So I happened across a great video on YouTube explaining the movie the way I’ve always seen it.

On the topic of NOT removing tattoos (I had originally written this to go after the 2nd paragraph but I reversed it, sort of like the movie Memento! Actually it just makes that opening “topic” weird, sorry) I think it’s interesting that the “Remember Sammy Jankis” tattoo is Leonard trying to “come clean” with himself. Basically saying “I’m a con man” like the REAL Sammy Jankis (according to Teddy, I know not the most reliable source but why would he lie about that he has nothing to gain from that). The fact that even Leonard trying to come clean is subverted (by Leonard himself) is interesting. Like, he does remember Sammy Jankis, he remembers that he’s a con/fraud/liar but instead he just “forgets” (again, just himself lying to himself). I’d like to comment more but watch the video if you’re interested.

 

Also on the same video, someone commented this (see below). And I think this comment adds to my views on the movie in that I always thought that Leonard with the “I have done it” tattoo was made in his pursuit of revenge and that’s actually what made his wife leave him (in addition to the insulin incident). But actually the comment makes more sense in that I THINK he has the other tattoos in that image meaning that he’s already being doing this revenge thing for a while (also it’s a lot harder to remove a tattoo). If you look into this comment it actually could mean that Leonard finally admits the truth to himself (happy ending!).