Similar themes are present in Memento. Much like Angier, Leonard lost his wife and seeks vengeance over the course of the film. Unable to form new memories, it is clear how the theme of identity confusion is at play in this film, as Leonard is incapable of knowing anybody, including himself. Furthermore, in a huge plot twist, we learn that Leonard’s wife may not really have been killed by the man who raped her, but actually was killed when Leonard caused her to overdose on insulin and subsequently did not remember it. The story of the insulin overdose is one that Leonard claims happened to a man named Sammy Jankis, but it seems that Leonard is intentionally confusing his identity to free himself of guilt and point himself towards vengeance, …show more content…
We have scenes of exposition in which we learn of new characters like the Joker and Harvey Dent and are told of Gotham’s current stance towards Batman. Even if we are slightly confused by the Joker’s chaotic bank heist that begins the film, we quickly see more of the Joker and thus have most of our questions answered. This hardly compares to the extent of confusion that we see during Memento, where we are constantly asking questions from the start, questions that will not be answered until two hours later in the film. In this sense, Nolan’s directorial signature seems watered down in the blockbuster production environment. Sherry Ortner would try to explain this by pointing to how “whereas studio [blockbuster] films are in the business of ‘entertainment,’ independent films often set out to challenge their viewers with relatively difficult subject matter or techniques” (2). In this case, it seems that the blockbuster style of producing films, which emphasizes keeping the viewer encapsulated in the story world, limits what Nolan does best, which is confusing the viewer using difficult techniques. Nolan was able to take this viewer manipulation to a whole new level in his independently produced film, but had to water it down for the blockbuster, demonstrating that in this case, the different interests and characteristics of these production environments truly can alter how much influence a director has over his
The films, The Thin Blue Line and Cloverfield are both alike and dissimilar in different film aesthetics. The aesthetics that are presented to the film’s viewers vary in many ways, ranging from the type of camera used to the lighting in the films. Despite the differences, both films present truths about the world using aesthetics. I think these certain aspects help the audience give a full, undivided attention to what is currently happening in the movie. When the movie has our full attention, that is when we fully understand the truths that are being presented to us from the two films, The Thin Blue Line and Cloverfield.
...f existence before essence is echoed when Teddy tells Leonard that he (Leonard) doesn't even know who he is: when Leonard answers he is his past self, Teddy cautions "That's who you were, not who you've become." While Leonard does not believe it, Teddy reminds him that he is responsible for his wife's death, not the men he tracks down and enjoys killing. Leonard refuses to acknowledge that he is his actions, to which Sartre would say "There is no reality except in action" (316, Existentialist Philosophy). Leonard seems to avoid responsibility for his freedom, most likely because he does see who he has become. Memento is a poignant affirmation that our actions make us who we are and that we are in fact responsible for the choices we make, whether we face our freedom, or flee from our anxiety as Leonard does. Now, where was I...?
In conclusion, Memento is the movie that uses the great understanding of theories from all of the philosophers. Lenny is a guy that has no memories of what he does during a short period of time and the only thing left in him is the incident of his wife’s murder case. However, he notes down his fact in different kind of sources and he does not notice that he actually making memories day by day. The identity impact in this movie is memories need to be make to be able to know who we are and what we did to have the consequences in the future and it is an important factor to make up a person by their sensation, cognition and environment.
Director Christopher Nolan′s film Memento (2000), is loosely based from the concept of a short story named Memento Mori written by his brother Jonathan. This story is about a man named Leonard Shelby who is suffering from anterograde amnesia, which is a loss of ability to create new memories after the event that caused the amnesia, leading to a partial or complete inability to recall the recent past, while long term memories from before the event remain intact. Leonard was hit over the head during an attack which resulted in his wife being raped and murdered. With the help of contact named Teddy and a bartender named Natalie, Leonard set out for revenge. Since the attack Leonard has set out to exact revenge on the man who has caused him suffering. He helps himself by writing notes, taking photographs, and tattooing himself with important notes and facts. An analysis of the film Memento reveals the use of film techniques such as editing, non-linear storytelling, symbolism, director's style, musical score, color, and cinematography that creates an intellectual stimulant that has the viewer deciphering a puzzle in a reversed chronological order.
The vision Christopher Nolan had for The Prestige (2006) was to add to the outbreak of street magician film, whilst playing a large dramatic subplot equal in grandeur to the magical performances within the film. In the final sequence of the film, I will analyse how the cinematography and sound helps to resolve the plot so that it summarises the themes present in the film, whilst also invoking a response from the audience. Nolan uses close up shots, non-diegetic sound (music) and dialogue collaboratively to convey the dramatic, personal subplot of the characters and their relationships, whilst appealing to the audience bringing forth an emotional response from the audience. The heavy, slow, dramatic atmosphere of the ending sequence uses various
Ethan Hawke and Kenneth Branagh recreated Shakespeare’s Hamlet with an alluring ambiance, however Ethan Hawke’s version was more appealing to an audience due to the stimulation of intelligent reflection. The setting and the mood in each of these versions played with the audience’s emotions, but Ethan Hawke’s version brought on stronger ones. Secondly, Ethan Hawke and Kenneth Branagh used different choices of music and visuals that were equally effective in creating the ambiance the directors wished to obtain. As well, both movie versions created characters that tried to influence an audience; but, Ethan Hawke’s version introduced its main character so effectively that an audience was captivated by him. These two movie versions had some similarities, but Ethan Hawke’s different style produced a more appealing film. In the end, it was interesting to view the ways in which a director can try to make an old story more appealing to a modern day audience.
Christopher Nolan, the british-american director of the critically acclaimed “Momento” and the most recent “Batman” movies has a fearless mentality for the complicated plots and epic themes which his films bestow. And one of his most epic new thrillers and astonishing new story is his 2010, “Inception.” Over ten years, Nolan had contemplated the idea of a movie around the dream world where action scenes could be manipulated and redoubled continuously. And that time of sitting on the idea led Nolan to dig much deeper into the idea that though before, diving into the realm of dreams within dreams and tiered action within each dream level as they go deeper into the subconscious. In Christopher Nolan’s “Inception,” the main character Cobb remarks, “The mind creates and perceives our world. It does it so well, we don’t realize that we’re doing it.” To tell a story about a man washed up on the shore of his own subconscious, Nolan captivates audiences by propelling them along his non-traditional narratives full of complex themes and intricate story lines. He blurs the lines of reality and dream through parallel editing, set design and architecture. As a result the audience believes whole heartedly the repeated notion that “downward is the only way forward.”
Death plays a crucial role in both stories. The main characters are mourning the loss of someone they love. Both victims were killed tragically, which caused the main characters to develop feelings of anger and leads them both to plot a revenge. In “Memento Mori” there is a part of the story that reveals a gruesome fact in the death of Earl’s wife. The story talks about a moment in which Earl remembers, or is dreaming about, a man giving him a tattoo on his arm. While he is experiencing an excessive amount of pain, he glances at the tattoo and this uncovers the words “I raped and killed your wife” (Dubus 457). These words are enough reason to cause Earl feelings of rage and disgust, as not only he was grieving the loss of his beloved, but
Starting from a young age, director and writer Christopher Nolan has been focusing and creating film since the age of 7. Nolan always has a unique touch to his film. This includes often using non-linear story telling throughout his films, his frequent uses of symmetric image composition, a use of unconventional and deep characters, his surprising and twistful plots and Nolan commitment to sticking to traditional film as oppose to the use of digital.
...the predominant theme of disorientation and lack of understanding throughout the film. The audience is never clear of if the scene happening is authentic or if there is a false reality.
If an individual loses his past self, would he still be the same individual? According to the personal identity memory theory by John Locke, as long as a person is the same self, the personal identity of that person is the same. But for Leonard Shelby who is the main character if the Memento film, this does not apply after he suffered a condition that hinders him from creating new memories. This paper addresses the topic of the truth of John Locke’s perception of personal identity which follows that Leonard does not have a personal identity. The paper reviews the Memento film which is a psychological thriller which presents two different personal identities of Leonard Shelby after suffering from a memory condition. The paper
Films are created to tell a story, to tell an effective story a broad range of techniques needs to be used in a successful way (Brown, 2012.) The ‘Two Pills’ scene from the film The Matrix (1999) uses these techniques in a way that creates a strong representation of the characters and storyline. The techniques used include cinematography, the soundtrack and the editing. In addition, mise-en-scéne is used to enhance the narrative through dialogue, costume, setting and lighting to create a highly emotional reaction from the audience.
The highly acclaimed Citizen Kane creates drama and suspense to the viewer. Orson Welles designed this film to enhance the viewer’s opinion about light and darkness, staging, proxemics, personal theme development, and materialism. Creating one of the most astounding films to the cinematography world, Welles conveys many stylistic features as well as fundamentals of cinematography. It is an amazing film and will have an everlasting impact on the world of film.
Telling the story of two separate story arcs separated only by time; Memento follows Leonard, an ex-insurance investigator as he desperately searches for his wife’s killer. As one story moves forward, the other moves in reverse, revealing more about Leonard’s path to revenge. The only thing slowing Leonard down: his inability to form new memories. Centering the plot of the movie is Leonard Shelby, a white male from San Francisco with spiky blond hair and a chiseled, tattooed body. The tattoos aren’t just some form of art for personalization’s sake; Leonard has anterograde amnesia.
Inception remains one of the most complex and deeply engaging narratives of this century. By defying traditional filmmaking, Nolan crafts a stunning cinema masterpiece that plays with the human subconscious. Equally, he provides audiences with the question of whether their reality is true, or perhaps the world they know is a dream. Paralleling the film’s ambiguous ending, the line between reality and the dream world is blurred due to the exceptional strategies Nolan and his team utilize. Mise-en-scéne elements of setting, brilliant cinematography, and profound editing techniques institute the film’s prevailing narrative form and motifs. Many film directors manipulate the concept of fantasy versus reality, but instead of providing a mundane exposition, fantasy becomes the new reality in Inception.