Memento Thriller Opening Sequence analysis

The voice over of the main character is the stream of consciousness as the narrative is wanting us to get to know the protagonist and relates to his character. The audience sees that the character is confused and so the audience wants to know more about the protagonist and feels sorry for him. The theme of lack of memory is incorporated into memento as the protagonist does not know who his true self is and from the opening suggests that we uncover what his true personality is. The protagonist is isolated and vulnerable as he has a weakness which is that he cannot remember things and so his personality is lacking depth. 

The reversing of time means that the linear structure disappears and so the sense of confusion becomes stronger and more intense. This is emphasized when the murdered man is seen after the murder having coffee with the murderer adding to the distortion. There is a close up on his eyes to show that reality is not as it seems and it is powerful imagery which adds to the sense of suspense. The black and white shows that this scene is in another time and so it is a flash back. There is also a high angle of the room to show the protagonist is weak and this is backed up by the guy not wearing anything on his legs with just a shirt, creating a sense of mystery and asking questions instead of answering questions. 

The mise en scene of the pictures and the tattoos on his body make him remember what has happened in his life, this appears to the audience as unreliable and dangerous as he has a dual identity. The slow pace of editing and close ups indicates a confusion and drowsiness in the character and this is backed up by the tense non-diegetic sound track contributing to a sense of suspense.