At the start of the film we see a reverse of time giving the sense of a flashback (non-linear narrative) this flashback is not immediately perceptible and disrupts the continuity of the scene and also our sense of time is confused. we then see the protagonist in his motel room he has a sense of disorientation and seems not to know whats happening. This scenes also has a voice over from this character which is used as a stream of consciousness to give an insight into the psyche of the protagonist.
Our view of the main protagonist is manipulated within the opening scenes as we get an understanding of his achilles heel and flaw, this is his memory as he cannot develop new memories, he is made to seem vulnerable, heartless and dangerous.
Another highlighted convention of this psychological thriller is the character's dual identity. In one scene he is murdering a man and the next he has woken up in a motel room and doesn't seem to know what he's done. one side of him is vulnerable whilst the other could be potentially dangerous and unpredictable.
The narrator is also unreliable because of his state of mind and unstable psyche. Because of this the viewer is invited to identify with him and his character.
The string based soundtrack at the beginning and throughout the opening creates the theme of suspense and adds to the tension already starting to unfold. the use of the long notes contrasts with what is actually happening. This feeling of tension is emphasised with the uncertainty in the narrative.
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