Memento - Alicia

Camerawork
• In the beginning shot shallow depth of field has been used to draw attention to the photograph and the hand within the frame. This is to show the spectator that the photo is the main focus and theme throughout the film, but the hand is in the frame as part of initial restricted narration as to make the spectator want to know the purpose of this person and who they are.
• This beginning shot could also be a POV as it is at a high angle in which could be the character’s point of view looking down on the photo.
Mise en scene
• The bloody detail in the ‘photo’ seen in the beginning shot is taking up the majority of the frame to reinforce the fact that a murder has been committed.
• The splattered blood on the face of the central character gives the impression that he has killed the character on the floor. This is after he has shot him but the spectator sees the murder afterwards as it is in reverse.
• The glasses of the victim are shown in a close up shot but nowhere near the victim’s face. This indicates that the impact of the shot gun blasted the glasses off his face, and it is clear that this is the case as the glasses are splattered with blood also.
Editing
• The majority of this opening sequence is a murder scene which has been reversed and slowed down. Although it hasn’t been slowed down to a slow motion effect, it has been slowed down just enough so the ‘murder’ is shown in a step by step sequence, showing more detail.
• Match on action is used in this scene when the central character takes a picture on his Polaroid camera and goes to put it away, then there is a different shot of a close up of him putting it away in his jacket, and then another shot of him proceeding with his next plan of action. Of course, all this is in reverse so in chronological order he is taking out his camera and then taking a picture.
Sound
• Contrapuntal non-diegetic sound is used in this opening sequence as a soft violin melody is played throughout the viewing of the bloody photograph. This is contrapuntal sound as the delicate track we hear is incongruous to be matched with a shot in which there is blood and gore.
• The music differs as the shot changes to seeing the central character (murderer) where the parallel music is played. This is because the music has changed to a darker hollow bass track which compliments the gory crime now observed by the spectator.
• When the spectator sees the ‘murderer’ for the first time, diegetic sound of a Polaroid camera snap is heard. This would be heard by both the spectator and the character.
• Also throughout the sequence when the character is committing this murder but in reverse, the diegetic sound sounds distorted to the spectator as it has been reversed in the editing process and therefore sounds unfamiliar to usual diegetic sound.