Memento

[Guest JMTapes]

Ok, I just watched Memento for a third time. I absolutely love this movie and every time I watch it I pick up on something new about Leonard's condition etc. There a still a couple of things that are unclear to me, though, and I was hoping someone would be able to help me out. Here goes:

 

-Is Sammy Jankis (Jenkis?) a real person, or is he just a fabrication of Leonard himself?

 

-Was Leonard's wife a diabetic?

 

-Near the end of the movie, they show a very brief clip of Leonard laying in bed w/ his wife. The weird thing is, he has the "John G murdered my wife" tatoo on his chest. Explain.

 

-Why does Teddy keep stringing him along? (e.g. Why did he set up the meeting with Jimmy Grantz?)

 

Any answers are appreciated. Thanks-Jim

[Guest Downhome]

Ok, I just watched Memento for a third time. I absolutely love this movie and every time I watch it I pick up on something new about Leonard's condition etc. There a still a couple of things that are unclear to me, though, and I was hoping someone would be able to help me out. Here goes:

 

-Is Sammy Jankis (Jenkis?) a real person, or is he just a fabrication of Leonard himself?

 

-Was Leonard's wife a diabetic?

 

-Near the end of the movie, they show a very brief clip of Leonard laying in bed w/ his wife. The weird thing is, he has the "John G murdered my wife" tatoo on his chest. Explain.

 

-Why does Teddy keep stringing him along? (e.g. Why did he set up the meeting with Jimmy Grantz?)

 

Any answers are appreciated. Thanks-Jim

1) He was real, but not all you heard about Sammy was real. The reality is a mixture of both Leonard and Sammy, I'll explain more if you want.

 

2) Yes.

 

3) Many people look at it as simply being in Leonard's head and his vision of his perfect "reality". Having both his wife, and revenge. I seem to look at it like that, but don't stress too much over this part, there isn't a cut-and-clear answer. Even Christopher Nolan himself has stated that he made this film in order for some parts to be totally left up to the viewer.

 

4) It's all about the $$$!

 

5) Greatest film, both my personal favorite and in my opinion simply the best, of all time!

[Guest IDrinkRatsMilk]

I personally happen to agree with you DH, but some say that the real truth about the Leonard/Sammy connection is totally unknowable, and that nothing you see in the movie can be taken as completely true or false.

[Guest JMTapes]

That was quick! Thanks guys! -JM

[Guest Downhome]

I personally happen to agree with you DH, but some say that the real truth about the Leonard/Sammy connection is totally unknowable, and that nothing you see in the movie can be taken as completely true or false.

I have my own belief, and I think it holds rather well. I'll write it up sometime, but I 100% feel that Sammy was real, and was just faking. Lenny took that, added HIS reality to the Sammy story, simply because he had to make himself believe something different. How could he live with knowing he killed his wife? Why should he, seeing how he can create his own reality and past within his own mind?

[Guest Youth N Asia]

Sammy was real. But he was just a con man...Lenny trained himself through repition to make his story Sammy's story...that's what I got out of that anyway.

 

I think I might watch this again tomorrow.

[Guest godthedog]

-Is Sammy Jankis (Jenkis?) a real person, or is he just a fabrication of Leonard himself?

no definite answer that the movie gives, and a convincing case could be made for either side.

 

-Was Leonard's wife a diabetic?

again, no definite answer, & a convincing case could be made for either side. but don't let anyone tell you that she was DEFINITELY a diabetic or definitely NOT a diabetic, cause it just ain't so clear as that.

 

the ambiguity of questions like this is brought up beautifully in christopher nolan's commentary. at the climactic scene, there's at least 2 different commentaries on it: one where nolan says teddy's definitely lying about everything (like his wife being diabetic, sammy, etc), and one where nolan says that teddy's definitely telling the truth. i believe there's a third one where he doesn't say either way, too.

[Guest IDrinkRatsMilk]

A couple things this thread made me think of:

 

If Leonard's wife was diabetic, he should remember it, conditioning or no, because that was before his accident. But he says outright that she didn't. This probably relates somehow to Leonard's speech about eyewitness testimony being unreliable. And if he killed her and transferred the memory onto Sammy, that would require him to remember something that happened after his accident. These are all inconsistencies in his condition, which would have a pretty big impact on the story. Plus he has flashbacks of giving his wife insulin, which is either real, or influenced by what Teddy told him (which would again be inconsistent with how he describes the condition).

And there's that quick flash of Leonard in the Sanitarium, and the website (which I hear is canon) indicates he may be an escaped mental patient.

[Guest BANKYWOOD]

Does he kill again? After Teddy is murdered, does Leonard continue the search? Or does he stop? Is he purposely leading himself on to kill innocent people? Or was it Teddy's influence and guidence that enhanced his thirst for revenge?

[Guest Youth N Asia]

Well, he did take a picture of Teddy. Maybe Teddy will finally be his Jon G.

[Guest Vyce]

Does he kill again? After Teddy is murdered, does Leonard continue the search? Or does he stop? Is he purposely leading himself on to kill innocent people? Or was it Teddy's influence and guidence that enhanced his thirst for revenge?

This is sort of left up to the viewer.

 

In my opinion: yes.

 

This ceaseless search for his wife's killer is really the ONLY thing he has left in his life. There's literally NOTHING left for him. He realizes this at the end (or is that the beginning ), which is why he does what he does to Teddy. Teddy isn't THE John G....but he is a John G. It's good enough.

 

It's a positively Sisyphian tragedy. He's eternally stuck in this cycle. He'll keep going through it until he absolutely can't do it anymore.

 

That's my take anyway.

[Guest Downhome]

In my opinion, Teddy is the last one. He had to do so for both closure, and also revenge for Teddy using Lenny so much. Even at the begining/end of the film, Lenny is talking and says "Well fine, then you can be MY John G.".

 

I think his endless search is over, as he has created the very closure that he wanted.

[Guest Youth N Asia]

Speaking of...I just went through disk 2 of my memento SE dvd. Took me a while but I think I found most of it...even how to play the movie in chronological order,

[Guest PORNFAQ]

Watching the movie in chronological order clears up a lot of questions anyone might have. I agree with DH until he says that Teddy is the last one and that killing him somehow gives Lenny closure.

 

It won't give him any more closure than the countless other John G's he's killed and 15 minutes later he won't even remember Teddy or the fact that he killed him (even with the Polaroid, unless he writes something like, "I found him, I killed him" on it, which we don't see him do and even if he does, something'll likely happen where he loses it or throws it away so that he can start his quest again.) So I don't think Lenny will ever stop or ever be at peace. Finding his wife's "killer" is all he has and he'll continue to do it as it's the only thing that gives his current life any meanning.

 

Killing Teddy can't be revenge for "using" him because Lenny was never even aware he was being used.

[Guest godthedog]

watching it chronologically also reveals some continuity errors. like: how did he not recognize his own truck when he's obviously been driving it for so long? how did he recognize teddy at the tattoo parlor, after his mind had already blanked? and some others.

[Guest Youth N Asia]

You don't know how long he's had the truck...so I'll forgive that one. I thought he played like he recognized Teddy at the tatoo place, but then did a quick photo check after he left...I need to see it again.

[Guest Mole]

In my opinion, Teddy is the last one. He had to do so for both closure, and also revenge for Teddy using Lenny so much. Even at the begining/end of the film, Lenny is talking and says "Well fine, then you can be MY John G.".

 

I think his endless search is over, as he has created the very closure that he wanted.

I don't think he is the last one. He says in the end of the movie, beginning of the story, that "I'll make you my John G." After a while, he will forget that he killed him and continue looking for him. His whole life, he will continue to do the samething until he is caught and put into a mental hospital, if he isn't already been there.

[Guest Youth N Asia]

He took a picture of Teddy. So I'm thinking it ends there. The only reason he went after Teddy (I think) is cause Teddy told him the truth about his wife and he didn't want to hear it.

 

Plus Teddy's been helping him all along. Seems like after he dies Lenny has no one left to work with.

[Guest WrestlingDeacon]

Didn't Lenny have the driver's license number tatooed on him? If he checks that he's going to find that the guy it belonged to is dead.

[Guest Youth N Asia]

Didn't Lenny have the driver's license number tatooed on him? If he checks that he's going to find that the guy it belonged to is dead.

Unless he tatoos a big X over it.

[Guest Mole]

He will continue making lies for himself, so he can kill John G, after John G.

 

That is the way I looked at it.

[Guest BANKYWOOD]

He will continue making lies for himself, so he can kill John G, after John G.

 

That is the way I looked at it.

He doesn't have the mental capacity to continue on. All the evidence he has tattooed on his body leads him to Teddy. After killing him, he won't be looking for anyone. He always got the guy.

[Guest Vyce]

He will continue making lies for himself, so he can kill John G, after John G.

 

That is the way I looked at it.

He doesn't have the mental capacity to continue on. All the evidence he has tattooed on his body leads him to Teddy. After killing him, he won't be looking for anyone. He always got the guy.

His mental state is such that he will ALWAYS keep going, because he will not realize that he's killed John G. Unless perhaps he immediately tattoos it on his body.

 

See, I don't look at his situation as to where Teddy COMPLETELY took advantage of him. Teddy just pointed him in a few directions, aimed him at a few guys here and there. The desire to continually hunt for John G, though, I feel has become so engrained into Leonard that it's the only thing he can do.

 

He'll keep doing it, again and again. If he doesn't find another John G., he'll still continuously look, until he's stopped somehow (arrested, placed into a mental hospital, etc.). This is his own personal hell.

[Guest Youth N Asia]

Without Teddy's resources and push I just see him done...unless...

 

MEMENTO 2: The Lenny Strikes Back

[Guest IDrinkRatsMilk]

I think the death of Teddy ends it, but it's hardly a victory. From the circumstances surrounding Teddy's death, he will be able to remember killing him... but then what does he have to live for?

[Guest Youth N Asia]

Like he said in the movie...his wife needed vengeance, it didn't matter if he remembered it or not.

[Guest Smell the ratings!!!]

I think Lenny will spend the rest of his life looking for John G. But I don't think he'll kill anyone else, because the real tragedy is that he's trying to track down a dead man, and if he ever realizes it *poof* he'll never know.

 

ps - what the fook was the name of Carrie Ann Moss' character? It's driving me nuts now.

[Guest PORNFAQ]

Natalie. Natalie.

 

I don't see how anyone can think that Teddy is the last one. Lenny will somehow fashion a way for himself to continue to look for a John G. That's just the way it is. He's killed probably dozens of men before he killed Teddy and he still searched on. Not having Teddy around to help won't deter him. Hell, as Lenny saw it, he never saw Teddy as a helper to begin with. Just because he took a picture of Teddy doesn't mean it's over. After Lenny blanks out, he won't know what that picture is of, etc.

 

Sure his info tattooed on his body will lead him to some dead ends but don't you think that this has happened before seeing as how he's probably killed a ton of other innocent men before murdering Teddy? The thing with Lenny is he creates puzzles for himself (for example, him removing pages of the police file he had). When something (like the license plate) comes up matching a dead guy, I'm sure Lenny will assume that John G. stole another guy's car or that somehow he just got some misinformation. But he will continue. That much is certain. All the tattoos on his body don't lead to just Teddy...they lead to whomever Lenny wants to fit the bill. I'm sure those tats lead to other people before Teddy, too so it doesn't lead to ONLY Teddy.

 

By the way, he didn't go after Teddy because he told him the truth about his wife. When he killed Teddy he had long forgotten that conversation. But when that conversation was fresh in his mind, yes he did make another puzzle for himself that would lead him to Teddy. And he'll just do that again should he run into another dead end somewhere else down the line. It goes on and on. And I'm sure he'll kill again if he's ever properly convinced he has his "John G". And he'll continue without Teddy's resources since Teddy didn't provide him many to begin with and Lenny is under the impression he is on his own anyway.

 

Lenny doesn't need Teddy to go on and I don't see what would stop him from killing should he find his "man" again. I don't see what would make him stop since he has yet to stop. He won't remember that he's got his guy. He didn't remember it.

[Guest JimCTU]

Any fans of Memento should check out this link...

 

http://dir.salon.com/ent/movies/feature/20...ysis/index.html

 

Like me, you might pick up on something you didn't before. Quite a good read.