[Ammi]

...I probably should have made another thread for the documentary, sorry to divert...it just seemed to connect at the time ...but maybe not the best thing to have them in the same thread...

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Ammi

...I probably should have made another thread for the documentary, sorry to divert...it just seemed to connect at the time ...but maybe not the best thing to have them in the same thread...

I can move the posts to make a thread for it if you like?

[James]

I was looking at the Wikipedia page for Memento and it has this graphic about the film's structure.

Spoiler:

The film is structured with two timelines: color sequences are alternated with black-and-white sequences. The latter are put together in chronological order. The color ones, though shown forward (except for the first one, which is shown in reverse), are ordered in reverse. Chronologically, the black-and-white sequences come first, the color sequences come next.

Using the numbering scheme suggested by Andy Klein—who took numbers from 1 to 22 for the black-and-white sequences and letters A–V for the color ones in his article for Salon magazine[4]—the plotting of the film as presented is: Opening Credits (shown "backward"), 1, V, 2, U, 3, T, 4, S, ..., 22/A, Credits.

There is a smooth transition from the black-and-white sequence 22 to color sequence A and it occurs during the development of a Polaroid photograph.

The chronological order of the story can be viewed as a "Hidden feature" on the 2-Disc Limited Edition Region 1 DVD and the 3-Disc special Edition Region 2 DVD. In this special feature the chapters of the film are put together into the chronological order and is shown: Ending Credits (run in reverse), 1, 2, 3, ..., 22/A, B, ..., V, then the opening title runs "backward" to what was shown (the opening title sequence is run in reverse during the actual film, so it is shown forward in this version).

Stefano Ghislotti wrote an article in Film Anthology which discusses how Nolan provides the viewer with the clues necessary to decode the plot as we watch and help us understand the chronology. The color sequences include a brief overlap to help clue the audience into the fact that they are being presented in reverse order. The purpose of the fragmented reverse sequencing is to force the audience into a sympathetic experience of Leonard's defective ability to create new long-term memories, where prior events are not recalled, since the audience has yet to see them.

Also this is what it says about the portrayal of memory loss.

Scientific response
Many medical experts have cited Memento as featuring one of the most realistic and accurate depictions of anterograde amnesia. Caltech neuroscientist Christof Koch called Memento "the most accurate portrayal of the different memory systems in the popular media", while physician Esther M. Sternberg, Director of the Integrative Neural Immune Program at the National Institute of Mental Health, identified the film as "close to a perfect exploration of the neurobiology of memory."

Sternberg concludes:
This thought-provoking thriller is the kind of movie that keeps reverberating in the viewer's mind, and each iteration makes one examine preconceived notions in a different light. Memento is a movie for anyone interested in the workings of memory and, indeed, in what it is that makes our own reality.

Clinical neuropsychologist Sallie Baxendale writes in The BMJ:

The overwhelming majority of amnesic characters in films bear little relation to any neurological or psychiatric realities of memory loss. Apparently inspired partly by the neuropsychological studies of the famous patient HM (who developed severe anterograde memory impairment after neurosurgery to control his epileptic seizures) and the temporal lobe amnesic syndrome, the film documents the difficulties faced by Leonard, who develops a severe anterograde amnesia after an attack in which his wife is killed. Unlike in most films in this genre, this amnesic character retains his identity, has little retrograde amnesia, and shows several of the severe everyday memory difficulties associated with the disorder. The fragmented, almost mosaic quality to the sequence of scenes in the film also reflects the 'perpetual present' nature of the syndrome.

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

I can move the posts to make a thread for it if you like?

...thank you.....

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by James

I was looking at the Wikipedia page for Memento and it has this graphic about the film's structure.

Spoiler:

The film is structured with two timelines: color sequences are alternated with black-and-white sequences. The latter are put together in chronological order. The color ones, though shown forward (except for the first one, which is shown in reverse), are ordered in reverse. Chronologically, the black-and-white sequences come first, the color sequences come next.

Using the numbering scheme suggested by Andy Klein—who took numbers from 1 to 22 for the black-and-white sequences and letters A–V for the color ones in his article for Salon magazine[4]—the plotting of the film as presented is: Opening Credits (shown "backward"), 1, V, 2, U, 3, T, 4, S, ..., 22/A, Credits.

There is a smooth transition from the black-and-white sequence 22 to color sequence A and it occurs during the development of a Polaroid photograph.

The chronological order of the story can be viewed as a "Hidden feature" on the 2-Disc Limited Edition Region 1 DVD and the 3-Disc special Edition Region 2 DVD. In this special feature the chapters of the film are put together into the chronological order and is shown: Ending Credits (run in reverse), 1, 2, 3, ..., 22/A, B, ..., V, then the opening title runs "backward" to what was shown (the opening title sequence is run in reverse during the actual film, so it is shown forward in this version).

Stefano Ghislotti wrote an article in Film Anthology which discusses how Nolan provides the viewer with the clues necessary to decode the plot as we watch and help us understand the chronology. The color sequences include a brief overlap to help clue the audience into the fact that they are being presented in reverse order. The purpose of the fragmented reverse sequencing is to force the audience into a sympathetic experience of Leonard's defective ability to create new long-term memories, where prior events are not recalled, since the audience has yet to see them.

Also this is what it says about the portrayal of memory loss.

...I was thinking how good it would be if someone edited all of the scenes to put it all in order from start to finish....would we all just say...ahhhhaa, how straightforward that is...

[Niamh.]

So is there anywhere we could watch it in forward time? I would love to watch that

[Ammi]

...so this is interesting because its more or less saying that the movie/characters are completely changed in watching it in real time...

https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comm...ith_scenes_in/


...there must be a way of doing that, I’ll look for the cuts to see if they’re online...

[Ammi]

...that’s what I so want to do, to compare the two...and see how we view it if we don’t feel Lenny’s mind...

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Ammi

...that’s what I so want to do, to compare the two...and see how we view it if we don’t feel Lenny’s mind...

Yeah same

[Niamh.]

I think this is it?

[James]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

So is there anywhere we could watch it in forward time? I would love to watch that

[Ammi]

...oh, I’ll try to get time to watch it later today, I can’t wait to see how much it changes it...thanks guys...

[Ammi]

...if anyone has any ideas already, we can also start thinking about the next movie watch...so long as it’s something we can all access to watch, ‘classic’ can be stretched a bit as well...

[Niamh.]

I'm kind of loving these ones where you have to think about them, we're getting a lot of mileage out of Memento

I saw a list of mind bending movies and I haven't seen this one (not sure where to watch though)

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by James

Thanks James, I can't wait to watch it forwards now

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

I'm kind of loving these ones where you have to think about them, we're getting a lot of mileage out of Memento

I saw a list of mind bending movies and I haven't seen this one (not sure where to watch though)

...hmmmm, I can’t find it free online atm but I’ll keep looking...

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Ammi

...hmmmm, I can’t find it free online atm but I’ll keep looking...

Don't worry about it, we can find something else

[Ammi]

...it really is so different to watch it in real time because it’s almost like it messes with our own memory when it’s diverting backwards and forwards and because of that, I’d forgotten some bits...

[Bollo]

Originally Posted by Ammi

..so good that you’re negative, Bollo...hug:....it just feels that so many people we’re closely familiar with are more and more testing positive ...I hope that your work colleagues don’t have too severe symptoms and that they recover well...

...enjoy your day off.....and look forward to hearing your thoughts...

Thanks Ammi, they're ok just got sypmtoms like a mild flu and one of them has lost his sense of taste but he's already starting to work from home...

It was great watching memento again, i'd forgotten how good it was...

Spoiler:

Especially all the lies Leonard tells himself to create a sense of purpose and how he allows his condition and so many of the 'clues' he finds to misdirect him..
One thing i'd forgotton but which i still don't quite get was the clip when he is in bed with his wife and he clearly has his tattoos....

I'm going to watch the one in chronological order tommorrow, that should be interesting..

[Alf]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

I'm kind of loving these ones where you have to think about them, we're getting a lot of mileage out of Memento

I saw a list of mind bending movies and I haven't seen this one (not sure where to watch though)

If you like Lost Highway then I highly recommend Mulholland Drive. Although it needs more than one viewing.

The first time you watch it, you probably won't understand what's happening, but then go find out what the plot is about and watch again from the perspective of knowing what's happening.

Spoiler:

I'll tell you.

The first hour and half of the film is not real, you're in and watching somebody's dream, but you don't know you are, unless you already knew, which you do now.

Then the person who's dream you're in, wakes up, and the last half hour explains the dream you was watching, but you don't know that, unless you already knew, which you do now.

But it's even far more complicated than that.

First time I watched it, I didn't get, but was intrigued by it, then I looked it up online and read a great piece explaining the whole plot of the film, then I watched it again and realised it's a work of genius.

It's sort of a cross between Sunset Boulevard and a very dark Wizard of Oz, which are favourite films of the guy who Directed it, David Lynch, he also directed Lost Highway.

Lost Highway, Mulholland Drive and Inland Empire are called David Lynch's LA trilogy, although it's not a trilogy as such like Lord of the rings or The Godfather, they're different story's. I've seen Lost Highway and Mulholland Drive, I've not seen Inland Empire.

It's a film that if you get it, it's a masterpiece, if you don't, you think what the hell was that rubbish all about?

It ranks number 28 in the sight and sound critics poll of the greatest films ever made. It also ranked number 1 in a 2016 BBC culture poll, of the greatest films made since the year 2000.

Maybe you've already seen it? If so give us your thoughts. If you've not seen it yet, but you do watch it, let me know what you think.

I think you need to have total understanding of what's going on in the film to realise that what Lynch did with that film was genius. Lynch is a very difficult director for most people to understand.

[Vanessa]

I love David Lynch.
Not a movie, but Twin Peaks is one of my favourite shows.

[Vanessa]

Scent of a woman is another of my favourite movies.
An amazing performance by Pacino.

[Ammi]

...Trainspotting as well is one that I haven’t seen before if it’s one that others would like to watch...

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Alf

If you like Lost Highway then I highly recommend Mulholland Drive. Although it needs more than one viewing.

The first time you watch it, you probably won't understand what's happening, but then go find out what the plot is about and watch again from the perspective of knowing what's happening.

I'll tell you.

Spoiler:

The first hour and half of the film is not real, you're in and watching somebody's dream, but you don't know you are, unless you already knew, which you do now.

Then the person who's dream you're in, wakes up, and the last half hour explains the dream you was watching, but you don't know that, unless you already knew, which you do now.

But it's even far more complicated than that.

First time I watched it, I didn't get, but was intrigued by it, then I looked it up online and read a great piece explaining the whole plot of the film, then I watched it again and realised it's a work of genius.

It's sort of a cross between Sunset Boulevard and a very dark Wizard of Oz, which are favourite films of the guy who Directed it, David Lynch, he also directed Lost Highway.

Lost Highway, Mulholland Drive and Inland Empire are called David Lynch's LA trilogy, although it's not a trilogy as such like Lord of the rings or The Godfather, they're different story's. I've seen Lost Highway and Mulholland Drive, I've not seen Inland Empire.

It's a film that if you get it, it's a masterpiece, if you don't, you think what the hell was that rubbish all about?

It ranks number 28 in the sight and sound critics poll of the greatest films ever made. It also ranked number 1 in a 2016 BBC culture poll, of the greatest films made since the year 2000.

Maybe you've already seen it? If so give us your thoughts. If you've not seen it yet, but you do watch it, let me know what you think.

I think you need to have total understanding of what's going on in the film to realise that what Lynch did with that film was genius. Lynch is a very difficult director for most people to understand.

I've seen Mullholland Drive, I really liked it, a real mind bend. I only watched it one time though so I'd definitely be up for a re watch if we can get a link somewhere.

Spoiler:

It is definitely one that you'd view with different eyes the 2nd time round knowing what the ending was. If we do watch it as one of these films I'll do you a proper review then, it's not fresh enough in my mind to do one now but it was one of my favourites of these types films

[Niamh.]

Also, Alf I've just spoilered your explanation of what's going on in the film in case we do watch it and it spoils it for people