Are you an ethical person?

Rating: 9/10 (30 January 2010)

And that's one of the core messages the movie delivered to its audiences. With many twists and thoughts set up in a untraditional manner, Memento is essentially very poignant, depressing and can even be horrifying.
The post-modern style of narrating is really fascinating, if not a bit over-the-top. However, any skepticism about this movie's style being over material is wiped out after the first viewing, if you really get it in the first viewing(which also proves you are cleverer than average). To say that the story in this movie flows backwards is a bit inaccurate because the story is an exploration of the origins of every chapter's confusion and conflicts. Have you ever tried to solve a puzzle because you experienced some terrible trauma? If yes, then Memento could be a very personal experience for you as you relate more and more to the main protagonist. Suppose we are given the tools of Leonard, should we be more competent in making the investigation? Or, are we asking ourselves what's justice and what it takes to be an ethical person? Thinking deep into these questions really made this movie a horror one.
Each time a new character pops up in the screen, you would be puzzled by his/her reason to be present, in later segment of the movie you would know what a big crude lie he/she made for Leonard. You see? It's not up to us to decide we are ethical or not given this scenario. You could start like Teddy who wanted to help to end Leonard's misery by helping him and end like Teddy who's tired of Leonard's revenge game and begin to take advantage of that. You could also start like Natalie who's good at manipulating people's emotions, and then found a guy like Leonard a most valuable asset. The problem is anyone who encountered Leonard's condition will automatically become part of his dysfunction. The problem is, no one deserves to live with his condition, yet no one likes to share his burden and take care of his problem. That could be very morally challenging, especially if you had any family/friend who's not so normal.
Proverbs 4:23, "Above all else, guard your heart; for it is the wellspring of life." Memento explores this script backwards, in which situations Leonard twisted himself again and again in pursuit of vengeance. Many people considered the movie a great plot hole because if Leonard really can't remember anything after the assault, how come he remembered he has the condition and the cops wouldn't help investigating the case? In the end, however, this is answered by Teddy that Leonard just remembered those he wanted to remember, which proves Leonard himself might just be a fraud, who's "physically capable of making new memories" but would rather choose to lie to himself. You may pity with him because like an autistic person he is suffering. But, it's Leonard who caged himself in the middle of the misery, and wouldn't let himself go. The horrifying message is that there is already no truth for Leonard because everything he thinks that matters would be forgotten in next minute, yet the only truth left for the audience is that with submarine motivations everyone lies just like Leonard and Teddy. However, thanks to the Bible which tells us people CAN choose to lie or to tell the truth(even mentally-challenged person like Leonard). Notably, Memento doesn't follow popular philosophies and wasn't so ignorant about that fact.
9/10, very impressive and compelling, needed instructions for young audiences.