TTF 2010 - Memento and The Science of Memory

Details: Parent Category: Film Festivals; Category: Reviews; Published on Tuesday, 11 May 2010 14:38; Written by Carmella McDonald

The classic indie film, Memento was screened at the Tribeca Film Festival on Saturday, April 24th, 2010, at the Chelsea Cinemas, celebrating its 10th anniversary. Since it was part of the Tribeca Talks track, it was followed by a panel discussion featuring special guests from the science and screen community, to explore “The Science of Memory” as it relates to Memento and, more broadly, the history of Hollywood's portrayal of memory Momento Panel .

Sponsored and presented by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation -- a philanthropic, not-for-profit grant-making institution based in New York City -- the Foundation challenges the existing stereotypes of scientists, engineers and mathematicians in the popular imagination, and by showcasing the intersection of science and film, it supports the development, production and distribution of narrative features that dramatize science and technology stories. The Foundations forms part of a national program to stimulate the creation of realistic and compelling stories about science and technology.

Memento was shot in 25 days and premiered in September 2000 at the Venice Film Festival.

The panel included screenwriter Jonathan Nolan (who wrote the short story “Memento Mori" that his older brother Christopher used as the basis of the film he directed) its stars Guy Pearce (he played Leonard Shelby who has “antergrade amnesia” -- which is loss of the ability to create memories after the event that caused the amensia and results in a partial or complete inability to recall the past) and Joe Pantoliano (who played Teddy, who is also John Edward Gammel), New School Professor of Psychology Dr. William First and MIT Professor of Behavioral Neuroscience Dr. Suzanne Corkin. It was moderated by National Public Radio's Radio Lab host Robert Kurlwich.

Nolan discussed the film's many interpretations, differentiating between what was plot and what was story, to the audiences at film festivals in Europe and the USA. As per the comment by Dr. Hirst, describing Pearce's character Leonard as if he was a human. "My reading was that he [Leonard] wanted the world to forget her [his wife] because he couldn't." Then Hirst added, "Leonard is at the mercy of his narrative."

Nolan's response was, "That's one valid interpretation of the film." He continued to talk about the direction of the film by his brother, that it was Christopher's idea to run half forward and half backward: events unfold in two separate, alternating narratives—one in color (reversed order) and the other in black and white [chronological order], all creating episodic memories. Jonathan stated that, "Just to mess with people, my brother [Christopher] swapped out to different shots, so the movie itself isn't the same as the DVD." 

Actors Pearce and Pantoliano stated that for some of the scenes they could not remember acting in them, and that the short-term memory loss occurs in us all. Pantoliano joked, "I can remember the make-up truck, but I can't recall doing some of those scenes." and added, "It is such a thrill to be part of a film that people still care about and are arguing about 10 years later—it’s so cool." 

Corkin gave a brief summary of semantic and habitual behavoir and that this film is still current in its summation of memory.

In my mind the most gripping statement was by Leonard: “I have no memory I have no sense of time.”

That loss of a sense of time was also felt by the rapt audience who clearly thought the panel ended far too soon.