In July 1996, brothers Christopher and Jonathan Nolan took a cross-country road trip from Chicago to Los Angeles, as Christopher was relocating his home to the West Coast. During the drive, Jonathan pitched the story for the film to his brother, who responded enthusiastically to the idea. After they arrived in Los Angeles, Jonathan left for Washington, D.C., to finish college at Georgetown University. The mysterious killer character known only as "John G." was actually an homage to Jonathan's Georgetown University screenwriting professor at the time, John Glavin. Christopher repeatedly asked Jonathan to send him a first draft, and after a few months, Jonathan complied. Two months later, Christopher came up with the idea to tell the film backwards, and began to work on the screenplay. Jonathan wrote the short story simultaneously, and the brothers continued to correspond, sending each other subsequent revisions of their respective works. Christopher initially wrote the script as a linear story, and then would "go back and reorder it the way it is on screen to check the logic of it." Nolan was also influenced by the short story "Funes the Memorius" by Jorge Luis Borges. "I think Memento is a strange cousin to 'Funes the Memorious'—about a man who remembers everything, who can’t forget anything. It’s a bit of an inversion of that."
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- 'Oppenheimer' and Christopher Nolan's Films Ranked Variety July 23, 2023
Memento
(2000)21
| Country | |
| Runtime | 1 hr 53 min |
| Budget | $9 000 000 |
| Premiere: World | $40 060 108 October 11, 2000 |
| USA | $25 544 867 |
| Other countries | $14 515 241 |
| Box Office – Budget | $31 060 108 |
| Premiere: USA | $25 544 867 March 16, 2001 |
| theaters | 531 |
| rollout | 291 days |
| Digital: World | February 22, 2011 |
| Parental Advisory | Profanity, Frightening & Intense Scenes, Violence & Gore, ... |
| |
| Production Companies | |
| Also Known As | Amnesia United States |
Description
A former insurance investigator who now suffers from anterograde amnesia uses notes and tattoos to hunt down his wife’s murderer.Сast and Crew
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About the Book
The film "Memento" is based on a short story titled "Memento Mori" written by Jonathan Nolan. The story was published in the March 2001 issue of the magazine Esquire, although it was written before the film was released.About the Author
Jonathan Nolan is a British-American author and screenwriter, known for his collaborations with his brother, Christopher Nolan, on several films. He has also worked on popular television series such as "Person of Interest" and "Westworld."Comparison Between the Book and the Film
The film "Memento," directed by Christopher Nolan, is a loose adaptation of Jonathan Nolan's short story. While the core concept of a protagonist with short-term memory loss seeking revenge is retained, the film expands significantly on the narrative and characters.- Structure: The short story is more linear compared to the film's non-linear narrative structure.
- Details: The film adds more depth and complexity to the plot and characters, which are only briefly sketched in the short story.
- Character Development: The film introduces new characters and subplots that are not present in the original story.
Overall, while the film "Memento" takes inspiration from Memento Mori, it stands as a distinct work with its own unique storytelling approach.
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Another cool story from a genius and his brother. The unusual type of narration forces you to get into the skin of the hero. The ending is known from the very beginning, but ignorance of the backstory haunts you and you watch with interest. And the ending, or rather the climax, turns everything upside down.
A great story with an original presentation, which complicates the perception of the film with each scene. This forces you to invest as much as possible into the movie, so everything feels as intense as possible.
A unique narrative structure at the service of the early, already brilliant Nolan. I rewatched it (for the third or fifth time: memory is an unreliable thing) after 11 years. A great script that keeps you on your toes. Eh, I wish Nolan would return to the R-rating again someday.
A unique narrative structure at the service of the early, even then brilliant, Nolan
One of Nolan’s first detective stories, in which he confuses the viewer in his usual manner. The film has a small budget, so it does not have any impressive scenes, like in the director’s other films, but nevertheless it is shot decently, and the plot is captivating.
I liked the movie overall… sort of. I don’t remember much anymore. 9/10… probably…
Guy Pearce and… um, what’s her name? Well, with the actress from The Matrix, they play their roles perfectly and create a good tandem.
As far as I know, this is Christopher Nolan’s second feature film, and the most confusing in his career, but that’s not certain. Even then, he and his brother (what’s his name?) loved to play with time and confuse the viewer, and he always did it masterfully. The chronology of events is broken, and the whole story goes in reverse order. And in the end, everything turns upside down. It seems…
So. What was I talking about? Oh, yeah. I’ll definitely have to watch this movie sometime. I’ve been planning to for a long time, but I just haven’t gotten around to it. Many people praise this movie, and my friends… do I even have any? I think I do. Anyway, people recommend that I watch it.
Hmm. What kind of movie is this? I’ve never seen it before. And it’s from Nolan, um… what’s his name? Never mind. Anyway, I should probably add it to my "Will watch" list and write it down somewhere so I don’t forget.
…what am I even doing on this page?
The film is completely unlike anything else, looks with great interest and makes a very strong impression. Not to mention the fact that Nolan reserved for the audience more than one very spectacular turn of action, which is simply breathtaking. A well-made thriller – I recommend it
Watching this film is like taking apart a whole puzzle and coming to the very first detail to understand that we were putting together a completely different picture. A very difficult, non-standard film. The acting, the story, the idea here are simply brilliant. I wish I could erase my memory and learn this story again piece by piece. A masterpiece!
a complex detective film with ambiguous investigation findings and different interpretations. They don’t make stuff like that anymore)
An interesting story told backwards, from which you begin to feel like you are in the shoes of the main character, wondering: "What is going on?" and trying to reconstruct the chronology of events from scraps of memories, tattoos and photographs.
I appreciated the sight of anterograde amnesia in action, although it was difficult but quite logical, the film is wonderful.
Wow! Nolan makes films that you want to watch an infinite number of times! This is a brilliant detective. Our deepest bow to the director and screenwriter. When watching a movie, you also need to take notes so as not to miss the main point. A must watch!
"Memento" is the movie that made Christopher Nolan’s name! This alone means that viewing is required!
"Lenny, show him!" well, he showed it. Pierce is cool, for something elusive it’s clear that he’s not an American. "The viewer feels smart." (Serge rgv) – exhaustively. Well, that’s why it comes in.*** We have to admit: The Nolans are not innovators, but active monetizers are, after all, educated people
An interesting concept, presented in the most stuffy way=Christopher Nolan’s author’s view
Christopher Nolan. Interesting in itself, but the production and storytelling simply blow your mind! An incredible puzzle that you watch with bated breath, afraid to miss or miss something.
A film about a man with missing short-term memory who tests your short-term memory. Brilliant.
Once upon a time the grass was greener and Nolan’s films were smarter. Well what can I say, a great film from a great director.
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