Themes in “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”: Memory, Love, and Imperfection

Introduction to "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a science fiction romantic comedy film directed by Michel Gondry and written by Charlie Kaufman. The title of the film is a quotation from the 1717 poem Eloisa to Abelard by Alexander Pope. The cast includes Jim Carrey, Kirsten Dunst, Kate Winslet and Tom Wilkinson. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind it’s a film about love and how imperfect relationships are. It is also about memories and how “ignorance it’s bliss” isn’t always true specially when it comes to erasing someone from your memory.

The Imperfect Nature of Love and Relationships

The film starts with Joel and Clementine meeting for a second time without knowing it. Joel and Clementine meet each other for the first time at a friend’s party. They automatically feel attracted at each other even though they seem to be the opposite from one another. They start a great relationship with each other but after some time it becomes a very monotonous relationship, then it becomes very toxic. Clementine and Joel end up breaking up and Clementine chooses to erase Joel from her memory through a medical procedure.

After Joel finds out Clementine no longer knows who he is, he decides to go through the same procedure and erases Clementine from his memory. During this procedure Joel has to relive every memory with Clementine, from the most recent one to the very first one which means he has to relive all the bad moments, but also all the great ones. While Clementine is being erased from his memory, Joel remembers all the reasons why he felt in love with her, and he regrets getting her erased and wants to stop the procedure but unfortunately it’s too late. Joel and Clemetine both feel the urge to meet at Montauk, the place where they first met, and see each other again “for the first time”, neither one of them remembers each other but the strong connection is still there.

One of the most important things this film is about is love. This film portrays love in a very realistic way, and it shows how imperfect love is because of how imperfect we, and our relationships are. The film shows us that every relationship in some way it’s imperfect. The audience can see this by noticing how every relationship in the film is an incomplete or unhappy one. The film mostly tells us about how love is messy and challenging and how it’s most likely going to end in a dramatic way but it also say’s that that’s the way is meant to be.

Themes of Memory and Personal Identity

Most people who have experienced a painful breakup or even just fights with someone they love can relate to Joel and Clementine and that’s what makes the movie so great. Another important theme in this movie it’s how memories shape who we are. Both Joel and Clementine think it’s easier to get each other erased of their minds, than to deal with the pain their breakup is causing however, when Joel is going through the procedure he suffers even more by realizing that Clementine will no longer be part of him not even in his memories. This is somehow the film’s way of making you ask yourself, if you could, would you erase someone of your memories? And if so, it shows you how memories bad or good have a big influence in who you are as a person even if they’re just on your head.

Artistic Elements and Emotional Depth

There’s something very nostalgic about this film, from the music, to the color schemes used on screen, to the cold weather. One of the saddest yet most beautiful things about this film is Jim Carrey’s performance as Joel Barish. Jim Carrey was chosen for this role because of his regular appearance and is comedic ability. Acording to Gondry “It’s hard to be funny. It’s far easier to take someone really funny and bring them down than do the opposite.” One year before the shooting began for the film, Carrey had a breakup with an unknown woman, Gondry saw that Carrey’s emotional state was so beautiful and broken at the time, that he asked him to stay that way for one year to fit the character.

One of the most touching scenes is where Joel is having a mental breakdown in his car and he cries and says “It’s all falling apart” even though Carrey doesn’t say much in this part, we can perceive how much he’s suffering due to how well he acts as someone who’s heartbroken. Color plays a huge part in setting the mood in this film. The best memories are showcased with a warm color pallet with mostly oranges and red, while the worst moments are blue, cold and even blurry sometimes. Color influences the mood in the film so much to the point that it’s even portrayed in Clementine’s hair. When their relationship it’s at its best her color it’s red and vibrant and towards the end of their relationship her hair is blue and opaque, to be precise the color is called “blue ruin” and that pretty much says everything.

The Lasting Impact of the Film

Overall, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is one of the best movies of the 21st century, and it also my all time favorite one. Not only it’s this movie great artistically but it’s also very touching and relatable. Even though it’s a science fiction film, it’s one of the most realistic ones when it comes to portraying love and relationships. Not only it is great at portraying relationships’ greatest moments but also the lowest hardest ones as well.

This movie will remind you of your worse breakup but also all the reasons why you ever fell in love in the first place, not only will it make you cry but it will also bring you hope that if you’re meant to be with someone not even erasing them from your mind can keep you apart. This film tells us that love is always worth experiencing even if it’s not meant to last. The films also tells us that even when there are challenges and setbacks, we should love regardless and learn from the experiences that comes with losing a loved one. 

Reference

1. Gondry, M. (Director), & Kaufman, C. (Writer). (2004). Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. United States: Anonymous Content.

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