What is the technique called when series of events in a film are played in reverse order?

Question

For example, Memento (2000) is presented as two different sequences of scenes: a series in black-and-white that are shown chronologically, and a series of color sequences shown in reverse order.

Another example I can remember is Seinfeld's 9th season episode "The Betrayal".

Does this style have a name in movie jargon?

Nonlinear Storyline is a technique where events are portrayed out of chronological order, but not necessarily with reverse chronology. So yes, your hunch was correct. — Mehper C. Palavuzlar, May 16 '12 at 18:35

score 15 · Accepted Answer · answered May 15 '12 at 21:33

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Well, I've found out that term is Reverse Chronology. Wikipedia gives some nice details together with the examples of use in movies & TV.

Reverse chronology is a method of story-telling whereby the plot is revealed in reverse order.

In a story employing this technique, the first scene shown is actually the conclusion to the plot. Once that scene ends, the penultimate scene is shown, and so on, so that the final scene the viewer sees is the first chronologically.

Many stories employ flashback, showing prior events, but whereas the scene order of most conventional films is A-B-C-etc, a film in reverse chronology goes Z-Y-X-etc.

answered May 15 '12 at 21:33

Mehper C. Palavuzlar

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My hunch was correct after all. – Dredd May 15 '12 at 21:34
I was reading about The Betrayal and it leaded me to the Wikipedia link. – Mehper C. Palavuzlar May 15 '12 at 21:36
So would Pulp Fiction be "blender chronology"? – Kevin May 16 '12 at 18:15
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The correct term for Pulp Fiction is Nonlinear Storyline. – Mehper C. Palavuzlar May 16 '12 at 18:31
"See also Reverse chronology" It's on the Wikipedia page of Memento... – invalid_id Apr 02 '14 at 06:42

score 6 · Answer 2 · answered May 15 '12 at 21:33

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Well, "Reverse Chronology" sounds like a fitting term.

answered May 15 '12 at 21:33

VISQL

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What is the technique called when series of events in a film are played in reverse order?

2 Answers2