Introducing enigma, Memento

In Memento, the opening sequence introduces enigma by presenting a scene in reverse, where the protagonist, Leonard, shoots and kills Teddy, but the audience is left unaware of why or how this event has occurred. 

This perplexed story technique creates immediate confusion and mystery, prompting questions about Leonard’s motivations and the circumstances leading to the shooting. The backward progression of the scene, along with the broken up structure of the film, establishes an enigma that drives the plot, as viewers must piece together the truth from Leonard’s unreliable memory and the clues he leaves for himself.