Memento

It has probably been five or so years since I have seen "Memento".  The first time I saw it, I was entertained but I was not crazy about it.  In fact, after reading the short story I was surprised with how much I had enjoyed it.  Remembering the movie, I thought I would have the same feelings about the short story. The opposite was true, though. I was extremely intrigued by the story. The lack of information gave the story a sense of chaos and suspense.  It was a gripping account that kept me on the edge of my seat. Seeing the film for the second time left me a bit puzzled.  Although the movie has a solid plot and many significant twists, I had almost completely forgotten what happened.  For example, in the scene where the audience finds out that Natalie has ulterior motives, I was shocked at the fact that I had not remembered this particular twist.  After seeing it again I remembered the sinking feeling it gave me the first time I saw it. That part of the story seemed like it should have been hard to forget.  I could not believe that it had completely slipped my mind.  Natalie's character seemed different to me this time, though.  I had not felt sorry for her the first time I had seen the movie.  Realizing, though, that she had lost someone because of Leonard's "game" left me sympathetic to her character.  Having seen the movie so long ago, I had forgotten how the story pans out. The fact that Leonard turned out to be the real antagonist was a bit disappointing but I really believe it added a lot to the movie. Honestly, I think the whole story made more sense to me this time.  I was exponentially more impressed with the film.     

Memento Mori

Excellent.  This short story is superb.  It has all the makings for a great plot -suspense, thrill, desperation, revenge, etc.- and is compacted into a tiny bit of writing.  I saw the movie a few years ago and I was not completely enthralled. I remember feeling a bit confused and uneasy through most of it.  After reading the short story, I had totally different feelings, though. I kept up with the action and narration.  My only complaint is that the story is not long enough.  I am looking forward to seeing the movie for a second time. It has been a while and I am interested in being able to compare the two forms of the story.

The sense of urgency throughout the whole piece is a key element of captivating the reader.  Because the chapters are so short, it is nearly impossible to stop until you reach the end.  Most of the chapters end with some kind of jarring cliffhanger that forces the reader to keep on going.  Since "Memento Mori" is so short, however, this is not a difficult feat.  Even if the story were longer, I think the author's total originality and creativity would keep the reader interested through the whole thing. If I am not allured by a story it can take decades to finish. The choppiness of "Momento Mori" paired with the uniqueness left me completely satisfied.

Passage of time seems to be a recurring theme in the short story.  I thought the lack of information in the time between Earl's tattoo and his waking up in the hotel was magnificent.  With room for such open interpretation the reader has to rely on clues to develop the story.  Obviously, a significant amount of time has passed.  Since it means nothing to Earl, though, why should it be significant to the reader?  Reading the story from Earl's point of view really brought out feelings of desperation.  Most momentous for me was the end of the story when Earl could not find a pen. Nolan's ability to express Earl's despair was fantastic.  I literally felt his anxiety.

"The Killers" and Heroic Fatalism

Phillip Booth's essay on the film adaptations of "The Killers" was rather enjoyable.  I found it to be an easy and quick read.  My only regret is not having seen all three versions of the story discussed in the essay.  While I agreed with many of Booth's points, it was difficult to think critically when I haven't seen the films.

The Killers (1946)

In Booth's description of the 1946 version of "The Killers" much time was spent comparing the film to other works of the era.  Understanding Booth's point proved difficult as I have never seen the movies mentioned.  Furthermore, the extended amount of time spent discussing the director took away from the commentary on the actual film.  It was interesting to read about the film's history and background, but I found myself wondering less about the story's purpose when I was introduced to all the extra information.  On the other hand, knowing the history of the directors allows the reader to understand the director's style.  Understanding the director's style makes comparing different versions of the story easier.

The Killers (film short)

While I have never seen this version of the film, Booth's description was easy to visualize.  After reading the intriguing account, I am quite interested in seeing the film.  Booth notes that the film short is closely related to Hemingway's actual story.  I was curious about this because both longer versions of the filmed differed from the original story.  Booth's discussion of the "unexpected images" in the short really caught my attention.  Because the essay did an excellent job of bringing the short to life, I am very interested in seeing it.

The Killers (1964)

The comparison between Sheila and Kitty as the "femme fatale" role was a compelling addition to the essay.  Although I was more captivated by what I saw of the 1946 film, reading about the later version interested me.  As we discussed in class, it was surprising that the film was even called "Ernest Heminway's The Killers" because it had so few similarities to Hemingway's actual story.  

I have always been rather skeptical of film adaptation of novels and short stories.  More often than not I am justified in my skepticism.  After reading this essay, though, I'm thinking that the movies may engage me as much as Hemingway's short story.

The Killers

Short stories are always interesting to read as they allow for much interpretation.  When key details and plot points are left out, readers can, in a sense, develop the story for themselves.  In Hemingway's "The Killers" I found myself guessing the next action after every piece of dialog.  While one can do this with any type of story, long or short, short stories tend to leave out information that novels do not.  For instance, throughout the entire piece the reader is never filled in on the reason behind the visitors' plan to murder Anderson.  Some information is given, but never a decisive answer.  Furthermore, the reader is responsible for figuring out the characters.  Because almost every character is introduced rather quickly, it is easy to get sort of lost in the reading.  As a matter of fact, until I watched the video, I had some of the roles confused.  The differences between the story and the film adaptation surprised me a bit.  Trivial things, like name changes, were really the only contrasting parts.  While I would have preferred to see the entire film, the beginning was enticing.  Although I haven't had a lot of experience with this type of cinema, a film that seemed to have a related premise is David Lynch's "Blue Velvet".  The story quickly spirals out of control and opens into a labyrinth of unexpected twists and turns.  Seemingly normal characters reveal their undesirable pasts and peculiar series of events begin to unfold. While "The Killers" was less over-the-top than "Blue Velvet", they both open with an everyday setting and then quickly evolve into something much more bizarre.  Overall, I was pleased with the story.  It was interesting reading and I was constantly asking questions. Hemingway's plot was successful in captivating readers; it definitely kept me guessing.