Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
A good movie is one that
stays with you long after you watch it. Whether it’s the engaging characters, the
inventive plot, the remarkable directing and production, or some combination
of the three, all great movies have things that make them great. In Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, director
Michel Gondry successfully incorporates all three, in a mind-bending tale of
love, loss, and beginning anew, making this 2004 film a prime example of cinematic
excellence.
The
film follows the lives of Joel Barish and Clementine Kruczynski as they attempt
to erase each other from their lives, only to learn that letting go is not so
easy. ““Blessed
are the forgetful,” the quote goes1, “for they get the better even
of their blunders.” However, as Joel and Clementine soon learn, ignorance is
not always bliss. As he undergoes the process of erasing her from his memory, Joel struggles
in vain to break away, to hold onto some memory of the woman he used to and
might still love. The movie takes you backwards through their life together,
deconstructing it backwards as Joel relives and forgets each moment in turn.
It
is in this deconstruction that the art of directing, editing, and presentation
comes into play. Joel’s world is literally coming apart around him, each memory
segueing into the next. Nearly all of these scenes were filmed using nothing
more than lighting effects and camera tricks2, and it’s amazing how
well they are done. One especially memorable scene is the climax of the film,
where the beach house Joel is in begins to fall to pieces around him. The house
silently deconstructs and the ocean rushes up to meet it, tying the symbolism
of the film--the idea of two things, two people, coexisting together despite the constant push and pull of one on the other--back in on itself. While the effects are not perfect, it creates a
beautiful juxtaposition of man-made structures and the sea, and of memories
forgotten and held on to. The ability to create this sort of depth and meaning
behind a scene that also manages to be aesthetically beautiful is a certain
sign of a talented director and a top-notch film.
Of
course, these scenes would be meaningless without the multilayered plot, the
complex and inventive yet somehow relatable drive behind the film. Eternal Sunshine twists time as it
delves into Joel’s past, present, and future, tying everything back to Clementine.
It is similar to the movie Inception
in that it makes you think, while at the same time pulling you into the world
so much so that you almost forget it’s a movie. It’s a drama that certainly has a few
funny moments, but as a whole relies on emotion. It explores the concept of
losing someone who isn’t really gone, and toys with the idea that we can never
remove someone from our lives completely. While some might complain that the
movie doesn’t exactly end on a happy note, one could also say that that is one
of the greatest things about it: it’s real, it’s sincere, and it’s up front
about the problems the characters are facing instead of skirting around them to
bring the audience a cliche happy ending.
Despite
the beautifully done bittersweet feel of the conclusion, one can’t help but
want a happy ending for these characters. Another reviewer3 actually
put it best when they said that “these two character stop being characters and
start becoming human beings.” They’re real people with real flaws and problems,
not idolized caricatures that seem to be becoming all too prevalent in movies.
The viewer knows that Clementine talks too much, that Joel doesn’t talk enough,
that Joel is too reserved while Clementine sometimes seems to have too little
regard for safety or tact. They seem so real, you feel like you might know
them, like you wouldn’t be surprised if you saw them walking down the street
one day. Even though the film lasts less than two hours, by the end of it the
viewer feels as if they know Joel and Clementine, and wants them to be happy.
Eternal Sunshine isn’t for every
moviegoer—the plot does take quite a bit of focus to understand, and the
surreal style might not be to everyone’s taste. But for those who enjoy a
riveting story that plays with the ideas of love and loss, and asks questions
that you can never really answer—Would you erase someone, if you could?—Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is
certainly a must-see film.
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