Respond to these rapid questions in our Memoria quiz and we will tell you which Memoria character you are. Play it now.
It occurs relatively early in “Memoria,” the stunning new drama from Apichatpong Weerasethakul, when Tilda Swinton’s protagonist is trying to describe a sound that she’s been hearing in her head, which is causing her to have sleepless nights, that she comes up with something that sounds like a gunshot. Her explanation is received favorably by a technician, who then presents her with an audio clip that attempts to replicate it. “No, it’s more earthy,” I stated emphatically. Tilda then went on to say something that was almost verbatim with what she had just said. I’m not claiming to be psychic; rather, I believe I was on the same wavelength as the filmmakers for this film, and I believe Weerasethakul, also known as “Joe,” would appreciate that story.
Joe wants his films to connect with the audience in this way, not through plot or even character, but through the experience of watching them. He wishes to raise questions about how we interact with motion pictures, and, by extension, with life as a whole. According to reports, his “Memoria” will never be released on DVD or Blu-ray, instead playing in theaters as part of a traveling road show that will travel across the country for years, one week at a time, beginning this Sunday, December 26th, in New York City. While I disagree with what this means in terms of too few people having access to great art, there is some logic to the fact that this particular film is being given the roadshow treatment at this time. It all comes down to personal experience. It is a journey that those who are willing to embark on must undertake.
Jessica, played by Swinton, is a woman who travels to Bogota to see her sick sister. Because Jessica is from Scotland, but she now lives in Medellin and is visiting Colombia, there is an immediate sense of international displacement (which is heightened by the fact that this is Joe’s first film in which the majority of the dialogue is in English). “The sound” contributes to the increase in displacement. It opens the film, and it is immediately followed by the image of Jessica getting out of her bed. Was she able to hear it as well, or was it just for the audience? She did, and she is beginning to hear it more and more often as a result. Viewers will be enticed to take on the role of detective. Is it accompanied by stressful circumstances? This appears to be the case in a dinner scene that takes place later in the film. But anyone who has seen a Joe film knows that answers are not likely to be forthcoming in this case.
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Jessica’s journey becomes increasingly disturbing. She meets with the aforementioned technician several times in an attempt to determine the source of the sound, but he does not appear to exist when she returns to see him a second time after the first. In a similar vein, she is informed at the dinner that someone she believed had died is still alive. It’s as if her entire existence has been shifted a fraction of a degree. She wanders the streets of Bogota until she is finally out of the city’s bustle and into the countryside. Perhaps she will be able to get to the bottom of what is going on here? Most likely not.
Memoria Quiz
Until now, a filmmaker and a performer have rarely been as completely on the same page as Swinton and Joe are in this film. When she plays unsettled rather than panicked, she is mesmerizing to watch. Some actresses would have leaned into the relative craziness of Jessica’s predicament, but Swinton manages to carry it off with a concerned expression or a tense body posture. Finally, she holds it together for the audience as the film becomes more symbolic and less linear, allowing us to remain connected to the immediacy of what is happening to her. A sensory experience is provided by “Memoria,” and a performer of Swinton’s caliber is required to enhance Joe’s technique. We’re not just hearing the sounds of a babbling brook and chirping birds on a soundtrack; we’re hearing them through Jessica’s ears as she walks through the forest. There will be thousands of words written about what “Memoria” is about, but none of the readings of it would be worth anything if Swinton wasn’t there to anchor them all in one place.
Also, you will find out which character are you in this Memoria quiz.
So, what exactly is the plot of “Memoria”? That appears to be subjective and could be different for each individual. This is a film that, in some ways, feels like it is trying to avoid being too literal. However, as strange as it may sound, it is also a film about displacement, with which I had a strong emotional connection. What makes it possible for this to be true? So, how does it happen that a film about a woman who appears to be almost completely disconnected from the rest of the world can be so captivating? Joe’s incredible craftsmanship is largely responsible for this. He has the impression of being both meticulously planned and yet completely organic at the same time. A lot of coverage and editing aren’t important to him; he prefers to keep the focus of the camera fixed on a single scene and watch it unfold, as if we were sitting on one side of the room, taking it all in with Jessica and whomever she’s encountered.
About the quiz
A hundred movies a year pass by my eyes without ever completely disconnecting me from the many distractions that surround me in my everyday life. “Memoria” was the film that did this for me the most in 2021, more than any other. It is a film that may be more difficult to watch than most in the coming weeks (or even months or years), but it is one that I believe will resonate deeply with those who feel similarly dislocated from the world around them. We may not have all heard the same exact sound as Jessica, but we can all relate to the sensation she was experiencing. It has a more earthy flavor.
Also, you must try to play this Memoria quiz.
On the 26th of December, it will be available in New York.
For more personality quizzes check this: The Conversation Quiz.
