What is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind really about?
Everyone who has watched “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” is divided into two parts. The first and most part speaks of the film enthusiastically, the second – much less – shrugs. Meanwhile, there is reason to assert that both categories of viewers did not fully understand Michel Gondry’s film, because while some see it as a delightful romantic story, others see it as a boring and somewhat secondary romantic story. But is Eternal Sunshine really a somewhat convoluted tale of love between two opposites?
What is the movie about?
In the plot of “Eternal Lights …” two themes are closely intertwined: love and memory. Making Joel and Clementine fall in love first, then quarrel, then decide to erase each other from their memory, and then meet and fall in love again, the filmmakers prove: if people are made for each other, they will still be together. The originality of this, in general, a simple story is given by the appeal of the heroes to “Lacuna” – a small company engaged in erasing memory. If everything went smoothly with Clementine among the company’s employees, then Joel turns out to be a difficult client, and only the intervention of Dr. Merzviyak makes it possible to bring the memory erasing procedure to the end. Well-established technology fails when a person internally resists manipulations with his consciousness, and love still remains to live somewhere deep in the subconscious.
But what then is love, and, more broadly, our life, if, on the one hand, memory can be corrected, and on the other, what is happening in consciousness can be perceived as reality? How not to get lost in the chaos of emotions, the conflict between the conscious and the subconscious, how to understand what you need? After watching the film, the answer suggests itself: leave the past alone and live in the here and now. Among the quotes cited by Mary, Leo Tolstoy’s thought is clearly missing: nothing is important except what you are doing at the moment. And that is what life and love are.
Thus, “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” is a film not only about the nature of love, but also about the nature of life. Any reflections, digging into oneself, even without any fantastic technologies, are incompatible with this nature, and vice versa: the one who knows how to perceive life as a miracle that you create anew every day will get a chance to become happy.
What is the meaning of the name?
Explaining the title of the film, they usually indicate that this is a quote from the poem of the famous English poet A. Pope “Eloise Abelaru” (1717), and that in the original language it sounds like “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”. In the film, Mary recalls the quatrain, which contains this line “How happy are the brides of Christ’s retinue …”, but in order to fully understand what is behind the title, you need to recall the plot of the poem.
Pope’s heroes are real historical characters, passionate lovers with a tragic fate. According to critics, the poet surpassed himself in this poem, conveying the grief of Eloise, forcibly separated from her husband and yearning for him in the monastery. The meaning of the poem is that true love cannot be forgotten, even if you renounce worldly life.
What does Mary, who knows world culture from collections of aphorisms, do? She takes a quote from a poem about the power of love to prove that loveless (and brainwashed) is much better. What is called: I heard a ringing, but does not know where he is. Thus, the title of the film contains irony, it cannot be taken literally: a pure mind does not shine, and it is not very joyful to live with brainwashed.
Why do the credits appear only in the 18th minute of the film?
The film begins unusually: with a scene of the alleged first acquaintance of the main characters, and only 17 minutes later the viewer is reminded that he is watching the film. A similar technique is associated with the main idea of the film (what is important is what is happening now, the credits will wait), and with its chronotope: in order to better show the feelings of the characters and what is happening to them, the action is constantly transferred to different time layers right up to Joel’s distant childhood.
Why were Joel and Clementine so attracted to each other?
The filmmakers went to great lengths to highlight the dissimilarity of the characters: Joel is sluggish, Clementine is active; Joel sticks to rules, Clementine loves to break them; Joel is gray, nondescript, Clementine is bright, memorable, etc. We can say that the heroes are complete opposites of each other, and that is why they cannot part in any way: even having “forgotten” everything, they are doomed to meet and a new round of relations.
But at the same time, opposites always have more in common than they think. Not only Joel, but also Clementine lives a completely ordinary life without grandiose events, she is the same cog in a huge world, like him. They belong to the same social stratum and generation, not to mention that all people: bright and gray, conformists and informals alike need love.
What is the meaning of Mary’s line?
The lover of aphorisms Mary Steve is the most interesting minor character, whose character is also shown in development. First, we see a banal blonde secretary, from whom there seems to be nothing to expect, except for formulaic phrases. Then it turns out that Mary is a very hot little thing, ready not only for an office romance, but also for sex in the presence of a sleeping client. But the viewer does not have time to get used to this hypostasis, as it turns out that behind the image of a relaxed blonde lies the drama of a woman who has fallen in love with a man who does not hesitate to delve into her mind. And in the final part of the film, Mary turns out to be capable of a bold and decisive act, sending cassettes with their confessions to the former clients of “Lacuna”.
Mary is living proof that no manipulations with human consciousness go unpunished: they end equally sadly for those who are being manipulated and for those who are being manipulated. At the same time, her repeated, so to speak, falling in love with Dr. Merzviyak once again confirms: opposites attract, and as long as these opposites are nearby, they will be attracted again and again.
Why does Clementine have multi-colored hair?
Many fans (and even more so) of Kate Winslet’s fans were disappointed with the exotic colors of her hair in the film – green, red and blue. Not only do such shades do not suit the actress: in the frames with blue hair, overgrown roots are also striking. And although Kate Winslet’s face – despite the nightmare on her head – still remains attractive, a logical question arises: why was this nightmare needed?
The simplest and most logical answer: the unusual color of the hair emphasizes the unusual personality of Clementine, her rebellious spirit and disregard for the rules. But another explanation is possible, according to which each hair color has its own meaning: green – hope, red – emotions, aggression, blue – stability, turning into a routine.
What happened next with Joel and Clementine?
The ending of the film can be called open: we know that the characters stayed together, but for how long? Did they manage to learn from everything that happened, or did they quarrel again? Oddly enough, it doesn’t matter. They were happy while they were together – and this is the main thing.
“You know, Joel, the magic goes away.
– I know.
– What we are going to do?
– Enjoy the moment.
