Film is a visual medium that has the potential to show us things few other art forms can. Too often films are adapted from books and plays without giving us something new, something visual to hold on to that wasn’t there the first time. These films are simply interpretations of their source material, and while there is nothing inherently wrong with a simple interpretation, few filmmakers strive to do what director Michel Gondry and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman do in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Here is an original screenplay that could not be told in any other medium but film, and demands a visual presentation. There are scenes in Eternal Sunshine that almost defy a verbal description, but make instant sense visually. In its exploration of the human mind and memory, the film uses imagery to find an emotional truth outside the limitations of words on a page or actors on a stage.
The story involves a medical clinic that, for a price, erases painful memories of a loved one following a death or break-up. Clementine Kruczynski’s (Kate Winslet) once happy relationship with her boyfriend Joel Barish (Jim Carrey) has disintegrated into misery and self-loathing, and so she decides to erase the memory of him from her mind. Joel, after learning what his ex-girlfriend has done, decides to do the same and much of the film takes place within Joel’s mind during the procedure. We follow Joel as he wanders backwards through memories of Clementine and we learn the details of their relationship as the memories are erased one by one. Michel Gondry creates some mesmerizing sequences by using careful editing and subtle effects to create the appearance of Joel’s memories being erased before his eyes.
However, for all its visual trickery and nonlinear storytelling, the film’s message is surprisingly simple and direct. As mementos of Clementine vanish and the procedure steals Joel’s dearest memories away from him, Joel begins to regret his decision and comes to the understanding that not all of his memories are painful, and even the painful ones might be worth keeping. The science-fiction premise becomes a launching point to examine our relationships to those we love and our memories of them. There is also a sense of modesty to the production, and Gondry never uses a visual effect unless it advances the story or enhances the emotional themes.
Charlie Kaufman’s screenplay also avoids being showy simply for the sake of it. There are several layers to the film and not until the end do we understand how every piece fits together, but Kaufman wisely makes every scene enjoyable the first time around before revealing its relationship to the larger story. The dialogue, as expected from a Kaufman script, is sharp and frequently funny. Kaufman shows an understanding of the ways in which people interact with one another. Every relationship in the film is fully fleshed out and authentic. The script is also wonderfully layered with several deteriorating relationships shown throughout the film, and even a second memory erasure that plays a large role in the ending. Kaufman also understands the workings of the human mind. We do not store memories chronologically, but in clusters relating to a person or a feeling. Joel and Clementine’s relationship is not presented in big, meaningful moments, but rather is shown through a series of small, intimate memories, because these are the ones that tend to last. Kaufman takes the time to dramatize the aspects of our life that don’t often get treated in movies. Joel plays out conversations in his mind, creates a running commentary on his memories, and revisits past events. Kaufman’s attention to these aspects of our lives is what allows us to connect with Eternal Sunshine on a personal level.
Eternal Sunshine is a fascinating film to figure out, and multiple viewings are necessary to understand it all, but the film is ultimately an emotional experience. Gondry’s visual imagination allows Kaufman to enter the human mind and show us, with astounding insight, how our memories process love and life.
- Steve Avigliano, 2/3/10
This would be in my top 10 too. Then again, I adore Kate and tend to like whatever she's in (as long as she's not costarring with Cameron Diaz). I was upset when she lost the Oscar for her role as Clementine (and even more so for Little Children, where I think she does some of the best acting of her career), but at least she finally got one for The Reader!
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