I’m not quite sure what to focus on
in Memento because so much of it is
so great. First, let me just say that
Christopher Nolan is a genius. The reverse chronology of the film is brilliant. Not only is it an interesting break from the
typical chronological movie, but also it emphasizes the confusion of Leonard’s
memory loss. Whenever we see a scene
begin, we do not know where Leonard has come from or why he is there, just as
Leonard himself is unclear as to his situation. In an interview with journalist Anthony
Kaufman, Nolan explains, “There's this weird
irony, because you actually find yourself as a filmmaker in the position of the
protagonist that has to trust these notes he's written himself… absolutely
trust your initial instincts.”
This connection between the director and Leonard translates into a
strong sense of being "lost" within the film.
Nolan also brings up
the notion of trust. In Memento, it is impossible for Leonard to
trust anyone but himself. That’s why he
only believes his own handwriting. As a
viewer, I found that I was also at a bit of loss regarding whom to trust, particularly
because we only know bits and pieces of each character. For instance, Natalie comes off as incredibly
reliable at the beginning of the movie because she seems to be helping Leonard
out of the goodness of her heart. But
then we learn that she sent him on a mission of vengeance and perhaps even
framed Teddy for her own benefit. We
cannot tell as of yet whether Natalie is trustworthy, because just like
Leonard, we have no information about her past.
I am anxiously awaiting discovering the true intentions of all of the
characters and whether Leonard has killed the right man.
Source: http://www.indiewire.com/article/decade_christopher_nolan_on_memento
I found the fact that there was no character to fully trust and nobody capable of providing the truth made the movie a very different but exciting viewing experience. With an unreliable protagonist, it is up to the viewers to piece together the story and come to their own conclusion over where the truth lies. This absence of absolute truth has been a strong theme throughout the semester and I thought it was very fitting to finish the year with the film. Not only does it incorporate the ideas of the reader/viewer choosing their own truth, it examines the reality that the absolute truth isn’t always the most crucial aspect of a story.
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