Time and Perspective

Rating: 8/10 (24 September 2018)

Christopher Nolan's "Memento" will change your perspective on how stories can be told. Being adapted from a short story his brother wrote, "Memento Mori", Nolan takes the story and warps it into a completely different experience. With the use of time manipulation and perspective, the viewer is forced into being immersed in this enigmatic tale.
The story is about Leonard (Guy Pearce), a man who is looking to avenge his wife's murder. After being injured the night of his wife's death, Leonard lost the ability to form new memories making this day the last he can remember. The film starts with the image of a fading polaroid followed by the killing of a man played in reverse. The rest of the scenes are played forwards, while the chronology of most of the film remains in reverse, foreshadowed by the opening scene.
I feel that it's important to explain how the film's timeline works so I can reference it more easily. Throughout the film Nolan cleverly uses two main timelines, as well as flashbacks that happen before the main story to maintain immersion. The first being the main timeline which is being told backwards, and the second being a timeline that is being told forwards. The way that Christopher Nolan explained the timeline was by thinking of it as "hairpin" where the timelines meet each other at the end of the film. Scenes chronologically reversed (the main scenes) were played in color and were significantly longer than the sections played chronologically (the alternate scenes), which were played in black in white.
The use of color change here is notable because it creates a contrast that keeps the viewer's attention and makes it more obvious when timeline change occurs. As the film progresses, the main scenes were cut up evenly by the alternate scenes. Nolan made the scenes switch back and forth throughout the film while mixing in some of the other flashbacks when they fit the best. I believe this was done to add rhythm and keep the audience's focus. To get rid of any potential confusion about the chronology, Nolan made each the main scenes and the alternate scenes overlap where they were cut so the audience would know right where they are in the story. However, with how complex this timeline is, the film may not be the right choice for someone who likes stories with more of an external conflict.
To accompany the manipulation of time, perspective is used in "Memento" to filter information the same way that Hitchcock does in "Rear Window". Very few parts of the story are not told through the eyes of Leonard, which, due to his condition, makes the audience unsure of what exactly is happening throughout the film. In "Rear Window", Hitchcock lets you develop your own opinion on the events that are happening because you are seeing the film through the eyes of the main characters. This same theory applies to "Memento" in the way that if you saw the movie through Teddy's (Joe Pantoliano) eyes, or any other character, you would have a completely different film where Leonard would probably look more directly like an irrational person and maybe even the antagonist.
While digesting the movie you must consider the smaller aspects that Nolan felt appropriate to add. For example, when Leonard tries to push the door rather than pull when walking into the Discount Inn a certain aspect of comedy is created. Also, the drastic change in sound whenever the wife's murder is being shown adds an aspect of horror to the film. These smaller details scattered throughout the film make viewers that may have not been entertained by the main aspects of the movie, have some relatability with the film.
When you combine time manipulation, use of perspective, and Leonard's short-term memory loss, you get the final product. If you are a fan of stories with an internal conflict and a complex plot you are bound to find entertainment here. Even though this film might not be for everyone, the experience is unforgettably unique and will leave anyone thinking for days after you watch it. Every time you watch this film your opinions change, and you notice more and more depth in places you couldn't imagine.