Series Deconstructs ‘Memento’

In an era in which the most mundane creative efforts routinely receive breathless behind-the-scenes analysis, it’s a fresh jolt indeed when the format and material actually deserve each other. Tonight at 8:30 on the Sundance Channel, such a happy convergence unfolds in the engrossing “Anatomy of a Scene” series, dealing with “Memento.”

The tenaciously ambitious film starring Guy Pearce (“L.A. Confidential”) as a memory-impaired man searching for the truth behind his wife’s rape and murder is a kaleidoscopic nightmare of a work that begs for further examination.

The end-to-beginning structure of writer-director Christopher Nolan’s movie challenged audiences as well as Oscar-nominated editor Dody Dorn. What makes tonight’s episode work so well is the breezy eloquence with which Nolan, Dorn and other key players take us inside the production.

“It’s a tricky balance in the beginning of intriguing the audience and confusing the audience, and at the same time just giving them enough time to connect with the material,” says Nolan.

The program may be best for those who’ve already seen the film, but one hopes it will send the uninitiated scrambling to the video store.