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Reader comments on
Subject: Re: Some continutiy issues
Date: Jun 17, 2002
Legitimate issues all. Most of those bothered me upon my first viewing as well, but I was able to dismiss them then, given filmâs confusing chronological structure, as things that would no doubt be explained later. They never are, and the more scrutiny one applies to the film the more one gets the sinking feeling that they are simply flaws the director hoped to bury in the films baffling, flip-flop chronology. Even after my FIRST viewing, the two BIGGEST things that bothered me (and still do) were:
1. Why does Leonard put on Jimmyâs clothes and steal his car? There is no logical reason in the world for him to do this, and no satisfactory (or even unsatisfactory) explanation is given. It might not bother me so much except that so much of what follows (chronologically) afterwards hinges on him having done this.
2. For Leonard to have fabricated a story about some guy with his same memory disorder to whom he denied an insurance claim and upon whom to project his own story in order to allay his guilt over his wife WOULD REQUIRE HIM TO HAVE MEMORY OF EVENTS AFTER HIS INJURY. A truly unforgivable inconsistency, especially when you look at all the supplementary material on the DVD and website that would have you believe this interpretation of the story.
3. A third one: why would Leonard concoct such an elaborate and risky scheme to get his revenge on Teddy? Why not just kill him outright out of anger for having been manipulated? Because then heâd miss out on the delicious irony? That strikes me as kind of stupid.
Salon.com nails this one. However, if you do as Salon suggests (view the movie entirely in correct chronological sequence, starting with the B&W scenes then the color ones in reverse order), I think youâll find (perhaps much to your disappointment) that although certain things finally make more sense, the overall story does not hold up logically. This was a rare case where repeated viewings actually made me like the movie LESS.
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Re: Some continutiy issues
I just watched this for the second time and didn't realize this until after you mentioned it but ... yes, I realize it too. He took the picture in a *color* frame (going backwards) but yet had it in his pocket in the warehouse shot (where black & white turns to color).
Other questions I have (other than the ones already addressed on the salon.com site):
Remembers what the chart on the wall is for ö immediately goes to it and posts pictures up (scene after he goes back into diner and picks up stuff Natalie left for him that he forgot)
Remembers hotel clerkâs name is Burt in the scene where he forgot his key and Burt tells him heâs been ripping him off
Remembers that he didnât kill Dodd when he arrives at Natalieâs and asked ãwho the fuck is Dodd?ä It has certainly been more than 15 minutes.
Remembers she has lost somebody; writes it down a long time later (after being in bed with her and she is almost asleep)
Why is he in a hotel room and not in his house?
Doesnât remember it is his truck at the scene where he kills Teddy? Did he buy it before his wifeâs death? Why doesnât he remember that itâs his?
Knows itâs not his room when Dodd is in the closet ö how??
Dodd is peeing in the bathroom when Leonard is in the shower ö doesnât notice the shower is running and there are clothes on the floor??!!??
Knows the guy chasing him is Dodd as soon as he sees the note in his pocket ö how does he know that immediately?
Seems to remember the Jag is ãhisä car even though he doesnât look at the picture
Remembers who the escort is even though he is sleeping when she slams the door to the bathroom ö doesnât ask her who she is; just asks her to leave
How does he remember to make tattoos of the ãnew factsä?
Remembers what room # he is in when he calls the front desk to tell them heâs not taking any calls (b&w) ö doesnât look at the key
Gun he uses in the color flashback of where his wife is being raped is identical to the one he steals from Dodd
WHERE did he get the name ãJohn Gä?
Teddy shows him the photo of him bare-chested and naked at the warehouse where he kills Jimmy ö he gave it to Leonard under the door in an envelope marked ãtake my callä in the b&w scene ö in the Jimmy scene Lenny has it and doesnât hand it to Teddy
Jimmy knows about Leonard and tells him about him ö knows heâs staying at the Discount- how?
When Lenny walks into the office (b&w scene) calls him Officer Gammil ö could be less than 15 minutes
How does Jimmy know Leonard?
Why does Leonard want Jimmy to strip before he kills him?
Jimmy (dead) says ãSammyä · why?
Why does Teddy check Jimmyâs shoes for fit?
Does anyone have answers to these? If so please email me at melissabussey@alliantfs.com.
Thanks!!
:-) Mel
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Comment index:
ACDG-C from James Drummond, Jun 29, 2001
» Re: Some continutiy issues « from Tashtigo707, Jun 17, 2002
ACDG-C from James Drummond, Jun 29, 2001
» Re: Some continutiy issues « from Tashtigo707, Jun 17, 2002
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