MementoScreenplay.doc

MEMENTO A Screenplay by Christopher Nolan Based on a short story by Jonathan Nolan “MEMENTO MORI” INT. DERELICT HOUSE – DAY COLOUR SEQUENCE 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: INT. MOTEL ROOM 21 – DAY ##BLACK AND WHITE SEQUENCE## 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: EXT. DERELICT BUILDING - DAY COLOUR SEQUENCE 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 Outs