Imagine you are given the chance to forget about someone entirely. You have the possibility to wipe someone who has caused you so much pain from your mind-–be it an ex-husband, an old lover, or even a deceased pet. You gather all the things that would remind you of this person-–all the pictures, gifts, and memories you’ve built with them-– and give them to a firm known as Lacuna, Inc. The doctors there hook you up to a machine that displays a map of your brain, and when placing each object you’ve given them in front of you, your mind shows spots of activity where you have memories of that person. When they put you to sleep, you relive each memory with the person you’re trying to forget as the doctors do their best to erase them. The team of professionals will then clear their equipment when finished, and allow you to wake up thinking it’s just another day. You have no recollection of having the procedure done, and furthermore, no thoughts of whom you had erased. The movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind sends you on a thrilling journey shared by two lovers who don’t know what they have until it is gone. Though this film would never be considered realistic, it’s still a must-see for anyone who enjoys a movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
A sufficient amount of events in the film, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, can easily be recognized as being of an improbable nature. Only people with open minds should view it, or else they’ll be shaking their heads and shouting, “this would never happen!” They wouldn’t be wrong in believing so, for a movie that takes place inside a man’s mind is one that is bound to have a few far-fetched scenes. The procedure used in this film is known as Targeted Memory Erasure, and it described as “a form of brain damage,” or in other words, a night-out of heavy drinking. It is completely fictional – much to many sci-fi fanatics displeasure. As Joel re-experiences all of his moments with Clementine, he begins to realize why he was so in love with her. Gone are the feelings of resentment; the feelings of wanting to erase every thought of her. He attempts to drag the Clementine from each of his memories deeper into his thoughts – further into older memories of when he was an infant, where hopefully the doctors will be unable to find her. Then, maybe, he’d be able to wake up and have one subconscious idea of who she was. Not one second of this film could be taken literally, but I believe that’s one of the factors that make it so exceptionally fascinating to watch.
Though the events may not be realistic, the characters and the changes they go through definitely are. At the beginning of the story, Joel is emotionally detached from the world – incapable of being happy due to his messy break-up with Clementine. He regrets ever pursuing a relationship with this woman, even going as far as stating, “What a loss to spend that much time with someone, only to find out that she’s a stranger” (Gondry). After spending such a lengthy time with her, he feels that’s it’s all meaningless now that she doesn’t even recognize him. Why should he live the rest of his life grieving over the loss of her, when he’ll never so much as cross Clementine’s mind? He’s so blinded by his vindictive thoughts, that he doesn’t even ponder the idea that he may regret losing all the memories of the love they shared together. Throughout the procedure, he realizes the choice he’s made is an incredible mistake. I believe his character, as a boyfriend, matures a great deal as the movie progresses.
Because most of the story’s setting is placed in the mind of Joel Barish, it should come as no surprise that they would be considered nonsensical. Most scenes are reflective on how the human brain remembers things – up close and personal, and in short snippets of things that Joel saw, felt, or heard while in the presence of Clementine. However, because they’re being erased as he re-experiences them, the imaginative world he’s stuck in begins to fall apart. Cars fall from the sky, books disappear from shelves, and Joel will pace back and forth on the same street – unaware of which direction he’s heading. Often times the people that surround him are face-less, for he can’t remember their faces. He can hear the people speaking around his sleeping body as they’re performing the procedure, though he finds that attempting to call out and get them to stop is a lost cause, for they cannot hear him. Indeed, the setting can prove to be more than a little bit confusing at times, but in the end, everything manages to piece together. And it is then that you can look back and admire the lovely puzzle that is this well-constructed film.
I never thought myself to be a big fan of the far-fetched sci-fi genre, but after watching Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, I realized that it would have to be an exception to that opinion of mine. Even though it’s almost entirely fictional, it captures real-life aspects of what actual love is – abrupt, messy, and completely taken for granted.
