The opening titles of Memento fade in and out, suggesting the protagonist has issues with focus or blurred meaning. Close ups show a man holding a polaroid of a murder, implying a connection. As the photo fades when shaken, it indicates the protagonist has memory problems. Flashbacks and foresight will be used liberally. Close ups of items show an unfolding story of why the protagonist committed murder. The protagonist is shown after a murder with blood on his face in a rundown building. His lack of reaction suggests planned killing. The narrative is told from the protagonist's perspective to immerse the audience.

1. MEMENTO – VIDEO ESSAY
BY KIRA MARGENOUT

2. TITLES
• The opening titles are constantly
being faded in and out which
connotes that the protagonist
may have some problems with
focus, or perhaps the films
meaning and plot are going to be
very blurred
• The use of a close up denotes that
the protagonist is a man, from his
hands, and is focused on the photo,
which shows a murder, most likely
the protagonist is linked to the
murder

3. EDITING
• As the opening titles roll, the photo in frame, slowly
fades as the man shakes it, this connotes that
perhaps the main character will have to remember
what's happening and will have some form of
memory problems. • The fact that the
polaroid is fading out
of focus, denotes
that the clips is
backwards, because
as the man shakes
the picture it slowly
turns to white.

4. EDITING
• The use of close ups of the items as they move back in
times connotes that the film will be using flashbacks and
foresight liberally throughout and the film will tell the
story of why the protagonist shot someone
• The use of close up
denotes the importance
of the items and that they
are telling a story of their
own about how the
situation in the frame

5. CINEMATOGRAPHY
• The use of a close up shows
the blood on the
protagonists face and
denotes that he was the one
to commit the crime and
establishes that he will be
the main character.
• The medium close up shows that the
protagonist is in a rundown building or room,
as shown by the broken and decaying walls
over his shoulder, which suggests that the
murder may have either been planned ahead
which is supported by his face which lacks

6. CINEMATOGRAPHY
• The close up of the blood smeared glasses
suggests that there was a scuffle and that they
were knocked off of the victim during the scrap
• The fact that the killer took a
picture of his kill would
suggest that it was planned
murder and he either knew
the victim or has mental
issues e.g. psychosis.

7. CHARACTERS
• There are only two characters
shown in the opening minutes of
the film, the first the protagonist
who shoots a man, and the man
being shot.

8. SETTING
• The two setting we
see are an
abandoned
building where the
murder took place
in the present.
• And a motel room where the
main character lives which
happened in the past, this is
shown by the use of black
and white filter

9. SOUND
• As the film shifts to show
the past, the protagonist
appears disorientated and
the sound of a steady
heartbeat pumps in the
background.
• This creates a sense of tension in
the film as we link the heartbeat to
the protagonist who is going to kill
someone in the possible, near
future.

10. NARRATIVE
• The opening few minutes is
narrated by, who the audience
can assume, is the main
protagonist as he manoeuvres
through the past.
• This places the audience in the
protagonists shoes and makes
them experience the events
through the main characters
thoughts, which adds a sense of
immersion to the film.