A horrific as Leonard's situation is, if you want to experience even deeper existential horror, look into the case of Clive Wearing. Mr. Wearing developed encephalitis in 1985, and it destroyed not only his ability to make new memories, but it also erased most of his existing memories. He knows who his wife is, but doesn't remember their wedding day. He recognizes his children, but doesn't remember their births. He can play the piano beautifully, but insists he's never heard a note before. He's utterly alone, his whole consciousness consisting of the last thirty seconds at most. He doesn't know where he is, why he's there, or anything that's ever happened to him. It's the profoundest kind of loneliness I know of. He doesn't even trust his own handwriting.
sounds very comforting. the moments i can remembere are those few that hurt not so bad that i allready pushed them away but so many small memorys, like i am relatet to who or such banalitys allways felt like brainclutter to me. i am quite positiv i am able to manage a state thats like a restart every 24 hour and i would be way more healthy and happy. not thinking about traumatic things that keep me catched for 10 hours for reading some post-ots ten minutes daily.
@@caliba88Clive Wearing’s short term memory is approximately 7 seconds long, not 24 hours. Would you want a “mind reset” ten thousand times every day?
Fred Madison from Lost Highway! It'd be interesting to see a comparison of his character with Leonard Shelby / Sammy Jankis, as he has his own (presumably) continuous escape from reality.
I’ve been on a binge read and listening about Narcissism, one of the aspects mentioned is the person has difficulty in empathizing with their past self. The memory is there, but the shame and consequence is evaded. Their slate is cleaned over and over again, altering their perception of reality to flee the pain of what they’ve done. They manipulate their own reality and this made me think of that.
Yes! It's absolutely rooted in a deep shame. I love Brené Brown's research into how that effects all of us. From her book 'Daring Greatly' "when I look at narcissism through the vulnerability lens, I see the shame-based fear of being ordinary. I see the fear of never feeling... extraordinary enough to be noticed, to be lovable, to belong, or to cultivate a sense of purpose."
Excellent breakdown of the movie! The first time I watched Memento I enjoyed it a lot but the way you broke down the smaller details really brought the movie to life for me. I especialy appreciated the part where you referenced part of the short story saying, "For a few minutes everyday, a man becomes a genius filled with clarity and insight but eventually you have to hand down the controls to the other parts of you." We all have different versions of ourselves with different goals, purposes, and lifestyles depending on the circumstances we are going through. Like you mentioned at the end, we feel as though our different subjective perspectives on life are what we should find our purpose but in reality our perspective along with everyone around us is everchanging making it unreliable. That is why it is essential for us to seek objectivity in our lives so that we may be fully satisfied by a purpose that isnt simply a portrayal of our own selfish desires.
Great video, sir. Teddy's death never felt so tragic, the fact it seemed like such a pragmatic thing for Leonard to do at the time is a pretty damning commentary on insurance adjusters' serial-killer like morality
Except that Teddy was feeding Leonard's self-destruction from day one. As the only one who really understood him, Teddy could have helped Leonard let go. But he wanted someone he could manipulate. Teddy is Iago to Leonard's Othello, sabotaging him. Without Teddy stringing him along with new evidence, new targets, new manipulations, Leonard may finally be able to construct a half-truth that allows him to let go.
You misunderstood shutter Island. Teddys is actually a us Marshall, he realizes he is trapped on the island with no form of communication. He refuses to be convinced with their drugs and story so he looks at his capture and poses the question" live as a monster (the doctors) or die as a good man. The doctor nods to the other doctors that teddy needs to be lobotomized and he goes willingly, knowing theres no way out but that he will die a good man@@sder
I initially found Leonard Shelby to be sympathetic when viewing Memento for the first time. In hindsight, after multiple viewings, I have clarity regarding how dark and dangerous his character is. He's an executioner who shows zero signs of slowing down. Note that he executed his wife as well as numerous others both referenced specifically and suggested in the film. Memento is one of the best films I've ever seen and is in the conversation for the best. It's elite.
Lenny learned to trust his handwriting. he writes everything in capital letters. he wrote "do not trust her" in cursive.. because it was not true. "Remember Sammy Jenkis" is also written in cursive
Unfortunately, Shutter Island can actually be viewed from Teddy's perspective as well. There are many clues that point to him being manipulated into thinking he is Andrew. In fact, there are reasons to believe he has been drugged since the beginning on the ship. The brilliance of the story is: starting out with a Marshall, convincing him and the audience that he's crazy, and still providing enough clues that he's not.
@@crunchbite005 nope, Im far from the only person who guessed it immediately. When you have Fight Club-esque, Tyler Durden hints in the first ten minutes of your film, and Shutter Island is far from the first film to use this trope (and not the first to blatantly wink at the audience that hallucinatory, unreliable narrator things are going on,) once you correctly guess the twist, the film is two entire hours of winking and hinting and whispering something you already know. Its not even remotely subtle
@@DarranKern I meant (EXTREMELY OBVIOUS) is a bit much. It took me a few watches to really piece it together. But it doesn't really matter. It's still fun to experience even if you know the twist. And I still enjoy other people's theories and excitement.
First time i watched memento even after finishing the movie i thought teddy was the killer, 2nd time i watched with my brother holy shit i understand the twist and a lot more things. This was Christopher Nolan's masterpiece. Now this film is in my top 10 fav film. Great video, you got a new subscriber
Nolan also said that all he did was direct the film. It was Guy Pearce that mastered the character and gave the character tons of personality. Wonder why he has never casted him again.
I’ve always had a different take on Teddy. I went with "don’t believe his lies”. As such, Teddy is the one manipulating. Leonard never found his wife’s killer, Teddy lied about that.
I've been mesmerized by this movie since 2009. My favorite thing about it is that everyone Lenny involves can be honest with themselves. No matter how ugly or horrifying they can still say, they did awful things. Lenny can't he has to be a good husband. He has his wife remembered in such a way. No one knows anything about Leonard's wife, but Leonard, but he's the only one who can't remember her.
Extraordinary essay and analysis. I am currently working on an essay/retrospective analysis on this film. I was very intrigued by your arguments about Leonard's 'condition,' primarily the main argument regarding his subjectivity versus objectivity. The comparison of Leonard's existence to the center of a clock, as the driver of the hands, around which time passes, is very clever. There is a lot to unpack here. I see Leonard living a fugue-like state where he vacillates between what he knows about himself (pre-incident) and his current reality (being a serial killer) however futile and fragmented an existence it is. Leonard's hell is the people who surround him and keep him going on this perpetual quest to find John G. I agree with your point, though, about Leonard not being able to face himself when confronted with the objective truth about his current life as a killer; subsequently choosing to find another man to hunt and kill. I would only point out that the choice is still influenced by an untrustworthy source in "Teddy." Teddy tells Leonard that all this treacherous game spirals on because Leonard chooses to lie to himself about what he has become. Although it is a plausible assertion, I am skeptical of the source. We are shown repeatedly throughout the story how Teddy is a liar--indeed, that isn't even his real name--and that he has motives of his own. One possible question I ask myself is whether Teddy had prior knowledge of the incident which resulted in Leonard's condition or was involved in some way. Even if that is not the case, once he became assigned to the case, as he states, he chose to use Leonard for nefarious illegal endeavors, such as the killing of the Jimmy for drug money. My point is that not only is Teddy an unreliable character, but worse than Leonard because he can remember the details of what he sets forth Leonard upon.
Wow. This was SO good, especially enjoyed your thoughts at the end. I love it when details are pointed out about my favorite movies that I never thought of even when I've watched the movie multiple times, like with this one. And the clips from the Nolan interview were fascinating, thank you for those. Liked and subbed, looking forward to more of your work.
I rented Memento on a whim at blockbuster because I liked the cover of the DVD case. I took it home, watched it, went to bed, got up and watched it 6 more times. Every time someone new came over to hang out we watched Memento. That was the moment I knew Christopher Nolan was a genius.
FWIW - When we use the word "memento" in English, we use it as a noun meaning "something to remember (you) by" which is a phrase Leonard says when (I think) he snaps Natalie's picture. It's also an apt description of the clues Leonard collects throughout the movie; all pieces of information in which "to remember - something - by," from the tattoos to the Polaroids etc.
This is, possibly, *the* best analysis of _Memento_ I've ever had the pleasure of hearing and watching. I am just enamored with the way you talk and explain your, very well thought out, ideas. It's perfect! Thank you for sharing this with all of us. Now I'm gonna check out some of your other videos, and subscribe to your channel because this is exactly my cup of tea. Hope you're having a wonderful summer! Peace, from this _(eeever so slightly)_ crazy Swedish woman, who lives in Norway ;P
To me the cope of the investigation was always, as much about sublimating the banal truth of his wife’s death and his complicity in it(the Sammy story), also that he literally needs the mystery to give himself a reason to engage with the world and keep his mind from further deterioration. It’s an extreme form of self stimulation
It doesn’t become evident until the last scene of the film but Leonard slamming on the brakes of the car means that he is 100% faking his “condition” whether or not it is voluntary.
It's so cool that the way the story is told leaves me longing for the actual facts, but I'll never get them, because Leonard never does. It's not about facts, it's about his and our interpretation of subjective truth. Did Lenny kill before Jimmy? Was Sammy married? Did Lenny kill his wife? Was Teddy a cop? Did he give Lenny a police report and did Lenny censor it? or did Teddy give him a fake to manipulate him? Why was Lenny smiling in that picture? Was the second picture he burned the smiling one? Maybe on a rewatch I might answer one or two of those questions, but the rest, all I'm left with is the subjective. Amazing movie And amazing analysis, definitely the most informative I've seen. You've earned a new subscriber.
Very cool video and one of my favorite movies. I’ve always considered the confrontation with Teddy as another layer of subjective reality and manipulation, another layer obscuring Leonard’s “true” self, but I think your point about the sociopath logic of Leonard’s actions is really interesting. God I love this movie.
He remembers Sammy Jenkins. And on an off note, I worked as a 911 operator, and got a call once about a guy who would get short term memory loss after having seizures. I asked the nurse how could he remember this, and she told me that he was aware he would forget after the seizures. Hope this helps.
Short term memory loss only prevents forming new memories, it doesn't prevent developing new habits or instincts. He probably had enough conversations with his wife for it to have become second nature to him. That and it's hinted at in the movie that his condition is psychological, not physical.
Every relationship has an element of deception in it. Sometimes it is self-deception and other times it is deception of the other. It forms a complicated dance of mild insanity that people call happiness until they can't
Not sure if you are an avid reader, but would love your take on Gene Wolfe’s- Book of the New Sun. Especially if you take in the story through a similar lens in which you have broken down these films. It is *Chefs Kiss*
20:00 Would your suggested note of "I did it" mean that he wanted himself to think he'd killed his wife's killer or that he was the one that killed her? All options on the table, I think he chose the best one for himself, or his forever future selves.
I always thought the basic premise of this guy’s behavior and mental state fitting into this perfect pattern of the avoidant trauma response, but actually that’s not literally happening because what’s literally happening is he has memory loss from physical brain damage…yeah I always thought that sounded sus but I thought of it in meta terms as Christopher Nolan putting a redundant framing device on top of another rather than looking for diegetic reasons for it
Awesome movie, although the first time I watched it randomly on TV, I had a high fever which just ads to the confusion of the whole movie. In Hindsight, it probably add to the mood, like dimming the lights when watching a horror movie :D
I disagree with your conclusion on Shutter Island; I think the movie is about the fact that they ARE preforming experiments on the island, and they've brainwashed the detective into BELIEVING he is a murderer, with the cigarettes. The storm plays a key role in noticing that fact!!
this was amazing!! imo, momento is better than shutter island, i mentioned momento to a few of my friends and they didn’t know what it was. your analysis on this was awesome!!!! can’t wait to see where this channel goes!!
The DVD I bought of Memento has a feature where you can watch the scenes in chronological order instead of the order Nolan put them in, and I thought it was just so ... not it?
Good analysis but I do think its possible Lenny killed his own wife in a rage, hit his head after throwing her to the ground because of the wet bathroom floor, and his mind invented a killer
It is crazy how different we interpreted this movie. I always believed him when he said “you think I don’t know my wife”. I did not believe his lies, lol
Bro… I was going through some bs one time and I was emotionally vulnerable to the max, and some woman came up to me and started manipulating me when I was down. I needed a friend and she wanted something else from me, and I knew it. But I needed a friend and the fantasy she provided me was so peaceful that I convinced myself that she really was my friend, and wasn’t just trying to manipulate me into getting something out of me. We were the best of “friends” for almost 2 years before we both kinda drifted away from each other slowly. I think we both knew what was going on the whole time but neither of us wanted to open up that can of worms. It is true, sometimes you will legit convince yourself that the delusion is reality, just so you can survive. It takes a particularly brutal and “in-your-face” style of callout from someone else who notices it in order to break free from it. Reality is often really brutal.
What I never understood about this movie is that given that he did the Sammy Jenkis wife insulin thing, how come he is able to remember that when it happened after his injury (even if he remembers it having happened to someone else)
Short term memory loss prevents forming new memories, it (weirdly enough) does not prevent forming new instincts or habits. After his injury he probably had the same conversation with his wife anout his condition severak times a day, and each time immediately thought about Sammy Jenkins. Eventually he mixes up the stories in the second nature part of his brain, which does still work.
I just realized he knew at the end of shutter island. I was always under the impression that he was too far gone and the plan didn’t work…..but he knew, he would have rather died a hero in his mind then the man who went through all that pain and suffering. That’s heavy
Except that Teddy isn't a crazy killer man, he is a US Marshal who asked too many questions so was thrown into this MK Ultra-esque experiment where they tried to brainwash him into being crazy.
He’s NOT a master manipulator. He’s delusional - and he has hippocampus damage with no abilities to store new long-term memories - but that doesn’t make him a manipulator.
Too bad the shutter island guy was actually a detective from the jump. He was supposed to be there investigating but they drugged him and convinced him he was nuts. Memento guy actually had a condition other than PTSD.
I’m not too familiar with that interpretation of shutter island. What reason would they have for convincing Teddy that he’s insane? What do they gain from that?
@@sder They want to turn officers or normal people into brainwashed soldiers. The woman in the cave is real from what we can tell, so if she is to be believed then Teddy is not crazy. In the first scene on the boat, we see his partner, who we learn is actually a doctor at the facility. He is from the wrong place according to Teddy as he is supposed to be from Portland MAINE, but the Dr. says he's from Portland OREGON. This is how we know already that something doesn't add up. Why would he be coming from the mainland as well with a real gun if he were a patient there for TWO years. Finally, when meeting with the man he interviewed earlier he tells Teddy to "Let her go" meaning his wife as he was seeing visions of her in the form of hallucinations from the 'psychotropic drugs' they had him on. He could've gotten what he came for and left then and there but he got caught up in the manipulative psychology of avenging his wife. A plan planted there by his 'Partner' and the lead psychologist guy. All this evidence points to him being an actual Marshall, but getting brainwashed due to the extensive planning, coordination, and manipulation of all the staff on the island.
You may want to watch shutter island again because, in that movie he was an actual officer and they were trying to drive him crazy. But they couldn't get the crazy to stick and if you pay attention at the end of the movie you hear the other guy say it didn't work. (The one who he met coming over) His statement about rather being considered dying. A good man VS a murderer mean that he know who he is. He know he's a good man and he would rather die that way. It was a set up from the moment they met to get in his head.
Shutter Island was horrible, The whole concept of crashing him into the reality of his wife killing their kids when basically he had no ability to accept that and having him run around with a fake gun that he for some reason never grasp that it was a fake gun. There were so many plot holes in that movie was ridiculous
I’d say that Tenet implements Memento’s concepts within the world of the film, so the characters actually are faced with the time manipulation. Whereas in Memento it’s almost purely an experience for the audience.
A horrific as Leonard's situation is, if you want to experience even deeper existential horror, look into the case of Clive Wearing. Mr. Wearing developed encephalitis in 1985, and it destroyed not only his ability to make new memories, but it also erased most of his existing memories. He knows who his wife is, but doesn't remember their wedding day. He recognizes his children, but doesn't remember their births. He can play the piano beautifully, but insists he's never heard a note before. He's utterly alone, his whole consciousness consisting of the last thirty seconds at most. He doesn't know where he is, why he's there, or anything that's ever happened to him. It's the profoundest kind of loneliness I know of. He doesn't even trust his own handwriting.
I am definitely gonna check this out. Thank you!!
The pain is palpable. How horrible.
I am awake.
sounds very comforting. the moments i can remembere are those few that hurt not so bad that i allready pushed them away but so many small memorys, like i am relatet to who or such banalitys allways felt like brainclutter to me. i am quite positiv i am able to manage a state thats like a restart every 24 hour and i would be way more healthy and happy. not thinking about traumatic things that keep me catched for 10 hours for reading some post-ots ten minutes daily.
@@caliba88Clive Wearing’s short term memory is approximately 7 seconds long, not 24 hours. Would you want a “mind reset” ten thousand times every day?
Memento will forever be Christopher Nolan's greatest masterpiece, imo. Really brilliant analysis video.
Agreed. Thanks for watching!
I think The Prestige is better
Agreed. Sadly his movies have really gone down qualitatively as the fame went to his head.
Agree. This then Prestige and Insomnia.
All gone downhill since Inception.
lol you guys are insane, he's the most consistently brilliant director of our day. Batman is the mythical hero of our time, cry more.
“I like to remember things my own way. How I remembered them, not necessarily the way they happened.”
Fred Madison from Lost Highway! It'd be interesting to see a comparison of his character with Leonard Shelby / Sammy Jankis, as he has his own (presumably) continuous escape from reality.
In fact that’s exactly how never memory works
I’ve been on a binge read and listening about Narcissism, one of the aspects mentioned is the person has difficulty in empathizing with their past self.
The memory is there, but the shame and consequence is evaded. Their slate is cleaned over and over again, altering their perception of reality to flee the pain of what they’ve done.
They manipulate their own reality and this made me think of that.
That is very interesting.
Yes! It's absolutely rooted in a deep shame. I love Brené Brown's research into how that effects all of us.
From her book 'Daring Greatly' "when I look at narcissism through the vulnerability lens, I see the shame-based fear of being ordinary. I see the fear of never feeling... extraordinary enough to be noticed, to be lovable, to belong, or to cultivate a sense of purpose."
Yes this is true check sam vakim work
Excellent breakdown of the movie! The first time I watched Memento I enjoyed it a lot but the way you broke down the smaller details really brought the movie to life for me. I especialy appreciated the part where you referenced part of the short story saying, "For a few minutes everyday, a man becomes a genius filled with clarity and insight but eventually you have to hand down the controls to the other parts of you." We all have different versions of ourselves with different goals, purposes, and lifestyles depending on the circumstances we are going through. Like you mentioned at the end, we feel as though our different subjective perspectives on life are what we should find our purpose but in reality our perspective along with everyone around us is everchanging making it unreliable. That is why it is essential for us to seek objectivity in our lives so that we may be fully satisfied by a purpose that isnt simply a portrayal of our own selfish desires.
Very well said. Love hearing this feedback.
did you find the egg?
Great video, sir. Teddy's death never felt so tragic, the fact it seemed like such a pragmatic thing for Leonard to do at the time is a pretty damning commentary on insurance adjusters' serial-killer like morality
I appreciate the comment. That's a great observation.
Except that Teddy was feeding Leonard's self-destruction from day one. As the only one who really understood him, Teddy could have helped Leonard let go. But he wanted someone he could manipulate. Teddy is Iago to Leonard's Othello, sabotaging him. Without Teddy stringing him along with new evidence, new targets, new manipulations, Leonard may finally be able to construct a half-truth that allows him to let go.
You misunderstood shutter Island. Teddys is actually a us Marshall, he realizes he is trapped on the island with no form of communication. He refuses to be convinced with their drugs and story so he looks at his capture and poses the question" live as a monster (the doctors) or die as a good man. The doctor nods to the other doctors that teddy needs to be lobotomized and he goes willingly, knowing theres no way out but that he will die a good man@@sder
I came across Memento by chance. There was a collection of dvds with no cases all in 1 cd/dvd holder. So glad i watched it, absolute brilliant movie.
Accidentally coming across a great piece of media creates such a strong experience for me that it can rival childhood memories
I had the dvd, great film, you can watch it in reverse too, nice feature.
I initially found Leonard Shelby to be sympathetic when viewing Memento for the first time. In hindsight, after multiple viewings, I have clarity regarding how dark and dangerous his character is. He's an executioner who shows zero signs of slowing down. Note that he executed his wife as well as numerous others both referenced specifically and suggested in the film. Memento is one of the best films I've ever seen and is in the conversation for the best. It's elite.
I dont understand why this channel isnt watched by more people. Your content is amezing brotha
Much appreciated.
Lenny learned to trust his handwriting. he writes everything in capital letters. he wrote "do not trust her" in cursive.. because it was not true. "Remember Sammy Jenkis" is also written in cursive
Unfortunately, Shutter Island can actually be viewed from Teddy's perspective as well. There are many clues that point to him being manipulated into thinking he is Andrew. In fact, there are reasons to believe he has been drugged since the beginning on the ship. The brilliance of the story is: starting out with a Marshall, convincing him and the audience that he's crazy, and still providing enough clues that he's not.
yeah, it's actually terrifying that Shutter Island could be the greatest gaslighting ever told
Shutter Island is a lot less cool of a movie when you guess the (EXTREMELY OBVIOUS) twist ten minutes into the film
@@DarranKern The hyperbole is strong in you.
@@crunchbite005 nope, Im far from the only person who guessed it immediately. When you have Fight Club-esque, Tyler Durden hints in the first ten minutes of your film, and Shutter Island is far from the first film to use this trope (and not the first to blatantly wink at the audience that hallucinatory, unreliable narrator things are going on,) once you correctly guess the twist, the film is two entire hours of winking and hinting and whispering something you already know. Its not even remotely subtle
@@DarranKern I meant (EXTREMELY OBVIOUS) is a bit much. It took me a few watches to really piece it together. But it doesn't really matter. It's still fun to experience even if you know the twist. And I still enjoy other people's theories and excitement.
First time i watched memento even after finishing the movie i thought teddy was the killer, 2nd time i watched with my brother holy shit i understand the twist and a lot more things. This was Christopher Nolan's masterpiece. Now this film is in my top 10 fav film. Great video, you got a new subscriber
The first rewatch for this movie went crazyyy. Thanks for the sub 🤝
same for me, the second watch really made me understand a lot I was missing
I mean Teddy killed Jimmy for the money, he just used Leonard as a weapon to keep his hands clean
@@johndcoffee632 yeah and there is one more twist about leonard if you know you know
Well this time I will watch complete before it is deleted again
UA-cam is being a pain on this one for some reason.
@@sder 3rd time's the charm, heh
Ironic that this video is the one that keeps getting erased…
Teddy was the best character. Its easier and more comfortable to trust anyone else than the one who helps you.
Nolan also said that all he did was direct the film. It was Guy Pearce that mastered the character and gave the character tons of personality. Wonder why he has never casted him again.
I’ve always had a different take on Teddy. I went with "don’t believe his lies”. As such, Teddy is the one manipulating. Leonard never found his wife’s killer, Teddy lied about that.
Oh that’s an awesome take
Totally agree, is he a cop? Did he fake the police report? Who knows.
I've been mesmerized by this movie since 2009. My favorite thing about it is that everyone Lenny involves can be honest with themselves. No matter how ugly or horrifying they can still say, they did awful things. Lenny can't he has to be a good husband. He has his wife remembered in such a way. No one knows anything about Leonard's wife, but Leonard, but he's the only one who can't remember her.
Extraordinary essay and analysis. I am currently working on an essay/retrospective analysis on this film. I was very intrigued by your arguments about Leonard's 'condition,' primarily the main argument regarding his subjectivity versus objectivity. The comparison of Leonard's existence to the center of a clock, as the driver of the hands, around which time passes, is very clever. There is a lot to unpack here. I see Leonard living a fugue-like state where he vacillates between what he knows about himself (pre-incident) and his current reality (being a serial killer) however futile and fragmented an existence it is. Leonard's hell is the people who surround him and keep him going on this perpetual quest to find John G. I agree with your point, though, about Leonard not being able to face himself when confronted with the objective truth about his current life as a killer; subsequently choosing to find another man to hunt and kill. I would only point out that the choice is still influenced by an untrustworthy source in "Teddy." Teddy tells Leonard that all this treacherous game spirals on because Leonard chooses to lie to himself about what he has become. Although it is a plausible assertion, I am skeptical of the source. We are shown repeatedly throughout the story how Teddy is a liar--indeed, that isn't even his real name--and that he has motives of his own. One possible question I ask myself is whether Teddy had prior knowledge of the incident which resulted in Leonard's condition or was involved in some way. Even if that is not the case, once he became assigned to the case, as he states, he chose to use Leonard for nefarious illegal endeavors, such as the killing of the Jimmy for drug money. My point is that not only is Teddy an unreliable character, but worse than Leonard because he can remember the details of what he sets forth Leonard upon.
Wow. This was SO good, especially enjoyed your thoughts at the end. I love it when details are pointed out about my favorite movies that I never thought of even when I've watched the movie multiple times, like with this one. And the clips from the Nolan interview were fascinating, thank you for those. Liked and subbed, looking forward to more of your work.
Glad I could provide some new perspective. Thanks for subscribing!
I rented Memento on a whim at blockbuster because I liked the cover of the DVD case. I took it home, watched it, went to bed, got up and watched it 6 more times. Every time someone new came over to hang out we watched Memento. That was the moment I knew Christopher Nolan was a genius.
Amazing video buddy. You did an amazing job comparing these films. I’ve never thought about it before this. Thank you man. Keep it up
Thank you 🤝
I wish I still had the dvd of memento where you can watch it chronologically
You can find a video like that on UA-cam
FWIW - When we use the word "memento" in English, we use it as a noun meaning "something to remember (you) by" which is a phrase Leonard says when (I think) he snaps Natalie's picture. It's also an apt description of the clues Leonard collects throughout the movie; all pieces of information in which "to remember - something - by," from the tattoos to the Polaroids etc.
Christopher Nolan is really obsessed with the concept of time.
Very much so
aren't we all?
Dude I literally just watched these movies back to back today for the first time and this pops up on my recommend 💀💀💀
This is, possibly, *the* best analysis of _Memento_ I've ever had the pleasure of hearing and watching. I am just enamored with the way you talk and explain your, very well thought out, ideas. It's perfect! Thank you for sharing this with all of us. Now I'm gonna check out some of your other videos, and subscribe to your channel because this is exactly my cup of tea. Hope you're having a wonderful summer!
Peace, from this _(eeever so slightly)_ crazy Swedish woman, who lives in Norway ;P
Thanks so much for watching! I have more videos like this one planned so stick around!
To me the cope of the investigation was always, as much about sublimating the banal truth of his wife’s death and his complicity in it(the Sammy story), also that he literally needs the mystery to give himself a reason to engage with the world and keep his mind from further deterioration. It’s an extreme form of self stimulation
It doesn’t become evident until the last scene of the film but Leonard slamming on the brakes of the car means that he is 100% faking his “condition” whether or not it is voluntary.
How is he faking?
I’d love to read your breakdown of this!
I've watched over 1k movies and Memento is literally my favorite movie ever
It's so cool that the way the story is told leaves me longing for the actual facts, but I'll never get them, because Leonard never does. It's not about facts, it's about his and our interpretation of subjective truth.
Did Lenny kill before Jimmy? Was Sammy married? Did Lenny kill his wife? Was Teddy a cop? Did he give Lenny a police report and did Lenny censor it? or did Teddy give him a fake to manipulate him? Why was Lenny smiling in that picture? Was the second picture he burned the smiling one? Maybe on a rewatch I might answer one or two of those questions, but the rest, all I'm left with is the subjective. Amazing movie
And amazing analysis, definitely the most informative I've seen. You've earned a new subscriber.
Remember Sammy Jankis ❤
What a great video my guy
Thank you 🙏
Well more accurately, Leonard's wife used Leonard to commit suicide
I haven’t heard that perspective, super interesting
I always wondered about the logistics of her death so this makes a lot of (tragic) sense
@@sderit's not "a perspective", it's what actually happened. sammy jankis was a parallel for his own life.
First time viewer of your channel. Excellent content! New subscriber here. Wishing you great success; you deserve it. ❤
Means a lot 🙏🙏🙏
Nothing hits like a new soder upload
I agree- though if it continues in this fashion I might get a concussion😁
Very cool video and one of my favorite movies. I’ve always considered the confrontation with Teddy as another layer of subjective reality and manipulation, another layer obscuring Leonard’s “true” self, but I think your point about the sociopath logic of Leonard’s actions is really interesting. God I love this movie.
Leonard found out about his condition after he was diagnosed with his condition. So how does he remember that he has this condition?
He remembers Sammy Jenkins. And on an off note, I worked as a 911 operator, and got a call once about a guy who would get short term memory loss after having seizures. I asked the nurse how could he remember this, and she told me that he was aware he would forget after the seizures. Hope this helps.
Short term memory loss only prevents forming new memories, it doesn't prevent developing new habits or instincts. He probably had enough conversations with his wife for it to have become second nature to him.
That and it's hinted at in the movie that his condition is psychological, not physical.
i'm a big fan of nolan's works and THIS is how i find out he's british 🤣🤣🤣 great work, enjoyed this a lot!
😂😂
I take that potato chip comment personally (as I eat potato chips watching this)
😂😂
Every relationship has an element of deception in it. Sometimes it is self-deception and other times it is deception of the other. It forms a complicated dance of mild insanity that people call happiness until they can't
Subscribed; love the parallel you drew between the two movies
This essay was really well written. Appreciate it
Shutter island was released in 2010
ah yes 'memento' the film that ends in the middle
...now where was I?
Not sure if you are an avid reader, but would love your take on Gene Wolfe’s- Book of the New Sun. Especially if you take in the story through a similar lens in which you have broken down these films. It is *Chefs Kiss*
Amazing video! One thing tho, Shudder island came out in 2010 I believe.
20:00 Would your suggested note of "I did it" mean that he wanted himself to think he'd killed his wife's killer or that he was the one that killed her? All options on the table, I think he chose the best one for himself, or his forever future selves.
I always thought the basic premise of this guy’s behavior and mental state fitting into this perfect pattern of the avoidant trauma response, but actually that’s not literally happening because what’s literally happening is he has memory loss from physical brain damage…yeah I always thought that sounded sus but I thought of it in meta terms as Christopher Nolan putting a redundant framing device on top of another rather than looking for diegetic reasons for it
Awesome movie, although the first time I watched it randomly on TV, I had a high fever which just ads to the confusion of the whole movie. In Hindsight, it probably add to the mood, like dimming the lights when watching a horror movie :D
I disagree with your conclusion on Shutter Island; I think the movie is about the fact that they ARE preforming experiments on the island, and they've brainwashed the detective into BELIEVING he is a murderer, with the cigarettes. The storm plays a key role in noticing that fact!!
I've seen the film 7 times, and I thought I understood. Wow, amazing break down of his psychology
Thanks so much!
@@sder No sir, thank YOU!
Music in the background at the start please? Absolutely beautiful ❤
this was amazing!! imo, momento is better than shutter island, i mentioned momento to a few of my friends and they didn’t know what it was. your analysis on this was awesome!!!! can’t wait to see where this channel goes!!
I appreciate it!
Yoo I knew I recognized Teddy's voice, he's Weasel in Mob of the Dead
He's also in a little movie called The Matrix.
"Why, oh why didn't I choose the BLUE pill?"
One of the best movies ever made.
agreed
-Something about this makes me think of gaslighters.
The DVD I bought of Memento has a feature where you can watch the scenes in chronological order instead of the order Nolan put them in, and I thought it was just so ... not it?
Hey man love it
btw are you looking for video editor?
Thanks for the comment- not looking for an editor at the moment.
Good analysis but I do think its possible Lenny killed his own wife in a rage, hit his head after throwing her to the ground because of the wet bathroom floor, and his mind invented a killer
Still Nolan's best movie!
agreed
Thank you! Adore Memento, never read the short story. Wizard. 👌
Memento is a better Matrix movie than any of the Matrix movies
I AGREE
Time is the lie that all that lives must live within
It is crazy how different we interpreted this movie. I always believed him when he said “you think I don’t know my wife”. I did not believe his lies, lol
Interesting
This video is incredible
Thanks so much!
Phenomenal video dude!! brb checking out more of your content
I appreciate it!!
holy shit all of my favourite movies are christopher nolan's and i didnt even realise it
My brother, SHUTTER ISLAND released in 2010.. in 2006, martin scorcese made THE DEPARTED
Yeah, simple typo, I have no idea how it slipped past me in editing 🤷♂️
Bro… I was going through some bs one time and I was emotionally vulnerable to the max, and some woman came up to me and started manipulating me when I was down. I needed a friend and she wanted something else from me, and I knew it. But I needed a friend and the fantasy she provided me was so peaceful that I convinced myself that she really was my friend, and wasn’t just trying to manipulate me into getting something out of me. We were the best of “friends” for almost 2 years before we both kinda drifted away from each other slowly. I think we both knew what was going on the whole time but neither of us wanted to open up that can of worms.
It is true, sometimes you will legit convince yourself that the delusion is reality, just so you can survive. It takes a particularly brutal and “in-your-face” style of callout from someone else who notices it in order to break free from it. Reality is often really brutal.
Like number 666 and subscribed. Another incredible video by a channel that doesn't miss.
Appreciated 🤝
The last analysis of Memento I watched just wanted to paint him as a villain. Glad to see deeper thought.
I appreciate it
This is my third watch, i forget the first time i watched it so each time i rewatch this video its like the first time i am watching it 😅
Haha, I guess that’s a good thing 😂
Shutter Island came out in 2010 the same year as Inception btw not 2006
What I never understood about this movie is that given that he did the Sammy Jenkis wife insulin thing, how come he is able to remember that when it happened after his injury (even if he remembers it having happened to someone else)
Combinations of mental and physical trauma can cause unpredictable results.
It's improbable but not impossible.
Short term memory loss prevents forming new memories, it (weirdly enough) does not prevent forming new instincts or habits. After his injury he probably had the same conversation with his wife anout his condition severak times a day, and each time immediately thought about Sammy Jenkins. Eventually he mixes up the stories in the second nature part of his brain, which does still work.
I just realized he knew at the end of shutter island. I was always under the impression that he was too far gone and the plan didn’t work…..but he knew, he would have rather died a hero in his mind then the man who went through all that pain and suffering. That’s heavy
That’s at least my interpretation. A very dark resolution.
This was spot on
thank you.
Oi, my favorite film❤
Except that Teddy isn't a crazy killer man, he is a US Marshal who asked too many questions so was thrown into this MK Ultra-esque experiment where they tried to brainwash him into being crazy.
He’s NOT a master manipulator. He’s delusional - and he has hippocampus damage with no abilities to store new long-term memories - but that doesn’t make him a manipulator.
Ripped from Ten Second Tom
Was excited for momento but lost it when you get shutter island wrong
At least that was just for the intro. Also, I don’t see Shutter Island as having a definitive right or wrong interpretation, that’s just how I saw it.
@@sder there's no coincidental things in shutter island , therefore there's only one answer
Because you have brain damage, it's okay.
Fantastic video 🎉🎉
Thank you ‼️⛄️
Great video
Thanks 🙏
Too bad the shutter island guy was actually a detective from the jump. He was supposed to be there investigating but they drugged him and convinced him he was nuts. Memento guy actually had a condition other than PTSD.
I’m not too familiar with that interpretation of shutter island. What reason would they have for convincing Teddy that he’s insane? What do they gain from that?
@@sder ua-cam.com/video/3fWXnnBwYqU/v-deo.html
@@sder They want to turn officers or normal people into brainwashed soldiers. The woman in the cave is real from what we can tell, so if she is to be believed then Teddy is not crazy. In the first scene on the boat, we see his partner, who we learn is actually a doctor at the facility. He is from the wrong place according to Teddy as he is supposed to be from Portland MAINE, but the Dr. says he's from Portland OREGON. This is how we know already that something doesn't add up. Why would he be coming from the mainland as well with a real gun if he were a patient there for TWO years. Finally, when meeting with the man he interviewed earlier he tells Teddy to "Let her go" meaning his wife as he was seeing visions of her in the form of hallucinations from the 'psychotropic drugs' they had him on. He could've gotten what he came for and left then and there but he got caught up in the manipulative psychology of avenging his wife. A plan planted there by his 'Partner' and the lead psychologist guy.
All this evidence points to him being an actual Marshall, but getting brainwashed due to the extensive planning, coordination, and manipulation of all the staff on the island.
Bill Burr was great in that movie
Tenet was relased in 2020
It's human nature.
He used what he had as a tool to get what he wanted.
got to watch momento for the first itme in my ap psych class. now i have tattoos in the same style
That’s sick
My favorite movie
Tenet was a film from 2020. But, fuck time, right?
Man I've seen memento twice. I still can't remember who really kld his wife??
You may want to watch shutter island again because, in that movie he was an actual officer and they were trying to drive him crazy. But they couldn't get the crazy to stick and if you pay attention at the end of the movie you hear the other guy say it didn't work. (The one who he met coming over)
His statement about rather being considered dying. A good man VS a murderer mean that he know who he is. He know he's a good man and he would rather die that way.
It was a set up from the moment they met to get in his head.
the twist of shutter island was obvious from the trailer
Completely misunderstood shutter isalnd
Shutter Island was horrible, The whole concept of crashing him into the reality of his wife killing their kids when basically he had no ability to accept that and having him run around with a fake gun that he for some reason never grasp that it was a fake gun. There were so many plot holes in that movie was ridiculous
🤔 so Nolan basically made Tenet twice lmao
I’d say that Tenet implements Memento’s concepts within the world of the film, so the characters actually are faced with the time manipulation. Whereas in Memento it’s almost purely an experience for the audience.
Maybe PTSD ? And it can happen for things outside your control
Yeah that could definitely come into play here. Could be interesting to analyze these characters from a more clinical perspective
u really missed a point with shutter island, he was never insane or bad, they played him
What is basis for the claim thst Leonard killed his wife?
Wait? So Leo and the other dude? Played the same dude???