MEMENTO
US, 2000, 105 minutes, Colour.
Guy Pearce, Carrie Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano.
Directed by Christopher Nolan.
Audiences need to be on the alert at the beginning of this film because its plot starts at the end and moves backwards in time. The central character, played intensely and credibly by Guy Pearce, has immediate memory loss so takes photos, makes notes, especially on body tattoos, so that he can find his wife's killer. It means that we almost have to pay more attention to what is happening than the hero. It is an experimental thriller that is always intriguing.
British director, Christopher Nolan, shows skill in both writing and directing. Memento served as a calling card for Hollywood and he went on to make Insomnia with Al Pacino and Robin Williams, followed by a successful re-launch of the Batman franchise with Batman Begins.
1. The film’s reputation and acclaim? The career of the director?
2. The impact of the film, the challenge, the puzzle? The need for paying attention?
3. The plot backwards, seeing the conclusion without knowing what preceded it? The steps going backwards, each step explaining the preceding step? Audiences wondering why each event happened? Leonard’s experience? The sequences in black and white, colour? The title?
4. The establishing of the linear plot: Leonard and his wife, their home life, his insurance work, the attack, the shower, the death of his wife? His memories of her death? The contact with the police, suspicions, answering questions, getting information? His encounter with Teddy, the discussions, his suspicions? His getting the tattoos, taking the photos, having the mementoes by which he could move forward? The nature of his illness, not amnesia, his inability to make immediate memories? The role of Teddy, the drug dealer, the set-ups, the encounters? The role of Teddy as corrupt, as police – or impersonating? The various stories he was told? The photos and the captions? Jimmy, the accusation, the drugs? The violence towards Jimmy? The coat, the bar, the contact with Natalie? Her suspicions, his coming around, the story of her boyfriend? Her gradually helping him, her outburst against him? The car, his taking it, the violence? The motel, Bert and his continually helping, the phone calls, moving rooms? Leonard and his growing motivation, vengeance? Natalie, her help? The girl with the drugs, ousting her? The attack and the violence in the shower, in the motel, his knocking out the opponent? The gradually working on the truth, realising Teddy’s lies, killing him?
5. Leonard as a character, his ordinary life, the story about Sammy and his wife, objective, compassionate? His using Sammy’s story as understanding his own situation? His grief, desperation, his explanations of his condition, having the cope, experiencing people’s angers, violence and attack? Natalie, her help? The implications of the drugs? His attitudes towards Teddy, Teddy’s continued reappearance, ingratiating himself? The final violence and motivation?
6. Teddy, his arrival on the scene, his behaviour, his stories, their inconsistencies, his saying that Leonard’s wife was diabetic, Leonard discerning lies, writing himself notes? The tattoos? Teddy implicated? The car, the phone calls, his continued presence, his motivation – and his death?
7. Natalie, the relationship with her boyfriend, the drug dealing, the bar? Her first encounter with Leonard, the puzzle, the beer, the spitting in the beer, giving him a new mug? Her continued help, information, at the motel? Testing him – especially with abusing and insulting him? Her contribution towards identifying Teddy as the villain?
8. The drug dealers, the girl in the motel, the background of drugs, motivation?
9. Bert, his listening to Leonard’s stories, shifting rooms, the effect on Leonard, changing coat etc?
10. The flashbacks to Sammy and his story, his condition, his wife being sceptical, his being difficult? Leonard and the interviews, the insurance money? The decisions not to give Sammy the money? His wife and her realisation, suffering, the issue with the insulin needles and her knowing the truth, her death?
11. The impact of watching such a vengeance story from death back to motivations? The challenging effect?
