The film is backwards partly to make the plot more intriguing and partly to put the audience in Lenny's position. A scene starts, and we know absolutely nothing of what's going on, how Lenny got there or what just happened, only that he's trying to avenge his wife's death. Just like he's got no idea. Clever, huh?
Probably already spotted that, but that's my evidence for this: 10 pages were removed from the police report, and we're told it's so he can create a puzzle he can't solve. Well there we are then. The film's from Lenny's point of view, he's created this mess without end, and as the audience we can figure it out as often as we like and never come to a conclusive answer. There are lots of clues, and none of them lead anywhere. Only to bigger tangles. Most of the evidence can be read two ways, and there's never enough of it to support any claim for certain.
When we see shots like Lenny with the syringe, it's a parallel experience to him thinking "hang on, did that really happen?". He's got no way of knowing, and niether do we.
I'm going to quote another film now - "We only know what we're told, and as far as we know that isn't even true".
So to sum up - Memento's about a man with a memory disorder, who creates an impossible tangle of a conspiracy to investigate. Via various clever tricks the audience are put into exactly the same situation - no idea what has just happened. The contradictions and complications are a similar plot device, used to make us feel how Lenny does. As I said, it's just a theory, and not one I'm sure I support. But it's a possibility, right? Whatcha think?
Here's some other sites which discuss matters at length. If I'm right, they're all wrong and pointless. But anyway...they're all spoiler stuffed, by the by.
http://archive.salon.com/ent/movies/feature/2001/06/28/memento_analysis/index1.htmlhttp://www.designpattern.org/mementofaq.htm
http://www.christophernolan.net/memento_re.php
http://www.christophernolan.net/board/viewforum.php?f=2
http://www.otnemem.com/ -wouldn't launch for me, but it might be helpful
http://www.christophernolan.net/memento_mem.php
As well as the imdb.com forum, which is a good place to get an overview of opinions.
1 comments:
Nice take, and yes, in a way the confusion is made for us to be better able to feel like Lenny, but in the end we, unlike Lenny, can make memories and remember what was and what was not.
We see shots with Lenny with the syringe outside the context, when he is alone at Natalie's, so since he cannot remember Teddy's words any more and there is no reason for him to imagine it, it must be his memory.
The pages removed are those that tell the real story about his wife's death, the story he does not want to know or to remember.
If you checked the movie official site (you say it does not load - you can try the html version) you will see what I mean ;-) http://www.otnemem.com/noflash/index.html
It is really helpful for those confused.
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