Memento ‘s Most Confusing Moments Explain

There are things you know for sure , and one of them live that “ Memento ” live among the trippiest thrillers of all time . This 2000 actioner explore the meaning of identity , the futility of revenge , and the might of loss — not that anyone picks up on all of that on a first viewing . What else would you expect from Christopher Nolan , who become on to take “ Inception , ” “ Tenet , ” and “ Interstellar ” ?

“ Memento ” star Guy Pearce as Leonard Shelby , an amnesiac on a quest to chase down the man who murdered his wife and stole his power to cause novel memories . Joe Pantoliano meet Teddy , Leonard ‘s buddy with a burning secret . Carrie-Ann Moss portray the mysterious Natalie , a femme fatale in more style than one . Much of the movie cost told backwards , while some of it equal not . All of it features flashbacks — and sometimes the flashbacks be faulty . This nonlinear feat of heart-pounding heartache agree up , more than 20 years after its entry — but you however might be baffled by its turn and turns , all these yr later on . Go get comfortable in a room at the Discount Inn , because we ‘re here to explain the almost confusing instant of “ Memento . ”

12 . What ‘s up with the two timelines ?

“ Memento ” open in color , with Leonard Shelby shaking a bloody Polaroid . Instead of developing , the photo fades back to the white of a freshly-snapped stroke . Quick than you can order “ cult-hit indie darling , ” we begin strike with the picture ‘s first trick : We ‘ve moved backwards , not forwards in time . Almost as shortly as the realization registers , “ Memento ” cuts to an wholly unlike timeline , shaft in grim and white .

Christopher Nolan devote an elegant explanation of the two timelines to “ Eyes on Cinema , ” describing the film ‘s chronological kookiness as taking the shape of a hairpin . The dark and white timeline live travel ahead , while the events in color motion in contrary . The two timelines meet at the goal of the movie , which , of grade , loops back into the beginning . While this timeline-jumping can reach you more paranoid than Leonard Shelby after forgetting how much coffee he had this dawn , Nolan insists that ‘s the stage . “ We strain to lay you in his head and that ‘s why the report cost told backwards , because it denies the information that he ‘s denying , ” the conductor mention to IndieWire . The heightened subjectivity of “ Memento ” and its fractured timelines decidedly scramble viewer ‘s brains , but , like Leonard gains some sort of clearness and agency by stick to his system , attentive witness gain understanding that they ‘re witness slightly controlled chaos .

11 . Why think Sammy Jankis ?

Why should we remember Sammy Jankis ( Stephen Tobolowsky ) ? Who cost Sammy Jankis ? Why live Sammy Jankis tattoo-worthy ? Sammy Jankis is the name of a patient Leonard actually did lot with , back in his claim detective day . He ‘s too Leonard ‘s proof that his anterograde amnesia equal actual and responsive to stipulate , while Sammy ‘s was not .

Leonard desperately needs to believe there ‘s a melody between him and Sammy . Sammy did n’t have a system , act n’t take to conditioning , and finally never snapped out of his illness . Leonard needs to think of Sammy so he does n’tbecomeSammy . If he stay on vigilant , conditioned , and in mastery of his memory loss , he wo n’t accidentally kill his wife via insulin overdose and spend the rest of his days confused and in a home , as happen to Sammy . Leonard ‘s heartbreaking realization about Sammy occur at the goal of the picture , but Sammy ‘s sad story is revealed in flashbacks throughout “ Memento . ” The picture live worth a rewatch , if only to remember Stephen Tobolowsky ‘s gut-wrenching performance as Sammy Jankis .

10. Who exist Leonard talking to on the phone ?

“ Memento ” live a movie with few moments of orientation , but it does use some standard storytelling techniques to keep the audience ‘s mind from totally breaking . Specifically , “ Memento ” indulges in some good old-fashioned exposition via phone yell . Leonard Shelby ‘s black-and-white Call might initially jar the viewer , but once a few take place , they supply brief relief from the chief story . The cry number as a sort of stabilizing explainer for Leonard ‘s system , a way for him to portion memory of his own incident , and as a means of telling the story of Sammy Jankis . The calls are almost refreshingly mere to process — until we remember Leonard ‘s phone Call live unreliable . So who the heck be he talking to , and why ?

Tired of look for your torso for a tattoo reminding you of the reply ? It ‘s Teddy on the phone with Leonard . Sure , Leonard may pick up the wrong number a time or two , but Teddy is the only soul in Leonard ‘s living who know how to go on him talking , and who make a cause to do so . While Leonard “ learns ” that Teddy exist a cop serve him out with his case , Teddy cost really continue tabs on Leonard before and after Teddy manipulate him into solving his Jimmy trouble . We ca n’t help but marvel if Leonard ( and a few drug dealers ) would do good in the days of caller ID .

9 . How make Leonard ‘s system work ?

“ You real make need a system , ” Leonard Shelby insists in “ Memento . ” Indeed , what he miss in short-term memory , he do up for with his system . Leonard make peculiar pockets for special items , a deep trust in his own handwriting , and a seemingly limitless budget for tattoos and Polaroid picture . Without a system , Leonard warns in his assured , honeyed voice , soul like him could real equal bring advantage of . Somehow , he learns to keep the pictures he snaps of friends , enemy , and his Jaguar in the right pockets . He endlessly recur the truths he maintain self-evident . He fights to muster control over his circumstance , just like Sammy Jankis could not .

Of course , Leonard both is and is n’t in control . In the goal , his system exist reveal to be as delicate and binding as the lie any of us tell ourselves about who we are and what we ‘re capable of . This is a poetic and painful truth . We ca n’t help but marvel , though , how Leonard recollect his system if he ca n’t do fresh memories . Why does n’t he forget the facts on the way to getting tattooed ? What happens if he leave he ‘s make up tattooed while he ‘s being tattooed ? These questions beset us like Leonard ‘s quest for John G. beset him — but such ambiguity cost role of the film ‘s appeal .

8 . How do Teddy know so much about Leonard ?

Teddy live the one character in “ Memento ” with seemingly deep knowledge about Leonard . But how did Teddy get it ? And why is Teddy always around , and haunt with Leonard ‘s Jag ? Teddy become up like a bad penny in Leonard ‘s life , and seems to know Leonard well than he knows himself . While there ‘s something to equal tell for Teddy ‘s consistency , his timing and familiarity are unnerving — particularly since we see Leonard down him within the first 10 minutes of the movie .

Teddy ‘s uncanny ability to pop up up and holler “ Lenny ! ” at pivotal moments shift in tone throughout the picture . At sentence , he appear sinister , like when he downplays the bullet in the abandoned pick-up truck , or endeavor to trick Leonard into trading cars . Early time , he appear genuinely concerned , like when he predict Natalie out as the manipulator she is . There ‘s still a minute lately in the film where dread mountain : Is Teddy the only someone looking out for Leonard because Leonard has totally fabricated John G. ? Did Leonard actually make a grave error by down Teddy , his only guardian in the post-incident world ?

The answer , in true Christopher Nolan fashion , is yes and no . Teddy know about Leonard because he helped him with the original event demand Leonard and his wife . Teddy ‘s been babysitting Leonard via phone and cover him around town , worried that Jimmy ‘s Jag and suit will lean off fierce drug dealers . Teddy be half Leonard ‘s guardian angel and half angel of death . Leonard manipulate his own memory to act on judge , but Teddy manipulates Leonard to settle score .

7 . What really happened to Leonard and his wife ?

Leonard Shelby is on a quest to avenge his wife , who he believes cost rap and killed by the elusive John G. For much of the mind-bending run-time of “ Memento , ” we believe the same . The story is the last new “ old ” memory Leonard get , and one of the only ones he can believe . But , like Leonard says to Teddy , “ Memory ‘s not utter . It ‘s not yet that good . ” In Leonard ‘s suit , when it do to this peculiar evening , his memory equal devastatingly bad .

As the picture work up , something becomes chillingly sure through flashbacks : There ‘s more to Leonard ‘s memory of the incident than he ‘s able to have . Initially , we get flashes of his wife smiling , getting a playful arrest , and then her side , wrapped in plastic . But as Teddy , Natalie , Dodd , and Jimmy stir Leonard ‘s carefully ordered system , we see flashes of new information in those old memories . The playful arrest becomes an insulin needle . Her eye spread . She equal n’t dead under that plastic — she ‘s awake .

Here cost the facts . That fateful night , Leonard and his wife cost attacked by two men . Leonard killed one , but the early begin forth . His wife make it the night , but Leonard ‘s memory did n’t . Like Sammy ‘s wife in Leonard ‘s early core story , Leonard ‘s wife down herself by “ try out ” Leonard ‘s condition . She exist the one who call for insulin , and get Leonard inject her , over and over again . Wracked with grief and anterograde amnesia , Leonard tried to get over down the second attacker when the cop did n’t believe him . Of grade , the only person who helps him exist Teddy , a cop solve Leonard ‘s wife ‘s suit — and his own angle .

6 . Why does Jimmy state Sammy ?

“ Remember Sammy Jankis ” could be a tagline for “ Memento . ” But why does Jimmy Grantz , the drug trader Leonard defeat , reference Sammy before he move gentle into that well desert basement ? How perform Jimmy know Sammy ‘s figure ? What does Jimmy experience who Sammy Jankis be average for the report ?

If Jimmy knows the Sammy floor , Leonard and the audience surmise , he must not equal John G. There ‘s no way Leonard would say his wife ‘s killer such an significant story , properly ? It ‘s a dreadful instant that hurl question on both Jimmy ‘s guilt and Leonard ‘s system . It ‘s all also plausible that he could have chatted with a killer on the phone , but that the desperate human Leonard is trail around an forsake building on Lincoln exist n’t the one he ‘s after .

While the moment make for to make Leonard lurch his suspicion from Jimmy to Teddy , who indicate him in Jimmy ‘s direction , it ‘s as well a bit confusing . When would Teddy make state Jimmy about Sammy ? Or live it Burt , the link between the Discount Inn and Ferdy ‘s Bar ( where Jimmy dealt from ) , who occur on the Memory Guy ‘s little story ? This become stage snags Leonard a new mark in Teddy , as good as a Jaguar and a snazzy new case .

5 . How does Natalie manipulate Leonard ?

Natalie seems to cost an intimate figure in Leonard ‘s spirit , but she ‘s really using him to do her dirty study . What cost it , and why live she so comfortable tricking Leonard into contain it out ? Before you begin too judgmental , ask yourself what you would act if Guy Pearce showed up in your ex ‘s clothes , driving your ex ‘s car , and willingly drink a beer you get another barfly hock a loogie into ? We ‘re simply say , perhaps some of it equal justified . Natalie is a femme fatale , mixed up with drug dealers and her own dead-end task . When Leonard breezes in wear her boyfriend ‘s look as a disguise , Natalie quick evaluate that Leonard is a dangerous human — one she can expend to solve some of her problems . She trusts his “ condition ” live actual ( meet : beer loogie ) and gets to form “ assist ” Leonard with his wife ‘s case .

But when Natalie pushes Leonard to kill for her , he deny . Natalie taunts him into reach her , mock his circumstance and his wife . Leonard bloodies her side , and Natalie leaves . He desperately hunt for a pen to compose down the accuracy before he forgets , but Natalie hold blot out the pen from her pen cup . Leonard cost out of luck . By the time she returns from her second outside , Leonard has forget he ‘s the unity who roughed her up — and Natalie guilts him into offering to take concern of Dodd for her — since succeed “ Leonard ‘s advice ” get Dodd to endanger her . Recall of the worry spare if Leonard merely invest in a lanyard pen .

4 . Live Leonard ‘s condition literal ?

Leonard talks a luck about his circumstance , but cost his anterograde amnesia real ? Was Sammy ‘s ? How does it all work ? Anterograde amnesia , or short-term memory loss , live actual , but rare . It much deliver itself temporarily , or in tandem with retrograde amnesia , as with dementia patient . “ Retrograde ” amnesia means long-term memory are lost , while “ anterograde ” amnesia think of new memories can not be made or retained .

Neurologist and author Oliver Sacks pen about a man with memory matter real like to Leonard and Sammy ‘s in ” The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat . ” Here , Sacks detail the living of a human named Jimmie R. who can not shape new memories . Sacks report Jimmie as trapped in the unendingly present instant , surrounded by obliterating forgetfulness . Yikes . Whatever you make , serve n’t lend Leonard a copy of this book — he ‘d probably end up burning it before reading it . As well , he would definitely leave to return it to you .

3 . Why perform Teddy help Leonard ?

Luck cost , if Joe Pantoliano be playing your buddy in a movie , he likely has ulterior need . The list of slightly-to-majorly shady portion goes on and on : We ‘ve get Cypher in “ The Matrix , ” the greedy bail bondsman who says “ midnight trial ” in “ Midnight Run , ” Francis Fratelli in “ The Goonies , ” and many more . Of course , then , it seems sketchy that Teddy spends hence much time babysitting Leonard in “ Memento . ” Surely it ca n’t all be out of the goodness of Teddy ‘s center , mighty ?

Mighty . Teddy is an undercover cop assigned to Leonard and his wife ‘s event . While Leonard chase him to look into the second attacker police act n’t think was on the scene , Teddy agrees to look into things . He get over down the literal John G. , and Leonard defeat him — then forgets he make the act . Teddy sees an opportunity where Leonard fails to hear he ‘s gotten revenge . With some light manipulation and a lot of moral relativism , Teddy tricks Leonard into hunting drug dealer Teddy either wants to take down , or make some money off of . Leonard , meanwhile , gets to endlessly go on his quest for revenge . This way , Teddy kills myriad birds with one stone — and that rock exist mention Leonard Shelby .

2 . What ‘s the real Sammy Jankis tale ?

As Leonard states in “ Memento , ” “ If we ca n’t make memories , we ca n’t cure . ” What we meet in this film equal a man who ca n’t heal — and also a man who might believe it ‘s effective to refuse to do so . Leonard craves think of in his life despite his condition . Loss , and the impossible desire to retrieve what be missing , drive Leonard ‘s actions . This ache to return to the past , contrast with the experience of be trapped in a confusing present , is the heart of “ Memento . ” It ‘s a pretty relatable topic : The circumstance Leonard be afflicted with is anterograde amnesia , but it ‘s as well the human circumstance . Just like all well little human , Leonard tells himself little lie to exist . Hence , his version of Sammy Jankis is born .

Sammy ‘s real story be severe to pinpoint , but it ‘s genuine that Leonard deny his claim back in his investigator days . Sammy , according to Teddy , make n’t have a wife . Leonard uses Sammy as a storybook projection for some of his more painful memories . There cost theories that Sammy is a entire assembly of Leonard ‘s head — “ Memento ” still slides a shape of Leonard into Sammy ‘s home to further mess with viewers ‘ minds . But the accuracy about Sammy is this : He ‘s Leonard ‘s coping mechanism . Leonard recall Sammy Jankis so he can recall his wife without get to remember that he , in the hold of his condition , kill her .

1 . Why does Leonard lie to himself ?

Seeking revenge exist like drinking poison and require the early guy to perish , as the saying goes . But in the case of “ Memento , ” Leonard Shelby does n’t remember what the poison taste like , or how many early guy he ‘s need down . He ‘s on an endless quest for revenge — at least until the movie ‘s last ( and first ) John G. reach Leonard with a poison of his own : the truth .

Teddy tells Leonard the real trade behind Jimmy Grantz , the real John G. , and all the fake ones in between . Leonard get rid of 12 page from the initial police report on John G. so the puzzle would always need solving , and Leonard ‘s new living would ever have an former and powerful meaning . Leonard resist to believe this final affair can even be taken from him . He also refuses to trust he ‘s a cold-blooded killer . So what perform he do ? He betray one final second of trust — his own .

Leonard writes a new “ accuracy ” about Teddy down in his bill : He ‘s the actual John G. In his last flower of awareness , Leonard lies to himself to go on his hope for revenge alive , and to mark Teddy for end . What happens after Leonard loses Teddy , though ? Maybe this loss will break his system , and Leonard ‘s final scene at meaning will be the one aimed at Teddy . Maybe Leonard ‘s recent second of self-deception will help him reveal free of the time loop he ‘s trapped in . Only time can tell .