Memento Thriller Conventions

The Plot is associated with the protagonist having some sort of weakness; in this case he has a condition where he cannot make new memories thus forgetting what happens after the incident with his wife. As well as this the camera work is quick cut and face paced in order to establish the confusion that the Protagonist is feeling towards the events that are taken place Micro elements are also used in order to create a build-up of suspense throughout the movie, such as the accident that happened to his wife becoming the centre that the narrative is based on. Furthermore the camera angles are an important aspect to a thriller as they can show the pace of the story as well as present the confusion. Memento is different as we see it being played backwards, which isnt a very traditional way of telling the story however it is interesting and manages to constantly have the audience at their feet as they have a sense of confusion to whats going on. Another part of a thriller that memento presents is the sense of turning a normal story into a extraordinary event, for example its not very usual to see a man forget his memory and it keeps refreshing, as well as this the initial story of someone breaking into their house is quite a rare event in itself, therefore this use extraordinary events helps us the audience establish that it is a thriller movie Furthermore the Mise en scene throughout the movie helps set the mood, there is a lot of scenes where the background is dark, this can create a sense of confusion to the audience, and the quick cuts such as when the narrative changes, from the past and present. Enables the audience to constantly be questioning what is going on and keep them on the edge of their seat, which is an important feature that a thriller movie should present. Finally the use of Music and sounds is an important aspect to a thriller movie as it helps to provide the suspense needed to keep the audience on their feet. There was a constant use of a voice over by the protagonist, since we were never really sure if he was speaking in the present or past, it created a element of confusion and had a chilling vibe. Whilst there was a use of mood music which also managed to build up suspense in significant moments, for example the realisation at the end that he was, in fact Leonard and there was the possibility that he injected his wife with insulin. However the constant sense of confusion right until the end of the movie is what made it a thriller, since there was no direct ending.