In my term paper, I will examine the narrative structure in “Memento“ which switches between chronological narration and reversed temporality. With respect to this unique narrative structure, I will take a closer look at the black-and-white and colour sequences, the opening sequence and the outstanding and resolvent scene 22/A, especially regarding the cinematography used. In the further course of my work, you will learn of the essential role of the unreliable narrator regarding my thesis and finally what impact the fabula construction in “Memento” has on his viewers.
„Causes and their effects are basic to narrative, but they take place in time“. This quotation from Bordwell’s and Thompson’s work Film Art, an Introduction does not only show a fundamental principle of narration but furthermore depicts a possibility to manipulate the spectator’s understanding of a story. Christopher Nolan’s “Memento” is one example of what a complex narration can be.
The film shows two separate stories of Leonard, an ex-insurance investigator who suffers anterograde amnesia and attempts to find the murderer of his wife, which is the last thing he can remember. On the one hand there is a forward moving storyline, the black-and-white scenes while the other one, the colour sequences, tells the story backwards. Although the story behind the film is rather simple, the narrative structure is extremely complex and clever, which demands constant attention from its spectators.
This term paper will deal with the methods used in “Memento” which mislead the audience’s understanding of the story. My thesis is therefore: Narrative complexity in Christopher Nolan’s “Memento” – Narrative structure, Narrator’s unreliability, fabula construction and cinematography as key elements for the spectator’s manipulation.
Apart from the film “Memento”, the central literature I will work with is the essay by Stefano Ghislotti “Narrative Comprehension Made Difficult: Film, Form and Mnemonic Devices in ‘Memento’”, the documentary “Anatomy of a Scene” about the making of “Memento”, a text by Andy Klein named "Everything You Wanted to Know about ‘Memento’” and different filmic narrativity by Jakob Lothe, David Herman and Edward Branigan. In addition to that, there is a self-generated sequence analysis attached to the term paper in order to have an overall view of the scenes I take a closer look at.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Narrative structure in Memento
2.1 Colour scenes
2.2 Black and White scenes
2.3 The opening sequence
2.4 Scene 22/A
3 Narratology in films: Focalization
3.1 The unreliable narrator in Memento
4 Fabula construction in Memento and its effect on the spectator
5 Conclusion
Research Objectives & Key Themes
This paper examines how Christopher Nolan's film Memento employs complex narrative structures, unreliable narration, specific fabula construction, and cinematography to manipulate the spectator's perception and force them into a state of cognitive alignment with the protagonist's amnesiac condition.
- Analysis of non-linear narrative strands (reversed colour sequences vs. progressive black and white scenes).
- Evaluation of cinematography as a tool for subjective focalization and viewer immersion.
- Investigation of the unreliable narrator through the lens of short-term memory loss and psychological conditioning.
- Exploration of how the spectator actively constructs the film's fabula through fragmented informational cues.
- Study of the psychological impact of temporal disruption on narrative comprehension.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1 Colour scenes
As already mentioned, the story of Memento is told backwards and starts at the end of its right chronological order (scene V), where Leonard kills Teddy. Therefore, the story ends at sequence A, where Lenny kills Jimmy the drug dealer. The colour scenes alternate with the black and white scenes and depict the main events of the story since the viewer experiences everything through Leonard’s point of view.
As you can see in the sequence protocol in the appendix, the colour sequence represent the larger part of the story with 96 minutes from 113 minutes of the total length of the movie. The average length of each colour scene is from one to six minutes long. Each scene is very short and somehow represents the complete length of Shelby’s memory capacities (Holm).
An important method to confirm the temporal and causal relationships in these scenes are the matching shots at the beginning and at the end of each colour sequence. “In these shots, the repetition of already seen details helps to create a connection between the related color sequences that flow backwards and are interrupted by black and white scenes”(Ghislotti 96). These matching shots encourage the viewer to put the events into the right chronological order and refresh his memory in order to make him able to get the film’s structure.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter defines the thesis that Memento utilizes narrative complexity, unreliable narration, and cinematography to manipulate spectator comprehension.
2 Narrative structure in Memento: This section details the dual-strand structure of the film, examining the specific functions of reversed colour sequences and progressive black and white scenes.
3 Narratology in films: Focalization: This chapter explores filmic focalization theory and its application in creating the unreliable perspective of the protagonist.
4 Fabula construction in Memento and its effect on the spectator: This section analyzes how audiences interact with the film's fragmented data to reconstruct the causal chain of events.
5 Conclusion: The final chapter synthesizes findings, confirming that the film's deliberate disorientation mimics the protagonist's own cognitive limitations.
Keywords
Memento, Christopher Nolan, Narrative structure, Unreliable narrator, Fabula construction, Cinematography, Anterograde amnesia, Focalization, Non-linear narrative, Film analysis, Spectator manipulation, Memory loss, Temporal disruption, Narrative complexity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this term paper?
The paper explores how Christopher Nolan's Memento uses specific cinematic and narrative devices to mislead the audience and mirror the protagonist's amnesiac state.
What are the primary thematic fields covered?
The study focuses on narratology, filmic structure, cognitive reception theory, and the impact of cinematography on viewer perception.
What is the main research objective?
The objective is to prove that narrative structure, narrator unreliability, fabula construction, and cinematography are intentional tools used to manipulate the viewer.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The work utilizes a combination of sequence analysis, narratological theory (Genette, Branigan), and comparison with existing film criticism to analyze the film's structure.
What does the main body address?
The body analyzes the distinct functions of the black and white versus colour sequences, the role of focalization, and the psychological process of fabula reconstruction by the viewer.
Which keywords characterize the work?
Key terms include Memento, Narrative Structure, Unreliable Narrator, Fabula Construction, Cinematography, and Spectator Manipulation.
How do the colour sequences differ from the black and white scenes in their purpose?
The colour sequences provide a subjective, reversed perspective that aligns the viewer with Leonard's confusion, whereas the black and white scenes offer a more objective, progressive frame that contextualizes his condition.
What is the significance of "Scene 22/A" in the film's structure?
Scene 22/A serves as the convergence point where the two narrative strands meet, providing the final puzzle piece necessary for the spectator to reconstruct the chronological sequence of events.
Why does the author consider the narrator to be unreliable?
The narrator is unreliable due to his severe anterograde amnesia, his tendency to construct his own reality through conditioning, and the internal focalization that limits the viewer's knowledge to his flawed perception.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Claudia Rumms (Autor:in), 2015, Narrative Complexity in Christopher Nolan’s "Memento". Narrative Structure, Unreliability, Fabula Construction and Cinematography as Key Elements for the Spectator’s Manipulation, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/306783
