Blog 5: Memento

Memento is one of Christopher Nolan's greatest films , hands down. I am glad we screened this film in class due it's originality and the way it has made us think about films after watching it. Going over the screening questions especially helped me personally when trying to understand the film. 

The phone calls and voice overs that were in black and white did become an effective translation of the story's structure. Since the film's arrangement of scenes and storyline was backwards, sideways, this way, that way, etc. the b&w scenes help us retreat back to some other storyline that was a continuous scene. Also since it was visually a different look with the b&w, it was good refresh on our eyes to see something else going on in the film. If the scenes were not in b&w, the storyline would have been A LOT more confusing.

One of the most confusing things in the film was "the list". Leonard goes throughout the whole film not remembering what he previous did so we are left with asking ourselves what is true and what is not. Leonard seeks truth through what other people tell him, that he doesn't even remember. Throughout the whole film I was looking at Teddy as a bad guy and Natalie as the good girl. But towards the end of the film I began to notice that I thought wrong about each of them. Things like that made it confusing for me to process of what was actually happening and what wasn't.

The scenes in the film successfully transition from to another. At first you are lost watching the film not knowing what's going on but since the audience naturally catches on to what is going on in what order, only means the film was put together well. Since I emphasis in film with a digital media major, the organization and editing of scenes intrigued me. I took away a different outlook on how to look at films that make you think.

During the film I did my best to organize what scenes were in what order but stopped doing it because it was only confusing myself. Half way through the film I just took it as it was and began to understand the film more just by watching it. With that said, I started to realize what Leonard's purpose was in the film. I think Nolan wanted us to to be in Leonard's shoes. As the audience tries to figure out what is going on, so is Leonard. Also since the film doesn't arrange the scenes in order, we know nothing more than what Leonard does. I think that is brilliant for a film do this with the use of putting us the main characters point of view.

Out of the all the pictures, tattoos, and people, I still do not know if this picture was taken after he killed the murderer. I think that's what they said in the film but like everything else, I questioned this picture because it during the black and white scenes.

After watching this film, I wondered if Memento could take place in current time with the technology. Even though this picture may seem funny, I think Nolan intended on having a lack of technology in the film in order for things like the Polaroids, tattoos, and notes to have a bigger impact.