Analysis of the opening sequence in Memento

 The titles in this clip are very simplistic; the light blue serif font stands out against the reds and whites in the shot of the Polaroid picture, this blue text links with the melancholy soundtrack as it connotes sadness. Over the course of the opening the instruments build up and gradually get higher in pitch which increases which heightens the emotion, builds tension and creates a sense of expectation. The string instruments create a melancholy feel to the clip, contrasting the violent imagery being shown in the shot. 

The diegetic synchronous sounds used throughout the clip of the Polaroid being shaken, the camera noises, the grabbing of the gun, the bullet rattling across the floor and the man shouting "What?" are all utilised to create an unsettling atmosphere and builds tension in the opening sequence.


Half of the clip is an extreme close up of a hand holding a Polaroid picture of a man lying dead on the ground with blood surrounding him; the extreme close up creates an intimacy with the picture and blocks the view of anything else in the shot making the viewer focus solely upon the picture. The still shot of the Polaroid picture shows it is relevant and important to the plot, it makes sure that the audience will recognise the motif of the Polaroids in later scenes. This furthers the idea of the audience’s intimacy in the murder and allows them to have a clear and detailed understanding of the murder. The key piece of editing in this clip is the fact that the entire opening is in reverse; this creates a rather surreal experience for the audience but it makes them think and forces them to focus on what is happening so that they can understand it. Every single cut is clean and quickly cut, building on tension, the simplicity of the cuts appears rather brutal; adding to the brutality of the scene.


The key prop in the sequence is the Polaroid picture, by focusing on the picture for such a long time it is clear that the picture and its contents; a dead man, something incredibly important to the plot. The picture relates to the title of 'Memento' as pictures are usually seen as mementos of events and the dead man is clearly a very important character in the narrative as well as is the holder of the photograph. The glasses of the dead man stand out against the blood spattered tiles in the location which could connotation intelligence but also of a naive innocence; this makes it appear to the audience as if the man was an innocent victim, contrasting the youthful murderer.

Memento opening sequence: