Christopher Nolan crafts this film in a very specific way in order to create an intricate story about memory, betrayal and revenge. Firstly, he tells the story in reverse. The events that occur last in the story are the first ones that we see. Thus, the payoff is learning how Leonard got to the point he reaches at the end. Nolan weaves together a complex story with nuanced attention to detail, retracing his steps and always staying a few steps ahead of the viewer.
Nolan's edits often lead the viewer to understand that there is something more happening beneath the surface than meets the eye. Editing also contributes to a very specific mood in the film, a sense of unease and suspense that hangs over every interaction. When we see Leonard's wife during her assault, Nolan uses quick slasher film cuts to create the feeling of horror that Leonard experiences from this event. The editing communicates the trauma of the experience in a visceral and visual way.
Nolan also uses black-and-white scenes throughout the film in order to layer a parallel chronological storyline over the main one. The black-and-white scenes show Leonard on the phone speaking with an unidentified person. We as the audience gain valuable information about Leonard's life before his accident and about how he deals with his condition through these sequences.
The unorthodox structure of the film implicates the viewer in Leonard's story and pulls the viewer into his experience. Just as Leonard is disoriented by every new piece of information, so is the viewer, because it is difficult to know what is the truth and what is a lie. Nolan is a meticulous and risk-taking filmmaker who stages a complex story in stimulating and electrifying ways, making the payoff of cohesiveness at the end that much more satisfying.
