Derek Jarman once said that film was, “The preserve of ambition and folly in pursuit of illusion, or delusion.” Memento, directed by Christopher Nolan, has an interesting storyline to attract speculation about illusions and delusions. Our protagonist, Leonard, suffers from a mental disorder called anterograde amnesia, which is the inability to convert short-term memories into long-term memories, caused by trauma to the head. The story follows Leonard on his journey for vengeance after his wife is supposedly raped and murdered. However, the most engaging aspect of the film is not the story itself, but the form in which it is told. In Memento we see chronological order reversed, so that the (chronological) beginning of the story is the end of the film and vice versa. Another device Nolan uses is time lapses’. We see the film “backwards”, but we also see the film in short burst shots, one scene (in the film) leading into the what happened previously (in the story), all done usually in five to ten minute segments, depending on the action. This device is used to emphasize Leonard’s condition thus; we are seeing the story through his point of view. This nonlinear structure emphasizes not only the story itself, but also how the viewer comes to understand the plot. It also allowed Nolan to play with our perceptions of character, as exhibited through Natalie and Teddy, and more importantly, Leonard. The aspect of cinema that is emphasized when the form dominates the story line is the ability to engage the audience. Not just on an elementary level, but in such a way as to make the viewer not only question the ideas behind the story but also reality itself.
Another cinematic device used throughout the film is the use of black and white for sequences that have either already happened, or is flashbacks for the characters. This helps the viewer isolate information from what is considered “live” and what is either a memory or just data. For this story to have a sense of mystery and ambiguity the content needs the nonlinear form used throughout the film. Form, how the story is told, affects the how the story is perceived; one cannot exist without the other. This particular form used for Memento, is what makes the film such an anomaly. Had Memento been told in a typical linear fashion, the story would still be interesting, but the viewer would not be engaged. All of the facts would have been laid bare, leaving no room for the audience to wonder if perhaps Natalie wasn’t really helping Leonard towards the “beginning” of the film, but rather getting her revenge on Teddy for the death of Jimmy, or if Teddy was being truthful, or was he the second attacker? All of the elements used throughout the film that make the viewer a little bit confused, is what makes Memento interesting. Nolan is challenging us to not just sit back, relax and consume, but to engage with our main character and understand his place in the story. From Leonard’s point of view we see that everything is going according to plan, until it’s not, and then is again. As a result of us observing through Leonard’s point of view, we must make deductions and assumptions and trust only what’s written on the back of a Polaroid, just like Leonard. Therefore we truly understand what our main character is experiencing, because we are experiencing it also, as opposed to simply absorbing it. Repetition was commonly used throughout the film. It emphasized our main characters cycle, and the fact that Leonard was often prone to retracing his steps and therefore providing the viewer with more information. It was also used to reveal Leonard’s inner monologue of remembering his wife's alleged murder. Through this we see Leonard repeating “facts” to himself and attempting to convince himself of the “truth”. The fact that he constantly tells the people around him about Sammy Jankis, is evidence of Leonard’s struggle to lie to himself. If he repeats it enough times, it’s no longer just a story, but a fact. Another device used by Nolan, is the plot twist appearing at the end of the film, otherwise known as the “surprise ending”. This leaves the audience with a sense of shock but also, somewhat of, a resolution. We are not completely satisfied, but we are fulfilled enough to enjoy the entirety of the film. And from that last bit of information, we can now ponder the real force behind what drives each character.
Nolan has said about Memento, “ I believe the answers are all there in the film, but the terms of the storytelling deliberately prevent people from finding them. If you watch the film, and abandon your conventional desire for absolute truth - and the confirmation of absolute truth that most films provide you with - then you can find all the answers you're looking for. As far as I'm concerned, my view is very much in the film - the answers are all there for the attentive viewer, but the terms of the storytelling prevent me from being able to give the audience absolute confirmation. And that's the point.” What the film exposes about the human psyche is that anyone can lie to themselves. They can manipulate their own brains into believing what is on the surface of their reality. A persons sense of justice can be altered with revision. This also proved true for the viewers of Memento, how our perspective of Leonard, Teddy, and Natalie changes so drastically from beginning to end, all with the illumination of Leonard’s true intentions. Leonard was not only fooling himself but also fooling us. Leonard appears to be our 3rd person, while simultaneously our narrator is also omniscient. We are given revealed to narrative information along with our main character, whose point of view we are experiencing. Memento was intricately conducted, and and quite arduous to understand. Still, we never lose focus of the story behind the complicated form in which it is delivered. Memento’s story was cohesive, and it’s form provocative, proving that the way a story is told, and not just the story itself, can bend one’s perspective, question certainty, and become engaging for the masses.
