Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Memento: The Clueless Hero

Before the films that we all love such as The Dark Knight Trilogy and Inception this is what I consider to be Christopher Nolan's first masterpiece the Director of Memento. The Director is known for focusing on the plot of all his films and the complexity of the story. This movie was the first movie where I actually had to pay attention to understand what was happening. During the course of this movie all the viewers have to become investigators and figure out whats happening during the story. In most movies while the viewer may be aloof to what is happening at least the character knows the story and we have a guide to rely on during the movie. In the course of the film we are not only trying to figure out the story, but the main character is also trying to figure out who he is and the story repeatedly. Leonard Shelby the main character of the movie is the most unreliable character in the movie.









Leonard Shelby played by Guy Pearce has suffered a head injury while trying to save his wife from being murdered. He now suffers from short term memory loss a condition where he cannot retain new memory. He only retains memory the night his wife was murdered and prior. So this fact about the character is what makes the story so interesting. Because since neither us as the audience and the main character have no idea what is going on, the story is open to interpretation. This film gives us the unique opportunity to create our own back story, our own interpretations, and our own answers. Lenny made his whole purpose to find the killer of his wife and kill him. Could Lenny have had been the killer and we just don't know it? Did he already find the killer? Are the people in his life really for his benefit or not? These questions will continue to be murky through out the film. Whenever we learn something for the first time, it his also new to him. Since Lenny was an investigator prior to this he learns many ways to retain information in a way that can not be changed and is trustworthy.












As you see in the picture Lenny has tattoos of information all over his body. Like Lenny always says "facts are important and they must be recorded". He doesn't let his condition stop him from getting the facts that he needs and keeping them. The most reliable way he keeps information and probably the most iconic is he tattoos of facts on his body. The most noticeable one is the one across his chest that reads "find him and kill him". He also takes Polaroid pictures of every person he meets and puts a fact about them behind the picture and keeps them with him at all times. Here's a clip of how he deals with his condition and how the tattoos help him in being able to still have control of the situation somewhat.
So as you can see here while Lenny is the hero of the story he is the most vulnerable person in it. You can't help but feel bad for him, but at the same time expect for him to pull through and overcome because that is what a hero in the story does. However it is more complex than that in this film. You come to learn that you cannot only trust the other characters in the film but Lenny as well. You would ask well how is that possible when he has no control over the facts, and when he can hardly retain them? That is wear lies the important question. Are the small facts that Lenny has being manipulated by himself for himself and why?

The film employs all different types of unique qualities to make the film such a fantastic film. The construction of the story is made in a way where the viewer is discovering the ending along with the main character. The way it is filmed using both modern and old noir type styles and the way the hero is portrayed is unique. I highly recommend and hopefully you can figure it out in the first view.

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