peter_c wrote:If what happened to Sammy actually happened to Leonard, and it was Leonard who gave his wife the insulin overdose, how does he remember giving her the shots?
I guess there's no real evidence that Lenny remembered that his wife was diabetic and that he gave her the shots. You could interpret it either way because this information came from Teddy (who's not a reliable source). Teddy is the one who tells him that and Lenny could be picturing this in his mind, or remembering it.
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TEDDY
You tell everyone about Sammy. Everyone who'll listen.
"Remember Sammy Jankis, remember Sammy Jankis". Great story. Gets better every time you tell it.
So you lie to yourself to be happy. Nothing wrong with that - we all do. Who cares if there's a few little things you'd rather not remember?
LEONARD
What the fuck are you talking about?
TEDDY
I dunno... your wife surviving the assault... her not believing about your condition... the doubt tearing her up inside... the insulin...
LEONARD
That's Sammy, not me! I told you about Sammy...
TEDDY
Like you've told yourself. Over and over.
Conditioning yourself to believe. "learning through repetition"
LEONARD
Sammy let his wife kill herself! Sammy ended up in an institution!
TEDDY
Sammy was a con man. A faker.
LEONARD
I never said he was faking! I never said that!
TEDDY
You exposed him for what he was: a fraud.
LEONARD
I was wrong! That's the whole point! Sammy's wife came to me and...
TEDDY
Sammy didn't have a wife.
Leonard freezes, staring at Teddy.
TEDDY
It was your wife who had diabetes.
Leonard thinks.
(my observation: thinks his own thoughts or suggestion?)
INT. LEONARD'S APARTMENT - DAY
Leonard's Wife sitting on the edge of the bed. She feels a sharp pain, and turns to Leonard (just as we have seen before).
LEONARD'S WIFE
Gentle.
Leonard has a syringe in his hand.
INT. DERELICT BUILDING - DAY
Leonard shakes his head, clearing his head of the image.
(my observation: an image he remembered or pictured based on Teddy's lies?)
LEONARD
My wife wasn't diabetic.
TEDDY
Are you sure?
INT. LEONARD'S APARTMENT - DAY
Leonard's Wife on the edge of the bed. She feels a sharp pain, and turns to Leonard.
LEONARD'S WIFE
Gentle.
Leonard is playfully pinching her thigh.
INT. DERELICT BUILDING - DAY
Leonard shakes his head, smiling.
(my observation: he could be picturing this or remembering it.)
LEONARD
She wasn't diabetic. You think I don't know my own wife? What the fuck is wrong with you? *
TEDDY
I guess I can only make you believe the things you want to be true, huh? Like ol' Jimmy down there.
He couldn't have remembered because it was after his accident. And even if there was a faint chance he remembered the exact moment his wife died, he couldn't have remembered giving her the shots over and over again, because if that was the case, then he would've realized it was fatal and thus not done it.
Maybe that's another reason to assume that Teddy may be manipulating Lenny.
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TEDDY
Fuck you;
I gave you a reason to live and you were more than happy to help.
You lie to yourself! You don't want the truth, the truth is a fucking coward. So you make up your own truth.
So I guess is up to you to decide if Lenny was having flashes of memory or picturing a suggestion by Teddy. Remember that in the beginning of the quoted script, Teddy says to Lenny:
"So you lie to yourself to be happy. Nothing wrong with that - we all do. Who cares if there's a few little things you'd rather not remember?" and also
"I guess I can only make you believe the things you want to be true, huh? Like ol' Jimmy down there."
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And at the end, sitting in the car, Lenny thinks:
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LEONARD
Do I lie to myself to be happy?
Leonard looks up at Teddy's sedan and copies down the license number. The LICENSE NUMBER of Teddy's car is: SG13 7IU.
LEONARD
In your case, Teddy... yes, I will.
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So I guess it's really up to you.