Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Michel Gondry, 2004, USA, Colour, 108 mins, Certificate: 15
If you erase the memories of a heartbreak will you be the same person? Will your spotless mind be sunnier?
How to fit this film into words? It is as indescribable yet as unforgettable as emotions are, lingering somewhere in the body – in the heart? in the soul? – even when the memories of the relationship(s) that caused them have all but faded away.
So I won’t try. I will only give you some facts as a compass…
“How happy is the blameless vestal’s lot! The world forgetting, by the world forgot. Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind! Each pray’r accepted, and each wish resign’d.” This quote from Alexander Pope poem Eloisa to Abelard (the story of which is performed with marionettes by the (anti)hero of writer Charlie Kaufman’s previous unorthodox masterpiece, Being John Malcovich) is where it takes its title from.
Although both Kaufman’s screenplay and Gondry’s visual consepts were closely followed, Gondry found ways (through extensive taped rehearsals, unplanned camera movements, impromptu shootings, welcoming spontaneous reactions, encouraging Kate Winslet ‘Go as big as you want! This is a comedy!’, while telling Jim Carrey ‘This is a drama, not a comedy.’) to allow space and freedom to his actors to improvise.
It scored 2 Oscar nominations (Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress in a Leading Role), wining 1 award (Original Screenplay for Charlie Kaufman, Michel Gondry and Pierre Bismuth), and 5 BAFTA noms (Best Picture, Screenplay, Editing, Actress and Actor in a Leading Role), wining 2 (Screenplay and Editing for Valdís Óskarsdóttir).
It was one of the best reviewed films of 2004 and was voted movie of the year by Empire Magazine.
Clementine’s different hair colours denote different stages of her relationship with Joel. The “real” Clem, outside of his memories has blue hair. Or is she?
Sort of Romantic Comedy’s and Science Fiction’s love child it is regularly included in various lists of best films ever, while its screenplay is number 24 on Writers Guild of America’s list of ‘Greatest Screenplays Ever Written.
This time next year it will be celebrating its 20th Anniversary.
… And invite you to come and find with us your way through Clem’s and Joel’s old, erased and new again memories of their, surprisingly, as real as it gets love story, and all the philosophical questions it raises.
Reviews:
“It is a film that demands the presence of thoughts we put aside when surrounded by people, things we only think about when we’re alone, buried in everlasting thoughts. “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” is the rarest of all films, a therapeutically liberating work of art.” Wael Khairy, RogerEbert.com
“The film is undeniably a fantasy. But the feelings that Eternal Sunshine evokes couldn’t feel more grounded in the real devastation of a lost love—or the blissful fatedness of a new one.” K. Austin Collins, Vanity Fair
“Eternal Sunshine is not particularly funny, or even very sunny, but it is Charlie Kaufman’s first whole screenplay, and as wonderful as it is weird. Some people may find the early going tough, but this remarkable movie is in possession of a serious mind and a rare, true heart.” William Thomas, Empire
““Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” is a whirlwind of emotions, and it is the kind of romance that is just grounded enough, in reality, to inspire and incite, but whimsical enough to deserve its own special place in the genre’s history.” Kristy Strouse, In Their Own League