Memento - Opening Sequence

The Opening Sequence of 'Memento'

The opening sequence for Memento is very interesting as it begins at the end of the film. Before we see any on-screen action the titles are played on a plain black background written in a navy blue, bold font which helps to settle the audience and prepare them for the rest of the film. Throughout the opening sequence there is a slow non diegetic piece of music playing in the background which also helps to get the audience settled but it is also a sad piece of music which aids the opening sequence as it starts at the end of the film with a gruesome death. The Title of the film, 'Memento', first appears over a plain black background but as it fades to a lighter shade of blue as the first shot of the film appears. It is a close up of the main characters hand holding a photo, or memento, of a man who has been shot previously. This opening sequence is very effective as it is played in reverse which is very effective because we, the audience, dont know why a man has been shot or who the characters are which sets up the plot of the film and helps the audience to become 'involved' in the film.

Setting:

the first scene of 'Memento' does not give the audience an insight into the rest of the setting as it is a series of closeups shot in a dark and secluded place which is fitting as a man has just been murdered. The setting is however slowly shown throughput the film to reveal itself as being a small town.

Mise-en-scene:

There are a few key props in the beginning of this opening sequence which are shown throughout the film, such as the camera (2), which is used so the main character can remember familiar faces, places and his car. Another key prop is the gun (6) which represents the violence of the film and helps to show the audience that the film is going to contain death. as the first scene involves the shooting of a man unknown to the audience there is a close up of the bullet casing (3) which is a very powerful shot as it shows that it was a cold blooded murder as there is only one bullet casing. The characters in this film all wear typical costume to represent normal people living in the town showing that they are all unimportant until the story progresses and the plot thickens. The lighting in the first scene is very dull as it is incorporated with death apart from when we see the camera flash and when we see the main character as there is a doorway allowing 'natural' light in.

Sound:

At the beginning of the sequence there is a slow piece of non diegetic music playing in the background which helps to settle the audience for the film and create a tense atmosphere for the audience as they don't know what is about to appear on the screen. During the first sequence of shots the diegetic sound is enhanced to have more of an impact on the audience such as the camera flash and all the sounds leading up to the shooting. there is no dialogue in this opening sequence which is very effective as ti creates an air of mystery about the film as the audience do not understand why a man was killed at this point of the film.

Camera angles/shot types and editing:

A main chunk of the opening sequence is shot as close ups as you can see from the screenshots. This is very effective as it helps to increase the impact of each shot and it helps to show the emotion in the characters faces. As you can see from screenshot (4) the film also uses different angles in the opening sequence as it has a very moving effect on the audience as it show blood pooling around the dead character. Also, another interesting thing about this title sequence which makes it completely different from any other title sequence is the fact the whole oping is played in reverse. This is a very clever technique as it shows the audience key bits of information but in the wrong order. this is very much like the film as the film slowly progresses giving the audience as little information as possible at a time.