Memento(2000)

Director:Christopher Nolan

Writers: Jonathan Nolan(short story "Memento Morl")

Christopher Nolan(screenplay)

Editor: Dody Dorn

Actors: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss and Joe Pantollano

Music: David Julyan

Cinematography: Wally Pfister

Description analysis

Duration: 00:34:01--00:35:00

Mise-en-scene:

In this scene, there are 2 main actors, Natalie and Leonard, when Leonard found Dodd, and forgot what he did on Dodd, then he took the photo of Dodd and came to Natalie's house to ask her. Leonard thought Natalie make some trouble for him, but Natalie told him not be care about that. Then Leonard realized someone wanted to try to make him kill the wrong man. Natalie told Leonard trust himself and comfort him.

In Natalie's home, Leonard sat in the sofa, looked so angry and undercontrol, Natalie listened what he says, when Leonard talk about his wife, Natalie looked him silently and tried to relax him.

Colors:

It's dark in the room at night, and the color of 2 actors are clear, but the background is fuzzy, it featured Leonard's sadness and Natalie show sympathy for him.

Music:

The music of the background is hurried when Leonard come to ask Natalie about Dodd, it shows Leonard is very anxious and angry.

The hurried music was stoped when Natalie ask Leonard to sit down. This will make you feel Leonard is cooling down a bit. But when he mentioned his wife, the hurried breath tell us that he turned into angry again. Because he really want to find out the murderer who killed his wife.

The music of the background was changing into peace when Natalie comfort him by "xuxu..." and at the same time, Leonard stopped heavy breath to show that Leonard is calming down.

Sound:

Leonard knocked on the door very hurry and heavy when he came to find Natalie. This appears that Leonard is in hurry and angry. Because he forgot why he did something to Dodd.

When Leonard mentioned his short memory, he knocked the table hardly to show he is very helpless about his anterograde amnesia. When Leonard talked about these, Natalie looked him and kept silently to show that she felt sad also and tried to help him.

Dialogue:

When Leonard came to Natalie's home at the beginning, his word is very rude, via some "fucking" to show his angry and confused.

But when Natalie saw the photo of Dodd, she felt satisfied and use the gentle words ask Leonard to relax.

When Leonard said "how can i take your words?" to Natalie, it tells us Leonard knew he had the anterograde amnesia, so he can not believe anyone including himself.

When Leonard said"something don't feel right, i think someone made me kill the fucking wrong guys", he is so angry and forgot what happened in the past time.
When Leonard said "the felt words and her... " the dialogue of the attribute turned gentle, it tells us Leonard is sad and miss his wife so much.

Natalie sound "xuxu..." to comfort Leonard when he was unhappy about his short memory and upon to write notes to remember what he did. And when Natalie saw the tattoo on the Leonard's body, she touched it and in low voice said "it's back..." to show her sympathy for him.

Contrasting areas:

In this scene, cinematography makes the background is dark and unclear to contrast the foreground is more clearly, and to show us the important point is the 2 actors, from them we will receive more information about the story.

Character analysis

Character relaionships(proxemics)

Natalie is Jimmy's girlfriend

But Leonard killed Jimmy by strangling, because Teddy told Leonard Jimmy is "John G".

Editing

shot types:

In this scene, there are many shot types are used, such as, when Leonard take out of his car to Natalie's house is long shot; and when they were talking, the shot type is medium shot; when Natalie wanted to destroy the photo of Dodd, Leonard told her to burn, a close-up to Natalie's hand.

Camera movement:

When Leonard and Natalie are talking, i think the camera movement is pan, because when Leonard is talkingm, the camera is on his site; and when Natalie was talking, the camera is turning her site.

Camera Angle:

I think the most common camera angle is high angle and low angle, Leonard sat in the sofa, Natalie is on the floor, when Leonard talk to Natalie, the camera angle is low angle; but when Natalie talked to Leonard, the camera angle is becoming high angle, because the camerais shoting who was listening.

And there is another camera angle is over the shoulder as well when Leonard talked to Natalie by sitting in the sofa.