Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Rating: R

Year: 2004

Actors: Jim Carry, Kate Winslet

In the event that you could, would you erase someone from your memory?

How would you feel once gone, (obviously unaware) but do you think you'd feel happy? Or would there always be a deep longing somewhere inside telling you that something was missing? What if you chose to get rid of the person but gained the knowledge that you were really better off remembering them? Would it mean you really loved them?

Spoilers

Apart from the odd camera angle or two, I found the concept of running around within your our mind intriguing. While we can in fact interact with ourselves, creating images for ourselves, people, places, faces, there are a few things are mind would never do to betray us. Joel (Jim Carry) changed the way he saw memories, they way he saw Clementine (Winslet) reacting, because he could, because he wanted to. And he knew her well enough that he knew how she would react.

The side story where Mary seemingly realizes she's undergone a procedure too, was crucial to the part where we shouldn't be without these memories. Yes, these memories cause us pain, unbelievable pain. But we deal with it, we have to. There is not procedure to erase someone from your mind, but when the concept is played with, is it even necessary. Granted, I'm slightly biased, but what we learn from losing someone tells us more about ourselves.

Losing a lover: the pain we feel can be terrible, terrifying, and leave a bad taste in our mouths for a very long time. But ultimately, we learn that perhaps there's something to fix, whether it be ourselves, the people around us, the choices we make... there's some message somewhere that we can take with us into the next 'go round.

Losing a family member/friend: someone we grew close to in our lives is no matter, one of the strongest bonds we can form. A mother, a son, a granddaughter, a friend. We chose to make these people mean something to us, they complete us in some way, or make us better. And when detached, they are ripped from the fragile tendrils that surrounded everyone. Debatably, this pain felt may be worse than that of losing a lover. But erasing someone from your mind would do you know good, the pain would be gone, sure... but so would every happy moment you ever spent with them.

Notable Quotes: "Too many guys think I'm a concept, or I complete them, or I'm gonna make them alive. But I'm just a fucked-up girl who's lookin' for my own peace of mind; don't assign me yours."
"Blessed are the forgetful, for they get the better even of their blunders." - Nietzsche. Beyond Good and Evil

"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." 

-Alexander Pope