Memento: color, time and memory

In the Post-Film Writing this week one question I wanted to open up was the use of color, and specifically the choice to signify the past, in narrative terms, with black and white, but to show Leonard's memories of his wife in color. What do you think this means?

Comments

[Jessica Brown]

I think that the past memories in black and white are presented that way to signify that they happened before the major narrative of the film. However, when Leonard is remembering his wife, his memory is part of his current experience. I think that's why those scenes are in color.

[Garret]

The black and white parts of the film are clearly represent a memory of Leonard’s. But when he’s with his wife those are part of his current memories.

[Ryan Giles]

I agree with Jessica, I like the color texture of black and white that they used to present the past memories. I think the reason why they showed his wife in color is that whenever Leonard mention his wife he is visualizing certain scenes that he shared with his wife in the past.

[Blake Bauer]

I think these color choices could also represent how well Leonard remembers them. So, the memories in black and white are less detailed so Leonard doesn't remember them as well. (With the exception of when he is talking on the phone because he couldn't have remembered that) Then the memories of his wife in color are memories he remembers very well since they are more detailed.

[Garret Adams]

The colors I thought throughout Memento signified when Lenard was looking back on one of his memories that he remembers. But I had never thought about the color of the film the way that Blake mentions in his comment. Maybe the memories that are less detailed are in black and white while the ones he really remembers are in color.

[Jose Hernandez]

I think that Lennard is trying to forget what he really did to his wife and thats why the when he goes back in time to what really happen its in black and white. Because in his mind that didn't really exist. Whereas the present is in color because thats how Lennard wants to remember it.

[Becky Bond]

I noticed that the black and white colors also signify the reality of time in the movie. We as audience members, probably wouldn’t catch that the first time around. His color memories, such as with his wife, show fiction.

[Elida Cabrera]

I think that Leonard's memory of his wife in color is used to signify that he remembers her as a current memory while the black and white are used to represent the past experiences that he does not remember.