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Memento Visualisations

Some interesting graphic visualisations of Christopher Nolan’s Memento (2000) by Density Design.

An Italian research lab have posted some interesting graphic visualisations of Christopher Nolan’s Memento (2000).

A thriller about a man named Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce) suffering from memory loss, it explores his hunt for the murderer of his wife and is best known for its innovative structure, which contrasts two alternating narratives.

One in colour, which is told in reverse chronological order, whilst the other is in black and white and unfolds in chronological order, showing Leonard on the phone with anonymous caller.

Watching the film for the first time can be confusing and even after several viewings, key plot points provoke certain questions.

The basic structure of the film can be seen in this graphic on Wikipedia:

But in 2007-2008 some highly creative visualisations of Memento’s narrative structure were created at Density Design, a research lab in Milan.

(To see the full versions on Flickr just click on each image)

This one visualises the narrative's horseshoe shape
This one contrasts the progression of the film through the colour and B&W timelines
Using tattoos on a human body, this references how Leonard remembers things
This seems to be a reference to the chart Leonard actually makes in his motel room
This one measures the audience's uncertainty through different colours
The structure of the film is shown as a board game

Here is a Flickr slideshow of all the designs:

> Memento at the IMDb and Wikipedia
> Density Design