Memento

Synopsis: Memento is a 2000 American neo-noir psychological thriller film directed by Christopher Nolan. The screenplay was written by Nolan based on his younger brother Jonathan Nolan's short story "Memento Mori". It stars Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Joe Pantoliano.
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Production: Newmarket Films
  Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 56 wins & 55 nominations.
 
IMDB:
8.5
Metacritic:
80
Rotten Tomatoes:
92%
R
Year:
2000
113 min
$23,844,220
Website
855,191 Views


FADE IN:

1 INT. DERELICT HOUSE - DAY 1

A POLAROID PHOTOGRAPH, clasped between finger and thumb: a

crude, crime scene flash picture of a MAN'S BODY lying on a

decaying wooden floor, a BLOODY MESS where his head should

be.

The image in the photo starts to FADE as we SUPER TITLES. The

hand holding the photo suddenly FANS it in a rapid FLAPPING

motion, then holds it still. The image fades more, and again

the picture is FANNED.

As TITLES END the image fades to nothing. The hand holding

the photo FLAPS it again, then places it at the front of a

POLAROID CAMERA.

The camera SUCKS the blank picture up, then the FLASH BURSTS.

The Polaroid camera is lowered, revealing the sweaty, heavy-

breathing face of LEONARD (mid-30's). There are droplets of

blood across his face. Leonard stares, satisfied, at

something on the ground in front of him. There is WET BLOOD

on his BLUE SHIRT and BEIGE SUIT. His hand opens and catches

a HANDGUN which leaps up into his grasp.

Still staring, he crouches down and pulls a BODY off the

floor by the wet hair of its BLOODY HEAD. He slowly inserts

the barrel of the gun into the bloody mess where the mouth

should be.

Leonard FLINCHES. A DEAFENING ROAR as wet red leaps off his

face and suit and head, with a SPASM, reassembles itself

into the face of TEDDY (40's, moustache) and we-

CUT TO:

2 INT. MOTEL ROOM 21 - DAY ##BLACK AND WHITE SEQUENCE## 2

Close on Leonard's eyes. He rolls them to one side, then

turns his head.

LEONARD (V.O.)

So where are you?

Leonard lifts his head. He is lying on a queen-sized bed.

LEONARD (cont'd)

You're in some motel room.

CUT TO:

2.

3 EXT. DERELICT BUILDING - DAY 3

A late model Jaguar bumps across some railroad tracks and

approaches a large, clearly abandoned DERELICT BUILDING.

Leonard is driving. He wears a BEIGE SUIT and BLUE SHIRT (no

blood). Next to him is TEDDY. Leonard stops the car next to a

PICKUP TRUCK sitting Outside the derelict building. Leonard

kills the engine, staring at the pickup.

LEONARD:

Looks like somebody's home.

Teddy looks from Leonard to the pickup and back.

TEDDY:

That thing's been here for years.

Leonard gets out of the Jaguar and moves to the pickup. He

inspects it with a methodical, practiced eye. Teddy follows.

LEONARD:

I think you're wrong. These tracks aren't*

more than a few days old.

Leonard opens the door of the pickup and searches the

interior. On the dirty vinyl of the passenger seat he finds*

six BULLETS. Leonard picks two of them up and studies them.*

He drops them onto the dashboard then SHUTS the door.*

LEONARD (cont'd)

Let's take a look inside.

Leonard walks towards the house, patting his jacket pockets.

Teddy leans on the pickup, uneasy, watching Leonard.

4 INT. DERELICT BUILDING - DAY 4

Leonard stands in the dimly-lit, decaying former hallway. He

pulls a stack of POLAROID PHOTOGRAPHS out of his pocket and

leafs through them as Teddy starts walking towards him.

Leonard finds a photo showing Teddy with a sh*t-eating grin

standing in front of the pickup truck. On the broad white

strip beneath the photo is handwritten:

"TEDDY GAMMELL TEL. 555 0134"

Leonard flips the photo over. On the white strip on the back,

in the same small handwriting.

(CONTINUED)

MEMENTO Pink Revisions - 9/7/99

3.

4 CONTINUED:
4

"DON'T LISTEN TO HIS LIES"

"HE IS THE ONE"

"KILL HIM"

LEONARD (V.0.)*

I've finally found him. How long have I*

been looking?*

Leonard stuffs the Polaroids back into his pocket, reaches

around to the back of his waistband and draws a HANDGUN,

keeping it out of Teddy's line of sight. Teddy enters, wary.

TEDDY:

Find anything? Didn't think so, let's go,

yeah?

Leonard neither replies nor turns around. Teddy, worried,

affects a casual air, shrugging dismissively,

TEDDY (cont'd)

F*** this.

Teddy turns and heads for the door. Leonard LEAPS on him,

pistol-whipping him furiously as he shouts:

LEONARD:

YOU PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID! YOU BEG

FORGIVENESS, THEN YOU PAY!

Teddy is down. Leonard DRAGS him back, deeper into the dark

house. Leonard is in a frenzy. He dumps Teddy at the end of

the hall and stands over him. Teddy SPITS BLOOD.

TEDDY:

You don't have a clue, you freak.

Leonard crouches down and grabs Teddy by the lapels.

LEONARD:

Beg my forgiveness! Beg my wife's

forgiveness before I blow your brains

out!

TEDDY:

Leonard, you don't have a clue what's

going on. You don't even know my name.

LEONARD:

(triumphant smile)

Teddy!

(CONTINUED)

MEMENTO Pink Revisions - 9/7/99

3A.

4 CONTINUED:
(2) 4

TEDDY:

You read it off your f***ing photo. You

don't know me, you don't even know who

you are.

(CONTINUED)

MEMENTO Pink Revisions - 9/7/99

4.

4 CONTINUED:
(2)4

LEONARD:

I'm Leonard Shelby, I'm from San

Francisco and I'm -

TEDDY:

(bloody grin)

That's who you were, you don't know who

you are.

LEONARD:

Shut your mouth!

TEDDY:

Lemme take you down in the basement and

show you what you've become.

Teddy gestures towards the basement door, in pain, but

enjoying Leonard's growing anxiety.

TEDDY (cont'd)

(intimate)

C'mon, Lenny - we'll take a look down

there together. Then you'll know. You'll

know what you really are.

Leonard glances fearfully at the door, then looks at Teddy.

He THRUSTS the barrel of his gun into Teddy's mouth and WE

ARE AT THE SHOT FROM THE END OF THE OPENING SEQUENCE. Teddy

panics, shaking his head, trying to talk around the metal,

but GAGS just as Leonard pulls the trigger. A SHOT rings out

as we -

Rate this script:3.5 / 11 votes

Christopher Nolan

Christopher Edward Nolan (born 30 July 1970) is an English-American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is one of the highest-grossing directors in history, and among the most successful and acclaimed filmmakers of the 21st century. more…

All Christopher Nolan scripts | Christopher Nolan Scripts

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Submitted by acronimous on February 22, 2016

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