memento

A high angle shot at eye-level is the first camera shot employing in the opening sequence of ‘Memento’. Dramatic music builds up and creates suspense and tension, which is parallel to what is happening on screen as the tone of the music matches the mood of the actions. Diegetic sound is also used to emphasise the sounds that the camera makes as well as when he flicks the Polaroid images. The Polaroids are slowly revealed, showing significant people and memories. This suggests that the people in the images may be heavily involved with the plot or the character’s life. It makes the audience question what they are seeing, as instead of being simply told how the characters are linked, they have to attempt to figure it out themselves. After an image of a man is revealed, an image of a woman is seen straight after, which also creates the meaning that they may be connected in some way. The sombre tone of the music suggests that it is not a positive way as it is not romantic music, and leads to the audience challenged.