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| Source: IMDb |
“How happy is the blameless vestal's lot! The world forgetting, by the world, forgot. Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind! Each prayer accepted, and each wish resign'd.”
The above quote is taken from a poem by Alexander Pope. It might be hard to understand without context but he is essentially saying that ignorance is bliss when he says “eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!”. True bliss, which is equal to a ray of eternal sunshine, is experienced by a spotless mind, that does not dwell on anything.
Such a person will be detached from any connections or feelings. But then, the question arises if such ignorance is really bliss or a curse. ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ is a movie that revolves around this very idea.
Introduction
Movie’s Name - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Directed by - Michel Gondry
Genre - Drama, Romance, Sci-fi
Cast - Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Mark Ruffalo, Kirsten Dunst, Elijah Wood, Tom Wilkinson
Released Date - March 19, 2004
Running Time - 1hr 48min
Plot Synopsis - Spoiler Alert!
After their fight, Joel Barish (Jim Carrey) finds out that his girlfriend Clementine Joel Barish discovers that his girlfriend Clementine Kruczynski (Kate Winslet) has had all her memories involving Joel erased by a New City company called Lacuna. Left heartbroken, he then decides to go through the same procedure and have her deleted from his memories too.
To prepare for the procedure, he records a tape, recollecting and reliving his memories of his time together with Clementine. While Joel sleeps in his home, Lacuna staff work on his brain for him to wake up with no memory of the treatment. The procedure works backward in time, so starting with their last fight, Joel relives his memories of his love as they are wiped.
He realizes that he doesn’t want to forget her when he recalls the earlier, happier memories. Finally, he recalls the first day he met Clementine on a beach in Montauk. And with that, the procedure is completed. He wakes up with no memory of Clementine. In the spur of the moment, almost instinctively, he goes to Montauk and runs into Clementine on his way back.
Even after having no memory of each other, they fall in love again. After they receive the recordings they made and even after seeing the bitter memories, they decide to still be together and try again.
Movie Review
Telling the story in reverse isn't anything new. It's been done numerous times and mostly, it's done to hide some major plot points from the audience which, in the end, are unraveled and act as an element of surprise. But that's hardly the case with ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’. Here, we know how the story ends, there isn't a plot twist that’s gonna happen.
In this movie, it's the unraveling of the forgotten feelings that come with recalling past memories rather than some buried truths. Even though those memories might be faded, the feeling, the emotions they carry still remain fresh. What we see are nostalgic, faded, and regretful snippets of Joel and Clementine’s love that have run its course.
Though the story is quite simple, the way it's constructed, with all the different stories in different time frames, makes you lose touch with reality because you don't know anymore if what you're seeing is Joel’s memory, fantasy, or reality. It makes you feel the tension and almost forces you to be completely engrossed in it, thanks to the amazing storyline and direction.
Above all, Jim Carrey’s acting is worth praising. His serious and outstanding performance in the movie is a huge slap in the faces that say he is only capable of comedic acting. The way he plays the role of Joel, it makes you believe him from beginning to end. You never for once think of the Jim in ‘The Mask’. It's only and only Joel Barish.
The costume department of the movie also contributes a lot by showcasing a character’s personality through their get-up. Clementine’s impulsiveness and manic extrovert self are depicted through her brightly colored hair and Joel’s introverted self who doesn’t want to be noticed hides behind baggy clothing. The shift in how these characters dress serves as a guide across the film's cyclical time frame.
The sequence of events can seem very confusing and all jumbled up at first. But if you look carefully, you can make out the approximate timeline based on the characters’ looks. The biggest example of this is Clementine’s changing hair color that represents each phase of their relationship.
The Bottom Line
When relationships go sour, Dr. Howard's (Tom Wilkinson) technique allows patients a way out, erasing their bad memories. Rather than seeking closure, the patients are given a short fix for their feelings, completely forgetting about them and the person who inflicted them.
The procedure's detrimental repercussions are gradually revealed, and the audience understands why memory is so important: without it, people are more likely to perpetuate past mistakes. Avoiding confrontation with their problems and simply forgetting what they are responsible for, leaves these people with zero chance of growth. It poses the question- Is ignorance really bliss?
IMDb rating - 8.3 on 10
Written By - Sanjana Chaudhary
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