While Memento
certainly is a remarkable movie in terms of narrative , it was a small
piece of characterization that actually stuck with me, not only in
terms of its importance to the nature of the protagonist, but to the
intention of the film as a whole. When speaking with Natalie in the
diner, Leonard says “My wife deserves vengeance- [it] doesn't make
any difference whether I know about it”. Other blog posts have
discussed Leonard's dissociation from his memories, but his
relationship with his mission is just as interesting. He is isolated
in his quest for vengeance, and as Natalie accurately points out,
Leonard will not be able to remember succeeding in his goal, even if
he accomplishes it. Taken a bit farther, this line of reasoning leads
us to a more important question; if Leonard succeeds in his goal,
what is left for him?
As he
himself admits, Leonard has no sense of how much time has passed
since his wife's death and his injury. Regardless, it seems apparent
that he has dedicated all of his time in searching for her killer.
How could he be expected to do otherwise? His retained memories are
just as strong through every period of sudden antegrade amnesia, and
the shock and power of his tragedy are never sufficiently
desensitized. As such, he has become a man with a singular,
unwavering goal. As evidenced by his extensive tattoos, the
“vengeance” that his wife deserves has been his only driving
force, his only reason for living.
What
can we really expect from a Leonard who achieves his goals? As
Natalie says in their meeting, “...You're not going to remember it
[getting vengeance]- you're not even going to remember it happened”.
Yes, he could certainly take a memento of the event- a Polaroid, or a
tattoo, perhaps. But after the next event of amnesia, he will not
remember it, and the events of his wife's death will be just as
strong. Can we really expect a simple memento to satisfy his repeated
shock and anger? Even if it does, Leonard can no longer define
himself through that struggle. He becomes purposeless, without any
ability form brand new goals or ambitions.
Regardless
of whether or not Leonard accomplishes his goals, I cannot see many
positive ways this movie could end. If he succeeds, he loses his
purpose, but the pain of his wife's death remains- in the best case
scenario. What will he do with his anger, and the spirit of vengeance
that remains with him even after said vengeance has been enacted? It would
certainly be sufficient to drive him insane – if he isn't already.
Now that we have all seen the end of the movie, it's clear that your analysis was spot-on. If we are to believe Teddy, Leonard had already klled his wife's rapist but the memory didn't "stick." I wonder, however, about Leonard's emotional state. He cannot form new memories past "the incident" and seems to be in a state of perpetual anger and grief that fuel his desire for revenge. Emotions and memories are closely linked, so it stands to reason that the emotions he associates with his last memory would be the ones that dominate his life. But we do see evidence of other emotions as the movie plays out: he can be pensive, paranoid, excited. So do these emotions also fail to "stick" simply because he can't remember what he was doing when he felt them? It's not uncommon to remember a time when you felt angry, but not remember the cause of that anger. So perhaps there is a different 'emotional memory.' The fact that Leonard did not remember the moment he got his revenge, a moment that was the culmination of all of his efforts, suggests that even Leonard's emotions are not safe from his antegrade memory loss. And with Teddy gone, there will be no one to persuade Leonard that he really has gotten his revenge. Maybe if Teddy hadn't used Leonard, Leonard would have believed him, as shown in the brief moment of clarity he has at the very end of the film. But that would mean Leonard has to let go of the not only the only memories he has, the ones that give his life purpose, but also the only emotions he has. He is defending himself from the events of the world, but also from the internal forces that necessitate his dehumanization.
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