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Strange, interesting, and different are the three best words I can use to describe Memento. This very different thriller is basically all backwards. The film starts with Leonard (Guy Pearce, Rules of Engagement) killing Teddy (Joe Pantoliano, Midnight Run), and ends with Leonard talking to Teddy on the phone. How the film works is like this: shoot one long scene (the first scene from the story) in black and white; shoot the rest of the film with multiple scenes; edit together with the black and white portion first and the rest latter (nothing ground breaking here); then re-edit the entire film and put it in reverse order. To elaborate, lets say you split the first scene into ten sections and then do the same with the rest of the film. Then you put section one of scene one as your opening scene followed by section 10 of the second part of the film, then section two of scene one, then section nine of part two, etc. So that the last two sections of the film basically meet in the middle of the film’s story. This technique helps to get rid of most foreshadowing, as does the ailment that Leonard is afflicted by. We learn of the ailment, its causes, and the effects in bits and pieces from both parts of the film. In fact the first scene is basically the explanation for the ailment (in the form of the legend of Sammy Jankis), which is memory loss. More specifically short-term memory loss in which Leonard cannot remember anything from about ten minutes prior, but he can still remember everything prior to the incident that caused the ailment. Therefore Leonard has to write down everything in order to function, but we learn that even this can lead him astray. We also learn that Leonard’s sole purpose in life now is to kill the man who raped and murdered his wife. This is one film in which I can give away the ending (the killing of Teddy) and not give away the story since the end is really the beginning, or vice versa depending on your perspective. Christopher Nolan wrote and directed
Memento, which I think aided in creating a cohesive picture that is just begging
to become dis-conjuncted. The story flows beautifully, though backwards, much
like some waterfalls in New Brunswick,
Canada. The cast of Memento also includes Carrie-Anne Moss (Red
Planet), Mark Boone Junior,
Jorja Fox, Harriet Sansom Harris, Larry Holden, Callum Keith Rennie, and Stephen
Tobolowsky.
Last updated: Saturday, October 28, 2006 05:37:38 PM |
