Sound Editing Analysis in Memento Anonymous 12th Grade

Written and directed by Christopher Nolan, the 2001 indie mystery film Memento hits home as a thrilling cinematic masterpiece of compositional elements that keeps viewers on the edges of their seats. While all elements of the film are important to its quality and general appeal, sound editing is what can make or break a film. When used in correct balance, the sound is used to draw viewers in through an audible story along with a visual story to provoke emotions the director wishes to generate. In Memento, Christopher Nolan captures the mysterious theme of the plot through sharp sound effects and a brooding soundtrack to engage and excite viewers in the film’s growing development to the climax.

In the opening scene, mystery and intrigue settle quickly throughout the audience as the events of murder plays backward from the killer shaking a polaroid of the crime scene dry, to the man’s terrified shout before the trigger was pulled. The opening credits roll during a long-duration point-of-view shot of the killer’s hand holding and shaking the polaroid photo, along with a non-diegetic soundtrack that sets the serious mood for the rest of the scene and the plot. Although physically this clip is rather uneventful, the swelling,...