The Eternal Sunshine
November 22, 2024
Writer: Violeta Neuman
Editor: Liv Bennis
Imagine a world where you could forget every heartbreak, mend every scar, and erase every painful memory with a simple procedure. In this world, you’re in a constant state of pure bliss. No sleepless nights, no overthinking, no replaying conversations, no regrets; just peace. Your mind would be completely spotless, soaring you through a life of eternal sunshine. One simple procedure, taking a little over an hour, could erase an entire person or memory from your mind. Would you undergo the procedure? Would you erase the pain?
I have watched the movie more than I can count: The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I have become so obsessed with dissecting every single part of this movie, and have probably made all my friends watch it. The movie follows the relationship of two characters, Joel and Clementine, who are ultimately wrong for each other. Joel is standoffish and awkward, and Clementine is a freethinker, always changing hair colors. This results in a painful breakup. They both undergo a procedure, erasing each other from their memories, having to relive each one during– from the drunken fights to the warm mornings. The film follows Joel’s brain during his procedure as he realizes he still loves her and is fighting against the memory-erasing. He tries to hide Clementine in other memories to keep her safe from the machine zapping his brain, but she comes and goes. Eventually, despite his efforts, she finally completely fades.
I’ve watched many idealistic romantic movies in my life, and this film made me understand love like never before. I admire the depth and transparent display of their relationship. It feels realistic; Joel and Clementine define the dysfunctionality and vulnerability that stem from all of us in relationships. There are several points in my life after the end of relationships where I wish I could erase every single thing that brought me pain. Sometimes the end hurts so bad you wish the relationship never existed in the first place, saving yourself years of pain.
Unfortunately, this is unattainable. You can try to forget as much as you want, deleting pictures, finding replacements, and dangerously coping. But at the end of the day, can you ever fully erase the people that shape you? At the end of the movie, Joel and Clementine find each other again, locking eyes with familiar uncertainty. If I had erased chapters of my life, I would have lost more than the heartache—I would have lost the lessons that heartache taught me.
Our memories are the epitome of who we are. They are the ornaments that decorate our minds, decorate our lives. Love and pain are inseparable. To deeply love is to open yourself to the possibility of hurt. Without pain, love would be shallow, your innermost self would be compromised. It's the vulnerability within that allows us to have these profound relationships. It took Joel and Clementine erasing each other to understand that eternal sunshine is unattainable and that living an ignorant life without painful memories is senseless. Ignorance is the easy way out, the spots in your mind are what make you who you are. If you try to erase pain you are erasing a part of yourself. So use the painful memories to aid future relationships. They make us stronger, wiser, and more compassionate. Pain is a part of the human experience, do not be afraid to open yourself to it.
As the movie ends, Joel and Clementine stand in the snow and choose to give each other another chance, leaning into the risk, and embracing the imperfections. This showcases the beautiful complexity of love, as they both choose the full human experience, embracing love in all its painful depth. They found their eternal sunshine, and you can too. Find it in the memories, and appreciate your ability to remember, even if it stings. For it is those memories– the painful and beautiful- that make life worth living and loving.
Image: Meghan Rogala
