Memento

Memento was listed as one of the TOK related movies that was given to the IB Diploma students. I chose to watch Memento because the plot interests me. The movie basically is about a man who started to suffer from short-term memory loss on the day his wife was killed. His wife was killed by two burglars who broke into his house and he suffered from short-term memory loss because one of the burglars hit his head against the mirror. Then, he wanted to revenge for his wife but because of his memory, he had to use notes and tattoos in order to find the murderer of his wife.

As I watched the movie, I felt pity for the main character, Leonard, because some of the people who knew about his condition (the way Leonard addressed his problem of short-term memory loss) took advantage of him. For example, the main female character in the movie, Natalie, criticized Leonard's beloved wife causing Leonard to be in rages that he punched her. Then, Natalie went out of the house, bringing all the writing utensils at the same time so that Leonard wouldn't be able to write down what had happened. She came back in 2 minutes with blood on her face and when she slammed the door shut, Leonard forgotten what the argument between him and Natalie. Natalie acted as if another person had abused her and asked Leonard to take revenge of that person. 

The ending of the movie is the shocking part. After Leonard kills the murderer of his wife, John G., his friend Teddy tells Leonard that actually he has already killed the real John G. Teddy explains that Leonard continues to find a new John G. because he does not have a motive to live after killing the murderer. Leonard was so angry by that piece of information that when Teddy tells him that his initials are also John G., Leonard decides to make Teddy as his target, the John G. who killed his wife.

I think what's scary about this movie that facts can be manipulated when one is emotionally unstable. For example, Leonard knows that if he writes down a characteristic of Teddy as the murderer of his wife, one day he will kill Teddy. What are the knowledge issues? Leonard trusts only the tattoos on his body and the note cards that he keeps in his pocket because those tattoos and notes are written by him. Just because he was angry at that moment, Leonard created a new "fact" for himself to believe, that Teddy is the murderer who he is supposed to kill. 

Watch the trailer if you haven't watched the movie: (CAUTION: there is swearing in this trailer)

Source of image: 

http://www.imdb.com/media/rm361988096/tt0209144

Note: The director of Memento, Christopher Nolan, is the director of Inception and The Dark Knight.