Memento

The motion picture Memento opens with a close-up of a bloody Polaroid picture. We aren’t sure what the picture represents but as the photo fades to black, a man just killed returns to life and bullets jump from the ground into a gun, we realizes that everything is moving in reverse. This sets the stage for the entire film which is edited in reverse time.

Memento is a film about Leonard Shelby (Guy Pierce) and his search for retribution for the murder of his wife. His quest is complicated because he suffers from short-term memory loss. He remembers his name, his past work as an insurance claims investigator and the events leading up to his wife's murder, but can not create new memories. Leonard uses Polaroid photographs, takes notes and even tattoos clues onto his body to remind him of people and events that are important to his search for his wife's murderers.

Leonard narrates the film, which is used to fill gaps and give viewers critical information about story. These provide the answers to questions of who, why, when and how from scenes viewers have already seen. Early in the film we meet Teddy and Natalie, two characters that greatly influence his memories and actions. It becomes clear that at least one of them is lying so that Leonard will act in their interests. Maybe both are. Leonard determines Teddy is John G., the man who killed his wife, and is the person he kills in the very beginning of the film.

Leonard recalls Sammy (Stephen Tobolowski) several times throughout the movie. Leonard investigated his claim of short-term memory loss after an accident. Leonard's conclusion that Sammy was physically capable of creating new memories led to the denial of his claim. This is an ironic twist of fate since Leonard is experiencing the very same affliction.

Memento leaves a few questions unanswered. Near the end of the film, which is really the beginning of the story, Teddy explains to Leonard that Sammy doesn't exist and that his memories of him are replacement memories of his affliction and how is wife died. This seem plausible but since this happens at the end of the film, no time is dedicated to exploring this contradiction. We also see Leonard intentionally write a note he knows will lead himself to determine later that Teddy is really John G., his wife's killer, but we don't really know if he is involved or not. Finally, we don't really know what happened to his wife. Was she murdered, killed by an overdose of insulin from Leonard's own hand (just as him memories of how Sammy's wife died), or is she alive and well somewhere.

Memento's director Christopher Nolan creatively uses backwards editing to maintain interest through out the film. We literally watch nearly the entire film in reverse. This technique keeps viewers guessing about the background of what just occurred.

Nolan uses black and white photography throughout the film to separate time sequences. Each time a black and white scene is shown, the film jumps back to an earlier time in the story. In addition to providing innovative transitioning, the black and white scenes are used to more fully explain what has just occurred in the film, which is really in the future, or to establish a foundation for what the film will show us next, which is actually in the past.

Nolan uses a very intriguing technique when transition to and from black and white scenes. When transitioning from color to black and white, the film cuts to black and then fades into black and white. At the conclusion of black and white scenes, the film fades to black and then abruptly jumps to color.

Leonard occasionally experiences memories throughout the film. Nolan differentiates these from the rest of the film by showing the memories in short clips mixed in with Leonard as he remembers them. The film does not use music to any large degree. Nolan occasionally uses subtle dream-like music to enhance the Leonard's state of confusion.

The unique editing of Memento kept my attention throughout the movie. I thought it would create an anti-climatic ending, but in reality increased my anticipation for the end of the film so I could learn how everything began.