The Film Memento
The act of using a reverse-chronological structure in telling a story shows gimmickry; it looks like the film in the show in real-time and its shot in a single take. The fact that film Memento narrative is non-linear fits Leonard Shelby's character (Schmidt). Even though he benefits from short time memory, never stops him from finding his wife's killer, John G. In this way, the people watching the film sees it in the way Leonard sees his own life. The film begins with a scene where Leonard murders his wife's killer, and the film then proceeds in a backward manner in fifteen-minute time increment allowing us to view how Leonard tracked his wife's killer. All things in color are shown in reverse order sequence plot in the fifteen minute, Leonard's memory length. The character of Leonard gives the film a two-way narration. Always at the beginning of every scene, Leonard's thoughts are used in reverse sequence narration. Leonard in every scene beginning he starts a new memory as he dreams then wake up (Rumms). This stabilizes every new situation he gets himself in. Through his thoughts also, the people watching get to know Leonard's feelings in those scenes, for story progression and character development through the film is in a backward manner.
Polaroid Photographs and Multiple Plot Lines
In the film, Polaroid photographs and multiple plot lines are used. This function as Leonard's character representation. The plot lines are two; one presented in monochrome (sup-plot line) and the other in color (main plot). This is shown in the film's narrative structure. By use of this tricks emphasis of narration and Leonard's character is put across (Ghislotti,87). Through the Polaroid shots and the formation of narrative seen in past versus present idea make Leonard's role as central character differ from the other characters. This aspects of the film together bring about the layered and chaotic effect to this film. Additionally, the complex character, Leonard is constructed.
The Film Smoke Signals
In the movie "Smoke Signals," by Sherman Alexie, one of the recurring symbols used is fire (Alexie). Understanding this symbol is critical to understanding the actual meaning of the movie. Fire, in the entire film dramatically affects all the characters in the movie. We are introduced to fire as Arnold is saving Thomas from a burning house (Alexie). The fire costs Thomas's parents their lives, but he survives as he is thrown out through the window. Moreover, it is during this section that Thomas is giving a narration comparing flames and ashes to children. From Thomas's description, it's evident that indeed symbols can be used to describe the two of them. Thomas's sensitivity and caring soul are simplified by ashes and Victor's anger can be symbolized by flames (Alexie). The use of fire, ashes, and flames assists us to understand the characters and also strengthens the movie as well as unveiling the underlying message to the audience.
Challenging Popular American Culture
Alexie Sherman through the movie "Smoke Signals," challenges the popular American culture which is historically known to bring out the hegemonic image of Indians (Fielding 5). Despite the fact that such images may not match with symbolic qualities, but it has a direct impact on people. The movie tries to break up the status quo and destroy the stereotypical and hegemonic image of the American Indians by portraying a complex and humanizing picture of these people (Fielding 5). Through satire and humor, Sherman presents the lives of the main characters Victor and Thomas who are both fatherless but with different personalities. At the beginning of the film, the two are not close friends but are brought together by circumstances which supersede tribal affiliation (Fielding 5). The film brings out both Victor and Thomas as people associated with a particular cultural context through the use of the hegemonic image.
Work cited
Alexie, Sherman. Smoke signals. New York: Hyperion, 1998.
Fielding, Julien R. "Native American religion and film: interviews with Chris Eyre and Sherman Alexie." Journal of Religion " Film 7.1 (2016): 5.
Ghislotti, Stefano. "Narrative comprehension made difficult: Film form and mnemonic devices in Memento." Puzzle films: Complex storytelling in contemporary cinema 87 (2009): 106.
Rumms, Claudia. "Narrative Complexity in Christopher Nolan's" Memento." Narrative Structure, Unreliability, Fabula Construction and Cinematography as Key Elements for the Spectator’s Manipulation." (2015).
Schmidt, Torben. "Christopher Nolan's Memento-Analysis of the narrative structure of a noirish revenge film." (2003).
