Memento Analysis Notes

Conventions:
The mise-en-scene is dark and sombre, which is very conventional of a thriller genre.

Sound:

The sound is pensive and sombre, it is reflective, sad and ironic. The music builds to a crescendo.

The music is a drone throughout the film. Quiet in the background.

When the gun sounds its louder than the rest of the music which shows its importance and draws the attention it it.

His voice is also a drone which shows how he is thinking out loud to himself.

Camera work/Editing:

Dissolves are used to symbolise his memory.

The close ups and point of view shots that are put in give a sense of mystery as you can't see anything around it. The close up of the picture shows gives a sense of mystery as you wonder what the pictures about.

The blood is a special effect used in the beginning of this scene.

The black and white scenes in this movie show his memory, him working things out for himself, trying to remember whats happened.

Narrative:

The story is not linear which is unconventional. It flicks back and forth compulsively, which shows frustration and my symbolise the thoughts of Lennie as a character.

Mise-en-scene:

The font at the beginning, blue on black and is spread out, bold. Font ‘memento’ symbolises his memory. The font being blue on back may show how his memory fades away, and it being spread out may show how it is not in order and how he as a person can be quite spacey as he can't remember much.

Picture is distorted, may symbolise memory.

Representation:

Teddy- not stereotypical of a killer, he is friendly, but still could be a killer as he comes across as being quite twisted. He is also a cop which is not stereotypical of a killer.

Lennie- not stereotypical of a mentally disabled person, he is very independent and driven, and has his own system of dealing with things.

The film:

The film challenges the audiences way of thinking, through the narrative, the way that the film has been made and how it is jumbled up.

The first scene goes backwards(re-winds) which may be symbolic of how his memory works.