Memento An Unforgettable Narrative
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The first time that I watch Memento, I found myself with the same condition that Leonard Shelby is conflicted with. For the majority of the movie, I found that I too had short term memory loss, and could not remember incidences in the film much after they had happened. The second viewing in class filled in many of the pot holes that had been left, and proved to be much more insightful. The whole concept of memory loss complete envelopes this film, and that issue must be kept in the back of your mind throughout the film. With this concept in mind, I started to question everything within the film. Leonard is not the best resource for recounting a story taking place completely after his memory is damaged, yet he is the only one that can tell the audience the story through his actions and decisions.
The principle of explicit causality is a strategy used blatantly within Memento. Without a plot that is structured completely around time, Memento would be a mess. The sequence of events is not conventional, with half of the story in color and starting from the end, and the other half in black and white and starting at the beginning. However, the plot is entirely linear...