The Relationship Between Visuality, the Body, and Knowledge in the Film Memento
The film Memento offers an interesting yet ambiguous insight into the
relationship between visuality, the body, and knowledge. Through the
use of clever, complex cinematography, director Christopher Nolan
explores this relationship, which leaves both the protagonist, and the
audience constantly challenged, constantly searching for the truth. We
come to realize that there is no single and absolute truth, every
story has many colours and the black and whites of truth are
personally constructed.
The elements of visuality are not only used to create Leonard’s truth,
but ultimately shape the way the audience view and understand the
film. The body is another important theme used to explore the truth.
The film explores the way the body is used as a means of interpreting
and judging a person. Knowledge is generally regarded as evidence, or
concrete truth. However in the film this notion is deliberately
challenged as the responder can never be certain that the knowledge
that Leonard has, or the knowledge that they pick up throughout the
film is the truth.
Thus the relationship between visuality, the body, and knowledge can
been understood as an exploration to find the truth and of truth, as
the responder finds out, truth is ultimately subjective.
The visuality of the film creates a sense of uncertainty for both
Leonard and the audience. The main narrative in the film is shown
backwards in vibrant colour. Not only is the inversion of the
narrative progression symbolic of Leonard’s preoccupation with the
past and his struggles with it, it also serves to ...
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...d using various notions
of knowledge produces a personal truth.
The film Memento offers an interesting yet ambiguous insight into the
relationship between visuality, the body, and knowledge. This
relationship is explored through truth, both Leonard’s reality and the
audiences’ perception of the truth. The truth, as seen in this film is
subjective and opens up the question of what is truth? Can truth be
quantified and defined or is it too multifaceted? Memento challenges
our notions of truth brilliantly through its post linear exploration
of these questions that remain by their nature, unresolved and all the
more captivating.
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[1] Marita Sturken and Lisa Cartwright, Practices of looking, ph 282.
[2] New Times Los Angeles on March 15, 2000
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Choose at least one main topic or theme PER CRITIQUE that has been discussed in class lecture / the text that appear to be related...
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