Memento Page #6

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41 INT. JANKIS HOUSE FRONT HALL - DAY ##BLACK AND WHITE 41

SEQUENCE##

Mrs. Jankis opens the front door to Leonard. Leonard shakes

hands with Sammy, who smiles at him in apparent recognition.

LEONARD (V.0.)

The doctors assure me that there's a

real condition called Korsokoff's

syndrome; short-term memory loss, rare

but legit. But every time I see him I

catch a look of recognition. Just a

slight look, but he says he can't

remember me at all.

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

MEMENTO Pink Revisions - 9/7/99

27A.

41 CONTINUED:
41

LEONARD (cont'd)

I can read people and I'm thinking bad *

actor. Now I'm suspicious and I order

more tests.

CUT BACK TO LEONARD IN MOTEL ROOM:

MEMENTO Pink Revisions - 9/7/99

28.

42 INT. MOTEL ROOM 21 - DAY ##BLACK AND WHITE SEQUENCE## 42

Leonard DABS at some blood on his thigh with toilet paper.

LEONARD:

His wife has to do everything. Sammy can

only do simple stuff. He couldn't pick

up any new skills at all, and that's how

I got him.

43 EXT. MAIN STREET - DAY 43

Leonard's Jaguar pulls up at a red light. Suddenly Teddy is

BANGING on the window.

TEDDY:

Lenny! I thought you'd gone for good.

What brings you back?

Leonard looks at Teddy, sizing him up.

LEONARD:

Unfinished business. What made you think

I wasn't coming back?

TEDDY:

You said you were leaving town.

LEONARD:

Things change.

TEDDY:

So I see. It's good to see you. My name's

Teddy.

LEONARD:

Guess I've told you about my condition.

TEDDY:

(grins)

Only every time I see ya! Come on, I'll

buy you lunch.

44 INT. DINER - DAY 44

Teddy pours ketchup all over his steak. Leonard plays with

his food.

TEDDY:

Not hungry?

(CONTINUED)

29.

44 CONTINUED:
44

LEONARD:

(shrugs)

It's my condition. I never know if I've

already eaten, so I always just eat small

amounts.

TEDDY:

You don't have to remember to be hungry.

LEONARD:

It's weird, but if you don't eat for a

while then your body stops being hungry.

You get sort of shaky but you don't

realize you haven't eaten. Have I told

you about Sammy Jankis?

TEDDY:

Yeah, yeah. I heard enough about him.

Tell me about John G. You still think

he's here, right?

LEONARD:

Who?

TEDDY:

The guy you're looking for, Johnny G.

That's why you haven't left. Am I right?

Leonard shrugs. Teddy licks his fingers and frowns.

TEDDY (cont'd)

Leonard, you need to be very careful.

LEONARD:

Why?

TEDDY:

Well, the other day you made it sound

like you thought somebody might be trying

to set you up. Get you to kill the wrong

guy.

LEONARD:

Yeah, well I go on facts, not

recommendations, okay?

TEDDY:

Lenny, you can't trust a man's life to

your little notes and pictures.

LEONARD:

Why?

(CONTINUED)

30.

44 CONTINUED:
(2) 44

TEDDY:

Because you're relying on them alone. You

Don't remember what you've discovered or

how. Your notes might be unreliable.

LEONARD:

Memory's unreliable.

Teddy snorts.

LEONARD (cont'd)

No, really. Memory's not perfect. It's

not even that good. Ask the police,

eyewitness testimony is unreliable. The

cops don't catch a killer by sitting

around remembering stuff. They collect

facts, make notes, draw conclusions.

Facts, not memories: that's how you

investigate. I know, it's what I used to

do. Memory can change the shape of a room

or the color of a car. It's an

interpretation, not a record. Memories

can be changed or distorted and they're

irrelevant if you have the facts.

TEDDY:

You really want to find this guy?

LEONARD:

He took away the woman I love and he took

away my memory. He destroyed everything;

my life and my ability to live.

TEDDY:

You're living.

LEONARD:

Just for revenge. That's what keeps me

going. It's all I have.

Teddy considers this.

TEDDY:

We'll find him. Where are you staying?

Leonard reaches into his pocket and takes out a Polaroid.

LEONARD:

Discount Inn. Don't know what room;

haven't got my key.

TEDDY:

Probably left it in your room.

MEMENTO Blue Revisions - 8/27/99

31.

45 EXT. DISCOUNT INN - DAY 45

The Jaguar pulls up. Leonard gets out and heads to the

office.

46 INT. DISCOUNT INN OFFICE - DAY 46

Leonard enters. Burt is behind the counter reading a

magazine.

LEONARD:

I'm sorry, I think I'm checked in here,

but I've misplaced my key.

BURT:

(looks up)

Hi, Leonard.

47 INT. MOTEL ROOM 21 - DAY ##BLACK AND WHITE SEQUENCE## 47

Leonard (in boxers, bandaged arm shaving foam on thigh, *

strides the row, talking on the phone and gesticulating with

a disposable razor.

LEONARD:

So Sammy can't learn any new skills. But

I find something in my research:

Conditioning. Sammy should still be able

to learn through repetition. It's how

you learn stuff like riding a bike,

things you don't think about, you just

get better through practice. Call it

muscle memory, whatever, but it's a

completely different part of the brain

from the short-term memory. So I have

the doctors test Sammy's response to

conditioning...

48 INT. EXAMINATION ROOM - DAY ##BLACK AND WHITE SEQUENCE##48

Sammy sits at a table. A DOCTOR sits opposite pointing out

various METAL OBJECTS sitting on the table.

DOCTOR:

Just pick up any three objects.

SAMMY:

(amused)

That's a test? Where were you guys when

I did my CPA?

(CONTINUED)

MEMENTO Pink Revisions - 9/7/99

32.

48 CONTINUED:
48

Sammy PICKS UP an object and gestures to the Doctor for

applause. Sammy goes for a second object, but gets a SHOCK

which makes him recoil in pain. (LEONARD TO SUBSTITUTE)*

SAMMY (cont'd)

Ah! What the f***?!

Sammy looks ACCUSINGLY at the Doctor.

DOCTOR:

It's a test, Sammy.

LEONARD (V.O.)

Some of the objects were electrified,

They'd give him a small shock.

BACK TO LEONARD IN MOTEL ROOM

49 INT. MOTEL ROOM 21 - DAY #BLACK AND WHITE SEQUENCE#49

LEONARD:

They kept repeating the test, always

with the same objects electrified. The

point was to see if he could learn to

avoid the electrified objects. Not by

memory, but by instinct.

50 INT. NATALIE'S BEDROOM: MESSY, CHEAPLY BUT ABUNDANTLY 50

FURNISHED - MORNING

Leonard opens his eyes, naked in bed. He looks around,

confused. With a START, he realizes that someone else is in

the bed:
a BRUNETTE with her back to him.

Leonard leans right over her to get a look at her face. It is

NATALIE. The BRUISE on her eye and the MARK on her lip are

worse than before.

She OPENS her eyes and is startled by the sight of Leonard's

hovering face.

LEONARD:

Sorry. It's only me.

Leonard FLOPS down. Natalie wakes up fully and relaxes.

NATALIE:

Sleep okay?

LEONARD:

Yeah. You?

Natalie shrugs. She looks at her bedside clock.

(CONTINUED)

MEMENTO Blue Revisions - 8/27/99

33.

50 CONTINUED:
50

NATALIE:

I gotta be someplace.

She gets out of bed, wearing pajamas. Leonard swings his legs

out of the bed and realizes that he is wearing trousers and

socks. He looks at his tattoos, as if he has never seen them

before.

NATALIE (cont'd)

Pretty weird.

She is smiling at him in the mirror. Leonard smiles, shrugs.

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