Memento

So where are you? You're in some motel room.

You just--You just wake up, and you're in a motel room.

There's the key. It feels like maybe it's just the first time you've been there,

but... perhaps you've been there for a week,

three months.

It's kind of hard to say. I don't--I don't know.

It's just an anonymous room.

This guy.

He's here already.

Lenny!

It's Leonard... like I told you before.

Did you? I must have forgot.

I guess I've already told you about my condition.

Oh, well, only every time I see you.

- My car. - This is your car.

Oh, you're in a playful mood.

It's not good for you to make fun of someone's handicap.

- - Just trying to have a little fun.

- -

- Roll up your window. - Hmm?

It's broken.

I can get that fixed for you.

So where to, Sherlock?

- I got a lead on a place. - Oh, what the hell do you wanna go there for?

- You know it? - Yeah, it's just this fucked-up building.

- Why do you wanna go there? - Don't remember.

Looks like somebody's home.

Ah, that thing's been here for years.

What are you talking about? These tracks are only a few days old.

Tracks? What are you? Pocahontas?

Come on!

Let's take a look inside.

"Teddy."

"Don't believe his lies. He is the one. Kill him."

I finally found him. How long have I been looking?

Find anything?

Didn't think so.

Let's go, huh? Oh, fuck this.

- - You're gonna pay for what you did.

- Beg forgiveness, and then you pay. - Leonard.

You don't have a clue, you freak.

Beg my wife's forgiveness before I blow your brains out.

Leonard, you don't know what's going on.

- You don't even know my name. - Teddy.

That's 'cause you read it off a fucking picture.

You don't know who you are.

I'm Leonard Shelby. I'm from San Francisco.

That's who you were. That's not what you've become.

- Shut your mouth. - You want to know, Lenny?

Come on. Come on, let's go down to the basement.

Let's go down, you and me, together.

Then you'll know who you really are.

No!

It's just an anonymous room.

There's nothing in the drawers. But you look anyway.

Nothing except the Gideon Bible, which I, of course, read religiously.

You know, you know who you are, and you know kind of all about yourself.

But just for day-to-day stuff, notes are really useful.

Sammy Jankis had the same problem,

but he really had no system.

He wrote himself a ridiculous amount of notes, but he'd get them all mixed up.

You really do need a system if-- if you're gonna make it work.

- Hi. - Hi.

- I'm Mr. Shelby from 304. - What can I do for you, Leonard?

- Um-- - Burt.

Burt. I'm not sure. I think I may have asked you to hold my calls.

You don't know?

I think I may have. I'm not too good on the phone.

Right. You said you like to look people in the eye when you talk to them.

- Yeah. - You don't remember saying that?

- Well, that's the thing. I have this condition. - A condition?

- It's my memory. - Amnesia?

No, no, no. It's different from that. I have no short-term memory.

I know who I am. I know all about myself.

Since my injury, I can't make new memories. Everything fades.

If we talk for too long, I'll forget how we started.

The next time I see you, I'm not gonna remember this conversation.

I don't even know if I've met you before.

So if I seem a little strange or rude or something, uh--

I've told you this before, haven't I?

Yeah. I mean, I don't mean to mess with you, but it's so weird.

- You don't remember me at all? - No.

- We've talked a bunch of times. - I'm sure we have.

Well, what's the last thing you remember?

My wife.

What's it like?

It's like waking. It's like you just woke up.

That must suck.

I mean, it's all backwards.

Like, maybe you get an idea about what you want to do next,

but you don't remember what you just did.

- I'm exactly the opposite-- - How long have I been staying here?

- A couple of days. - And you're holding my calls?

- Like you said. - Okay, but this guy's an exception.

- Do you know this guy? - Yeah, it's your friend, right?

What makes you think he's my friend?

- I just saw you together, that's all. - He's not my friend.

- Okay. - If he calls or if he shows up here,

you give me a call in my room, okay?

- What, his name's Teddy? - Teddy, yeah.

All right.

Look, I hope my condition's not gonna be a problem for you.

No, not as long as you remember to pay the bill.

Yeah. Okay.

- Forty. - Forty.

This guy--

He's here already.

Lenny!

You really need a system if you're gonna make it work.

You kind of learn to trust your own handwriting.

That becomes an important part of your life. You write yourself notes.

And where you put your notes-- That also becomes important.

You need a jacket that's got like six pockets in it.

Particular pockets for particular things.

You just kind of learn to know where things go and how the system works.

And you have to be wary of other people writing stuff for you that is not gonna make sense...

or is gonna lead you astray.

I mean, I don't know. I guess people try and take advantage of somebody with this condition.

If you have a piece of information which is vital,

writing on your body instead of on a piece of paper can be the answer.

It's just a permanent way of keeping a note.

Who is this?

"Remember Sammy Jankis."

Excuse me, sir. You left these at your table.

Thanks. Uh... Lincoln Street?

Oh, yeah, just go straight out on Sixth Street.

Hold on. I'm just gonna write this down.

- It's easy. Just go-- - Trust me. I need to write this down.

"The Discount Inn."

Discount Inn.

Natalie.

My car.

Teddy.

"John Edward Gammell."

This guy told me his name was Teddy.

"Don't believe his lies."

Yeah? - Mr. Gammell?

- Lenny, is that you? - John Gammell?

Lenny, it's Teddy. Stay there.

- I'll be right over. - Okay. I'll be waiting.

"White. Male."

"First name John."

"Last name: G" for Gammell.

"Drugs. License plate."

"SG13...

7IU."

It's him.

I found you, you fuck.

You said we talked before. I don't remember that.

Yeah, but it's not amnesia. I remember everything up until my injury.

I just can't make new memories. So I can't remember talking to you.

What did we talk about? Oh, Sammy Jankis.

I guess I tell people about Sammy to help them understand.

Sammy's story helps me understand my own situation.

Well, Sammy wrote himself endless amounts of notes, but he got mixed up.

I have a more graceful solution to the memory problem.

I'm disciplined and organized.

I use habit and routine to make my life possible.

Sammy had no drive, no reason to make it work.

Me? Yeah, I got a reason.

"Today, 1 :00 p.m. Meet Natalie for info."

"She has also lost someone.

She will help you out of pity."

- Natalie? - You don't remember me.

I'm sorry. I should have explained. I have this--

You did explain, Lenny.

Please call me Leonard. My wife called me Lenny.

- Yeah, I know. You told me. - Then I probably told you how much I hated it.

Yeah.

Do you mind taking your glasses off? It's hard for me to--

Thanks.

So you have information for me?

- Is that what your little note says? - Yeah.

Must be tough living your life according to a couple of scraps of paper.

You mix your laundry list with your grocery list,

and you'll end up eating your underwear for breakfast.

I guess that's why you have those freaky tattoos.

Yeah, it's tough. It's almost impossible.

Look, I'm sorry I don't remember you. It's nothing personal.

I do have information for you.

You gave me a license plate number.

Had my friend at D.M.V. trace it.

Guess what name came up.

John Edward Gammell. John G.

- Do you know him? - No.

But his face on his driver's license looked really familiar.

I think he's been in the bar, maybe.

Here's a copy of his license, his registration, photo and all.

Are you sure you want this?

Have I told you what this man did?

- Yeah. - Well, then, you shouldn't have to ask.

But even if you get revenge, you're not gonna remember it.

You're not even gonna know that it happened.

My wife deserves vengeance.

Doesn't make any difference whether I know about it.

Just because there are things I don't remember doesn't make my actions meaningless.

The world doesn't just disappear when you close your eyes, does it?

Anyway, maybe I'll take a photograph to remind myself,

get another freaky tattoo.