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- Audience Theory Essay ‘Memento’
Audience Theory Essay ‘Memento’
October 21st, 2008 by toddhofe
Audience Theory Essay ‘Memento’
I will be looking into detail, the media film text ‘Memento’. Discussing the different audience theories used during this particular text.
Memento is a psychological thriller film. Leonard, a former insurance fraud investigator, is searching for the man he believes raped and murdered his wife during a burglary. Leonard suffers from anterograde amnesia, which he contracted from severe head trauma during the attack on his wife. This renders his brain unable to store new memories. To cope with his condition, he maintains a series of notes, photographs, and tattoos to record information about himself and others, including his wife’s killer. He is aided in his investigation by Teddy and Natalie, neither of whom he can trust.
My first impression of the text was the obvious, but different layout. The text runs in a reversed order. Uncovering the story as it proceeds backwards. But to remind the viewer the scenes jump back into chronological order and uncover the real reason to what is happening. Laying out the text this way allows the viewer to see what happens at the end of the film but without giving away why what happened, happens.
We learn that Leonard has found Teddy who he thinks raped and murdered his wife. As the viewer we see the murder of Teddy in the first scene. Leonard shoots him in revenge. This violent and disturbing act occurs at the very beginning of the text. This act occurring so early on, exposing such violence can tie in with the ‘Desensitisation audience theory’. This theory suggests that the audience attitudes to violence can be affected by having been exposed to it. Memento may encourage the audience to become less sensitive to violence because the text shows a number of violent acts occurring throughout the text. If an audience were continually exposed to media like this it may alter their perception about violence and how acceptable it is, this is known as the ‘Cultivation Theory’.
The ‘Copy-Cat Theory’ simply states that negative behaviour is imitated. This theory is common because of the way in which the media tells news stories relating violent acts to the rest of the media, almost in a vicious cycle. This theory could apply to Memento because the viewer might relate to the way the characters act, and the way in which they sort it out.
Viewers will fall for the love Leonard shows towards his dead wife and his determination to uncover who raped and murder her. This relates to the ‘Uses and Gratification Theory’ of ‘Personal Identity’. The film contains a lot of action and is a physiological thriller, these both appeal to the ‘Entertainment’ side. We view this text because we can relate to it and because of the clever and complex layout and plot. ‘Social interaction’ with the viewer helps them to understand the text.
Overall the film is highly rated and recommended by reviews, this proves the ‘Two Step Flow Theory’, which means the media is not as stronger influence as conversations amongst the viewers about the media. Also ‘Social interaction’ meaning the viewers will talk about the text, their opinions and ideas.
Understanding of the film can differ from viewer to viewer because it has many features and details in each scene that aren’t noticed straight away. You are required to keep thinking to piece it all together. The end of the text changes our understanding about Leonard due to the twist in which the film takes. It leaves everyone with a difference of opinion.
Memento was a great text to relate to the audience theories. The Most relevant theories being, ‘Desensitisation theory’ because of the violence portrayed throughout the text; ‘Personal identity’ because of the relationship between the viewers and Leonard; ‘Social interaction’ which uses the viewers discussing the text; ‘Entertainment’ with the well written plot. But mostly the ‘Two step flow theory’ because of the well written and clever layout the text has, introducing lots of ideas from different viewers.
Posted in Memento | | | 1 Comments
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on November 5th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
You are beginning to apply relevant theories and ofer some examples from the text to illustrate your points.
T – use much more detailed reference to specific examples from the text and from reviews, and use appropriate media terminology. GRADE – C