Memento Presentation Script

Analyse the Narrative Structure in the film Memento.

Projector- Clip of build up and fight featuring Leonard and Dodd in Dodd’s apartment

Presenter- A quote I found from my academics research disproves the film's narrative structure, especially the scene featuring Leonard and Dodd. "If narrative depends so heavily on cause and effect, what kinds of things can function as causes in a narrative?" This quote shows that a typical narrative of a film relies on a 'cause and effect' relationship, Memento relies on an 'effect, then cause' relationship. this is because of the linear narrative that just occurs backwards. This is true as Christopher Nolan (Director of Memento) said it himself in an interview after Memento's release. "The narrative of Memento is linear, just backwards". I think this scene shows the film's narrative and it's complex structure very well, I have embedded a clip from YouTube showing this scene played in chronological order. This order takes away suspense and raises no questions for the audience, delivering less of an effect of the scene being shown in this way. Nolan continued to say in the interview: "The narrative is so linear that you can't remove a single scene from the film, if you did the film wouldn't make sense".

Projector- Clip of Black and White scene, Leonard's tattoos

Presenter- These scenes provide the audience with unreliable narration, this is because of Leonard's condition. A quote I found sums up quite nicely. "The story and the way it is told may be unusual". The scenes showing Leonard's tattoos provide enigma codes for the audience. Why put such information on your body? The audience find out throughout the film that these are clues to find Leonard's wife's 'killer'. Though, these codes stick in the audience's minds until we find an answer for them in the film. Only then, the codes implemented have fulfilled their role. Usually, in other films enigma codes are put across to the audiences by character's dialogue, it's a little different in Memento. I think these codes are shown in an interesting, and visually unique way, we follow Leonard in his quest of putting clues together and then tattooing himself (all be it in a reverse order).

Projector- Opening Scene, Leonard killing 'Teddy', First Black and White sequence

Presenter- I found a quote from a book called: Puzzle Films: Complex Storytelling in Contemporary Cinema. "In matching shots of colour sequences, the repetition of already seen details helps to create a connection between the related colour sequences that flow backwards and are interrupted by black and white scenes. In this perspective, the matching shots are mnemonic devices. They encourage the viewer to make the operation of mental rotation, which consists in putting the events of the two sequences in the right chronological order, to verify the temporal and causal relationships". Memento plays with the audience in a way, with complex space and order of time featured. You could say putting time in order can be seen as a game, If you get it right and fully understand it, you have a better viewing experience and enjoys the film more than those that don't understand it. This is probably why people have watched Memento multiple times in order to fully 'get their head around it'. I think this is why the film stands out from others for being complex. Some members of the audience like a challenge when watching a film, Memento delivers that with unreliable narration, complex narrative, and powerful enigma codes.

Projector- Ending scene of Memento, Leonard killing Jimmy Grants (John.G)

Presenter-A quote I found for this scene is short but effective. "An easy way to analyse the range of narration is to ask, who knows what when?" This quote is important to us as an audience as it's helps us to improve our understanding of Memento's narrative. Due to an unreliable narration method being put forward, this question is very useful to us. For instance, in the ending scene, Jimmy provides alternate information compared to Leonard's, e.g. the situation of Leonard's wife. Is she dead or not? Why does Leonard believe that this has happened? Teddy gives us insight into answering these questions among others. An audience may come to the conclusion that Leonard is simply a serial killer, that what my opinion anyway. I think this scene and the narration implemented is interesting as audiences can draw up their own conclusions. We don't know for sure that Leonard's or Teddy's version of what happened is true or completely made up, we are given the opportunity to 'fill in the blanks' in Memento. I mean, we can't take Leonard's word for it, even though we are situated in his point of view throughout the film. The range of narration is compelling to say the very least.

Projector- Scene were the Two Parallel Narratives meet

Presenter- The last quote regards the method of cause and effect. "If narrative depends so heavily on cause and effect, what kinds of things can function as causes in a narrative? Usually, the agents of cause and effect are characters. By triggering and reacting to events, characters play roles within the film's formal system". This point in the film can be seen as the climax for the film's ending (start). Cause and effect is used differently as, effect occurs and the cause is shown to the audience straight after. Nolan talked about the elements of the film shortly after it's release in an interview, "There is a strong distortion of time...the audience are put into Leonard's mindset". We don't know when parts of the film takes place, e.g. how long has it been since the apparent death of Leonard's wife, and at what point are we seeing this story? One thing we do know is the time between each effect and cause, it's very short, reinforced by the fast paced editing in between each segment. This method finally comes together with the two different narratives, one being shown in colour and the other being set in black and white. The audience see that the narratives combine to show the climax, aka the killing of John.G, and some vengeance for the central character, Leonard. The character does trigger events in Memento as he causes each 'cause' but we see the effect of this before it. The film uses this method intelligently and effectively as the audience attempt to make sense of why events took place, and what happened to lead to a certain point in the film.