Review of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) by Spangle — 11 Apr 2015

An incredible blend of romance, comedy, science fiction, and drama, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is an incredible film. Director and writer Charlie Kaufman continues to prove why he is one of the most talented people in Hollywood with this one as the direction and writing are both perfect. The entire cast is great, but especially Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, and Kirsten Dunst. The cinematography and limited special effects here are also pitch perfect. A meditation on love and memory, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a film that sees a man learn he can erase the memory of a girl from his past and forget they ever had anything and after learning she has done the same to him, he opts to go for it, but quickly discovers that he does not want to go through it.

*spoilers*.

Overall, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind argues that it is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all. Though love hurts and the end of it can leave you broken, the good memories and even the bad ones are part of who you are and, as such, are invaluable. If they just did not happen, you would lose a major piece of yourself. The nonlinear narrative of the story also poses an interesting question on the repeating nature of love and history as a whole. If we are unaware of it, we are doomed to repeat it. Finally, the film argues that though love may hurt and leave us with sad memories and "scars", it is ultimately worth it it, because of the good they can cause.

*end spoilers*.

As a whole, those reasons and more are what make Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind such a fantastic film and one that is sure to touch you in some way.