian – “One of those films you immediately want to see again”.
• FHM – “Best film you will see all year” 5/5

4. NARRATIVE CONVENTIONS
• Protagonist – Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce)
Although he is seen to be a hero in the intro, most thriller films contain complex
characters. So his mental condition may reveal more about him that may change his narrative
status.
• Antagonist – Teddy (Joe Pantoliano)
Teddy is presented as the villain of the movie in the opening scene. We are told this by
Leonard’s mementos, however, his mementos may lie. This can potentially be a red herring which
may lead to a plot twist. Teddy’s questioning of Leonard’s ability to recognize himself, allows the
audience to question the current narrative and makes the audience work.
• Catalyst – Natalie Shelby (Carrie-Anne Moss)
Natalie’s death is the catalyst for the narrative. Her death is linked to Leonard’s short
term memory loss and investigation into why she was killed.

5. TECHNICAL CONVENTIONS
• Extreme Close-ups:
There are a lot of ECUs to emphasize the raw emotion that Leonard demonstrates.
When he is describing his condition to Burt, the audience are able to see the confused
expression on Leonard’s face, this evokes feelings from the audience. We also see how
relaxed Burt is, we can see by the look on his face that he has heard Leonard’s story many
times before.
• Establishing Shot:
In the beginning we see an establishing shot of a dilapidated old house, the
audience are shown where about the action is going to take place. The look of the house
makes the audience suspicious of what is about to take place, as it is isolated and dirty.
• Sonically Exaggerated Sound:
The sonically exaggerated sound from the bullet signifies their importance. They
could be significant to the narrative or a red herring.

6. WAYS IT DOES NOT FOLLOW CONVENTIONS
• Most conventional thriller films take place in chronological order with the addition of
flashbacks.
• However, Memento starts at the end and slowly rewinds to the beginning.

7. OUR OPINION
• The opening of the film leaves the audience with numerous unanswered questions.
• As a group we found the narrative of this film extremely interesting.
• The lack of context makes us feel like we are experiencing the Protagonists condition. It
engrosses us into the movie.
• The start of the movie makes us want to watch more…