Memento

            As everyone probably was, I was initially quite confused when I was watching Memento. I had heard it was a “mind trip” from other people in the past, so it was a movie that was in the back of my mind as one I wanted to see. I also have enjoyed the director Christopher Nolan’s work in the past. The movie was very, very well done in my opinion. I thoroughly enjoyed it, even though I most likely missed a lot of the symbolism and things. Once I was caught up to speed on the presentation of the story and plot, I found myself absolutely intrigued and engaged in the film. As the textbook indicates, this is a film that must be viewed multiple times to fully grasp the depth of the film, but I truly thought that the movie was especially unique.

            A visual effect that I thought was very effective was the usage of black and white along with normal full color. I did not realize it right away, but the black and white scenes were from the past and the color was the present. I think this could be a form of a parallel cut, even though the events are not happening at the same time. However, the cuts are interrelated because they lead to one another. This is initially confusing, but once it is determined, the usage of different colors is tremendous. The black and white scenes are unique because it forces the viewer to really focus on the dialogue in the scenes without much else to look at or focus on. While there were a lot of elements in each scene that were unique to the film, I felt that the most important aspect of the film was the presentation of the plot in reverse. I thought this was extremely unique and creative! This type of presentation really makes the viewer think about the film and piece it together in their own head. Also, it draws a parallel between Leonard’s memory loss and the viewers own confusion. The fact that Leonard can only remember things up to the time of his attack means that he forgets things very quickly. We as viewers also forget things quickly because the film is played in reverse chronological order. We don’t know the reasons behind the action in the film until later on. Because of this, we really are just like Leonard.

            Another unique part of the film to me is the use of the Polaroid pictures as notes for Leonard. As the film progresses, we as the viewer see the notes disappear from the pictures. The reasons that the notes are written on the pictures are also revealed, which clues viewers into what Leonard was thinking at the time. The viewer is drawn into the film by feeling confused and therefore can relate to Leonard. An effective part of the film is the first scene where Teddy is killed and the bullet goes back into the gun. This scene sets the tone and the direction for the rest of the film by reinforcing that the film will be presented backwards.

            Also interesting to me is the setting of the movie. The movie is primarily set in rundown hotels, abandoned warehouses, and bars. This is important because it gives the viewer a tremendous idea of the type of people that Leonard is dealing with. The characters seem sleazy to match the setting as well. This environment creates an emotional aspect of low-income, drug dealing, and shady business. The film is affected by it because it gives the viewer a feeling that Leonard is doing the right thing by tracking his wife’s killer down.

            Overall, I really enjoyed the film. I believe that it deserves every accolade that it has received. While, I did not enjoy it quite as much as I enjoyed Good Will Hunting, I will probably rate it the same. I honestly need to watch Memento again to get the full effect of the plot, acting, and symbolism. Rating 9 out of 10.