The plot twist in Eternal Sunshine looks to be the doing of Kirsten Dunst’s Mary after she found out that the mind-erasing procedure was done on her. Despite some comical moments, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a sad, surreal drama about two lost souls who find in each other nothing more than a temporary high.(Image credit: (Focus Features)) Why Joel And Clem Receive The Lacuna Tapes If the existentialists are to be believed, the couple’s relationship is a microcosm of life itself and the memories we make are all we really have. So maybe we shouldn’t marvel that the best Joel and Clem can hope to do is live in the moment and grab a little sunshine before it inevitably disappears over the horizon. They esteem Nietzsche and profane the name of Christ. Sadly, the minds behind Eternal Sunshine eschew absolutes and embrace relativism. The kind of love described in 1 Corinthians 13. The key is to understand our fallen nature and work to overcome it with God’s help. We are not slaves to a predestined future, but shape our tomorrows with the choices we make today. The Bible is clear that people can evolve. A notion Kaufman quashes: “I refuse to put a moral on it.”Īt an even deeper level, this sentimental, yet cynical film seems to question a person’s ability to change. It would imply that certain attitudes or lifestyles are better than others-or at least more functional. To suggest that individuals can improve themselves or their relationship for the purpose of life-long fidelity and true intimacy would be to impose a moral standard. So … then what? On to the next relational train wreck? That’s perfectly honorable as far as Kaufman and director Michel Gondry are concerned. They’re considered noble for their willingness to pursue whatever fun they can (including sex) before the whole thing goes down the toilet. In the closing moments, Joel and Clem seem resigned to the fact that their union is doomed. To actually commit for a lifetime.īut no, the existential worldview driving the film is more fatalistic and amoral than that. Imagine two disturbed people who boldly decide to redeem their second chance.
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It could’ve been the set-up for a great lesson about romantic pitfalls and how to build a healthy, lasting marriage. Furthermore, a bizarre twist gives them a glimpse of the hostile end their relationship will face if it plays out the way it did the first time. It gradually moves away from anger and relational fatigue toward the sweet, awkward idealism that landed these unstable people together in the first place. Scenes proceed to walk the audience through the romance in reverse, offering insight into how the couple arrived at that place. Unlike tales told chronologically, it actually begins at the point of greatest conflict-where Joel and Clem are fed up with each other and she’s ready to split. It’s a mind-bending journey written by Charlie Kaufman, best known for his work on other offbeat films such as Adaptation, Human Nature, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and Being John Malkovich.Įternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a fascinatingly unique love story. Mierzwiak and his assistants, Patrick, Stan and Mary.Įternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is basically a love story in reverse-a point subtly reinforced by portions of the soundtrack, which are musical scores played backwards. In a bizarre, dreamlike state, Joel relives highlights from his romance with “Clem” and tries to elude the surreal, memory-zapping efforts of Dr. He realizes that losing bittersweet memories is more painful than living with them. As the bad times slowly give way to earlier, more hopeful experiences, Joel decides he doesn’t want to let those memories go. Once sedated, he begins reliving the most recent, most volatile episodes from their relationship first. He wants Clementine excised from his mind. Joel is crushed and pursues the procedure himself. Mierzwiak, a brain surgeon able to isolate undesirable memories and eliminate them. Two years have passed and Clementine has lost patience with Joel, inspiring her to have portions of her memory erased by Dr. But before we see their relationship blossom, we learn that it’s already over. She also dwells in constant fear that she’s not living life to the fullest and encourages Joel to take risks. Then his lack of spontaneity meets its match in Clementine, a flaky, moody extrovert with a penchant for neon dye jobs. He can’t even make eye contact with women he doesn’t know. Joel Barish is a scruffy sad sack passively trudging through his mundane life.