Memento & Irreversible: Nihilism and the Lack of Control over Time & Memories

by Tia Thomas

Structure in any form of narrative is vital, whether it be in films, books, theatre, etc. It is a frame for a story to work within. While there is a traditional method and formula to structuring a film narrative, filmmakers all over the world have experimented with breaking the norm and trying new ways to structure a film. Unique, non-traditional films tested the viewer’s notion of what structure is and how a narrative can be told. It was also new and something that audiences were not used to. Even now, a film that moves too far away from the traditional three-act-structure, is highly experimental and usually only seen in independent or student films. Christopher Nolan’s Memento is one of these movies and calls a lot from the viewers. Memento is a cynical, grim neo-noir style psychological thriller that explores the themes of memory vs. the past, identity, manipulation, lies and suffering, guilt, and existence as a whole. The main gimmick of this film is the style in which the film is told; it employs a unique timeline in that you see most of the movie in backwards chronological order, while sub-plot scenes of Leonard in a hotel (shown in black-and-white) run in chronological order to anchor the rest of the film. (The film ends in the chronological middle of the overall narrative). This is not a movie that nearly every audience will be able to grasp without difficulty, especially for the first viewing. Memento isn’t afraid to challenge the audience, make us really think, and present us with a nihilistic deconstruction on the “journey of an amnesiac hero” trope. Memento feels more like a never-ending cycle and repetition of human suffering and despair rather than an amnesiac hero’s triumphant quest to learn about their missing memories and past. And I love this movie for that reason! The characters felt so raw, human, and disturbed, like everyone felt as if they were in an unescapable labyrinth.

However, Memento would not be the only film to challenge creative narrative and chronological structure in cinema, on March 7th of 2002 (2 years after Memento’s release), Gaspar Noe’s Irreversible was released. Both these films play with the elements of time and human suffering, however, after watching both movies, it becomes clear why Memento became the global hit it was while Irreversible became Memento’s more infamous, cult following shadow.

A scene from Irreversible (2002), foreshadowing the infamous rape scene that is often remembered from this film.

First thing I want to point out that can be discomforting to realize is how both these films similarly have their conflicts arise because of the rape of a woman. This could get into a whole other discussion of sexual violence towards women in film and how they arguably could only exist to further boost the conflict and actions of the male character. Which brings me to the next point: shock value vs. having the appropriate amount of horror. On one hand, Irreversible is definitely a horrific film that will impact you and never leave your mind, but are the contents themselves worth remembering? From a nauseating 9 minute long rape scene right in the opening to an equally nauseating scene in which a man’s face is brutally disfigured by a violent fire extinguisher. What is the purpose of these scenes exactly? To further show the true lack of morality and unlimited brutal nature of humanity? Even if so, both these scenes go on for far too long and in doing so, overstay their welcome: becoming more like a cheap attempt to forcefully catch the audience’s attention through distasteful violence. Memento’s violence has impact, it’s kept to minimum so when it does happen, it catches the viewer off guard but it makes sense given the unpredictable situation of the characters. There’s just so much more to unpack in Memento, every choice the director makes has a purpose, every dialogue, camera work, color, or tone works perfectly and never feels out of place. Overall, this film gave me a headache, but I enjoyed it so much, and unlike Irreversible, I didn’t have to constantly leave the viewing or suppress my urge to vomit. The overwhelming strength of Memento is its originality and writing, and it feels so satisfying to finally understand the movie and go back to watch every time. The execution was certainly there, and it’s no surprise why this was Nolan’s breakthrough picture.

“Memory can change the shape of a room; it can change the color of a car, and memories can be distorted.”