lucis

If you’ve ever had a dream in which you’re painfully aware of having lost something, or someone, but you have no idea what or who has slipped away from you — a dream in which an absence is a presence, a cookie-cutter-shaped hole moving like a ghost in the space around you — you’ll understand “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” intuitively. You may also find it devastating. - Salon review

Imagine it were possible to have a bad memory erased from your mind. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind discusses some of the serious philosophical questions associated with memory erasure. It also tells an old and beaten-to-death story in a very new, different and compelling fashion.

Joel Barish discovers that his long time girlfriend no longer even recognises him. It turns out that she underwent a surgery at Lacuna Inc. to have all memories of him erased. Simply to take revenge, Joel decides to undergo the same surgery himself! Most of the movie takes place inside his head. We see his memories as they get erased one by one. Somewhere along the line, Joel feels that he no longer wants to go on with the surgery, but there is little he can do about it…

In the dream sequences that Joel has while his memory is being erased, events happen in reverse chronological order (similar to Memento). At other places, particularly in the begining and the end, the order of occurance is left somewhat vague on purpose (see spoiler below for my interpretation). The acting is exceptionally good, music is nice, direction great, screenplay awesome. What more can you ask for in a movie? Well, an intelligent audience to appreciate all this!

As with other Charlie Kaufman movies like Being John Malkovich and Adaptation, it felt like something was wrong in the movie. I dont quite know what it was. I think its the fact that these movies are actually quite disturbing, but are told in a manner that covers up for that. So you end up neither too happy, nor at complete ease. The movies suggest deeper philosophical issues, under a thin veil of humor. But this is not all. There is something else that makes his style very original and unnerving - which is really great! All the three movies are strongly recommended.

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. - Alexander Pope

Click below for some theories about the ending (MAJOR SPOILERS inside)

SPOILER - You’ve been warned!

Joel and his girlfriend end up getting back together in the end, even though they have lost all previous memories. Maybe the erasure is not perfect…

But what is more interesting is this. The original script goes way beyond and suggests that this is a cycle that keeps repeating! They keep erasing their memories over and over again for about 30 years! The ending in the movie kind of suggests this, but it is kept intentionally vague.

There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable.

There is another theory which states that this has already happened. - Douglas Adams

There are many other subtelties being discussed at the imdb boards for the movie. Things like why Mary “hates” Patrick, and other bits of useless trivia…