The possibilities for non-linear storytelling that DVD technology provides are obvious, but until now these have been squandered on the decidedly plot-free travails of porn actors. No longer. Two of the best recent movies are in fact better suited for DVD than for the mass sequential viewing provided by a cinema screening.

Timecode, directed by Mike Figgis (Leaving Las Vegas), has just been released on DVD. The film consists of four cameras rolling without a single cut for 97 minutes, filming a troupe of actors as they interact within a loosely defined plot. All four views are synchronized and shown simultaneously on the screen. The sound, meanwhile, is gleaned from whichever camera happens to be documenting the most interesting action. In the cinema, this “director’s cut” sound edit is what everybody hears. On the DVD, all four sound streams are available, and they are accessible at the push of a button.

The result is a much fuller understanding of the plot—there are entire conversations now exposed that were previously silent. Switching sound from camera to camera is addictive, and it entices the viewer to replay scenes from different perspectives. But the lasting impression is one of appreciation for the virtuosity of the actors, who all stay in character for the duration of film, which really only took 97 minutes to shoot.

Of course, Timecode is a lot more than a bunch of actors and a few cameramen getting together for an afternoon. The version we see is in fact the 15th one shot. The DVD also includes, in its entirety, the first shoot, where the plot and characters develop completely differently.

Another film where seeing it on DVD will make all the difference is Memento. If you haven’t seen it already, do not read this Salon exposé of this murder mystery’s labyrinthine narrative structure. It suffices to know that Leonard, the main protagonist (Guy Pierce) suffers from the inability to make new memories, allowing the director (Christopher Nolan) to run the plot backwards in 5-minute increments as a means of simulating that effect for the audience. (Of course, it’s much more complicated than that).

When the DVD version is out (on September 4, 2001 in the US), we’ll finally be able to unscramble the scenes, piece them together in chronological order, and see the film the “traditional” way. This would be thankless and boring on video, but will only take the push of a button on my DVD. With a film as good as Memento, each version will validate the other.