Arts Explorer # 5: Watch an 'art film'

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 

The movie I chose to watch for this week's Arts Explorer is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. This movie struck an emotional cord in me. First, let me give you a quick background about the movie without giving too much away. The movie begins with Joel Barish (Jim Carey) and Clementine Kruczynski (Kate Winslet) striking up a conversation on a train in Long Island. Although they appear to have completely opposite personalities (Joel seems apathetic and shy, while Clementine seems to be  lively and boisterous) they seem to be drawn to each other. What the audience doesn't know, and what is later revealed as the story unfolds is that both Joel and Clementine were actually lovers for two years prior to that fateful train ride. The reason why they seem like they're meeting each other for the first time is because Clementine decides to get rid of all her memories of Joel, and once Joel found out about this, he followed suit. As Joel gets his memory erased, he realizes that he still loves her, and tries to hide the memory of her deep into the depths of his memory. 

Not only is the plot complex and makes you think, but the movie is shot beautifully, and truly takes you on a journey into the mind and dreams of Joel (since the procedure of erasing memories is done while the person is asleep).  Schirrmacher and Fox (2009) described surrealism as the attempt to create a dreamlike world that is magical and more exciting and fantastical that reality. This includes dreams, the subconscious and images that may seem realistic or abstract. Since the movie isn't shot chronologically, it provides an interesting and surprising ending that ties the whole movie together, and provides an exciting twist. Also, because the majority of the movie revolves around Joel's dreams, the audience constantly questions the significance of some of the scenes, and what it means. By doing this, the director is able to add in freakish, bizarre, abstract, and distorted images such as warped faces, crumbling walls, and a sudden change of location, all of which provides an exciting, but scary experience. However, the intentions of these images isn't to just scare the audience, but it is significant in that it lets them know that they are entering his dreams, and in dreams, nothing is impossible. And I also admire movies that make you think, and isn't just feeding you with predictable plots and lines. This movie kept me on my toes the whole time. Every scene and line made me question its significance, and like a puzzle, I had to put the pieces together. 

This movie made me think about the possibility of actually being able to erase a certain memory, and I questioned myself whether or not I would ever do such a thing, and the answer is no. I think that despite how painful my past experiences were, that I wouldn't be the person I am today if I didn't have to go through them. These painful episodes are what makes you stronger, and makes you learn. I think that humans have the capacity to be resilient, and this depends on how they choose to deal with those experiences. If we don't face them and pretend like it never happened, then we're essentially pretending like it never happened, and it may manifest itself in more painful ways such as intense reactions to certain situations that remind us of those episodes. I think that we learn from our past relationships and experiences, and this is what allows us to grow and figure out what it is we want in our next one. 
I discussed this film with others who have watched it, and they were also very emotional throughout the film. They agreed that they would never want their memories taken away because they wouldn't be the person they are today. Also, they thought that it was beautifully made, and were scared in some scenes. 


Reference 
Schirrmacher, R., & Fox, J. E. (2009). Art & Creative Development for Young Children. Clifton  Park, NY: Thomson Delmar Learning.