Memento

"Wait a second...what?" I can't count how many times this phrase was said when I sat down to watch the film Memento. That phrase was said not only after the opening scene, and but also after the ending scene. There have only been a few movies that I have watched in the past that have had this effect on me. I'm having troubles sleeping at night, I can't concentrate in class, and every time I see a person with a tattoo I get suspicious as to why they have it. It might sound as if Memento had a negative effect on me, but that is far from the truth!

This film was utterly and completely mind-boggling. Even now, I still cannot totally comprehend what I watched. How did the movie end? Or should I be asking how it began? Were the main characters static or dynamic? These aren't even a fraction of the questions that remain. I cannot even pinpoint Memento's message after I watched the film not only once, but twice! But, that is what I absolutely loved about this movie. There are so many different answers to all of the questions that remain in this film due in large part to the great work by the film's editors.

From scene to scene, the editors chose to use inside/out editing. The scenes would open with a very specific image and then would later show viewers where the scene is taking place, which characters are present in the scene, and what is happening overall in the scene. I also interpreted this form of editing as a direct correlation to the way the entire film was created. For example, the film opened with very specific scenes and the viewer was able to put the information presented in those scenes together to make connections as the film progressed. In this way, the techniques used to create the entire movie were very similar to the way each individual scene was constructed.

The color usage was a bit confusing, but very unique at the same time. It wasn't until the second time I watched Memento that I was able to come up with an explanation for the transitions of colors. Throughout Memento, some scenes were in color while others were in black and white. I noticed that, for the most part, the black and white scenes were flashbacks in Leonard's (the main character) life. They also seemed to play in chronological order from earlier events to later events in Leonard's life. Again, this might not have been the case in every black and white scene as it would require much further analysis to completely understand. However, one thing that I am very certain of is the use of colored scenes and what they represented. The color scenes played in reverse chronological order. The first scene of the movie was actually the ending to the film's plot. As with Memento's  ending scene, it was actually the beginning of the plot. This use of colors was a very creative way to keep viewers' attention.

An even more creative and brilliant way to keep viewers' attention is the way the plot was portrayed through the process of editing. So many movies follow the basic structure of exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. The choice to completely reverse this structure made Memento a much better film in my opinion. There are not many movies that choose to do so, but it really captivates the viewers and makes them think and keep interest in trying to understand the film.

While some people may prefer to watch films that don't require a deep thought process, I love movies that make you focus on every detail and leave you still not fully understanding the film. This lack of knowing or closure is what makes viewers want to watch a film over and over. Memento is a great example of a film that can be interpreted differently every time it is watched. That is one of the great things about complex films. There are so many different interpretations that allow viewers to discuss and debate with each other. For this reason, Memento is a film that is well worth watching.