Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind!

It just occured to me that this is, indeed, a sci-fi movie.

And I loved it, a whole lot.

 

I really wanted to see this movie, but still haven't gotten around to it. The whole concept of being able to erase memories is fascinating and terrifying at the same time.

 

I liked the movie, but the way in which it was presented had me very confused for most of the beginning. I knew basic plot and theme before watching, but the timeline was so mucked up that I couldn't hold it all in my head until almost the very end. That being said, it's only a sci-fi film in the most peripheral sense. Yes the tech used is obviously science-fiction, but the movie is really a relationship/character study.

 

Hmm, I didn't find the timeline to be too confusing, but then again I don't mind watching the kind of movies that withhold information from the viewer for a very long time. I was content to sit back and wait to find out what the heck was going on, in fact I loved the aha moment when you realize that they're meeting for a second time.

As for only the tech being sci-fi... if you get right down to it Star Wars is a coming-of-age allegory, isn't it?

 

Yes the movie is really a character study, but the sci-fi is the film's major conceit, so it's certainly science fiction. Films that use science fiction as the kernel of their idea and build an identifiable story around that are always very interesting.

 

Yes, they show that no matter what kind of technology humans create, their desires and fears remain the same. Besides you can really see the doomed romance in the film as a metaphor, very often in life when you meet someone you know that it won't work out - but you go for it anyway.

 

That is EXACTLY what good science fiction is all about. Projecting our hopes and fears forward so that we can get a fresh perspective on them.

That's not really a metaphor then, since that's what actually happens.

I loved Eternal Sunshine. Interestingly enough, it seems to only work if you understand love. I went to see it on a date with a guy who had by his own admission never been in love, and while I thought it was brilliant, he didn't get it and didn't like it.

What it's really about is taking happiness where you find it. Maybe the relationship will only last a year, or less, but if you're happy during that time, it's worth it.

M. Scott

 

I think this film holds the record for the longest time a movie runs until the opening credits appear.

 

I loved this movie and found it incredibly touching and had a very emotional experience watching it. I do know that there are quite a few people who just don't like it for various reasons though, and I've had discussions about this movie with some of my friends who don't seem to "get" what it's about...

 

Perhaps the best example I think of sci-fi that perfectly captures the smaller (but nonetheless) essentially defining nuances of human interaction. Winslet and Carrey were both brilliant, perfectly bringing to life Kaufman?s strongest script to date. Within genre, few films match the quality of this one.

 

Dorkman: That's not really a metaphor then, since that's what actually happens True, yet irritating at the same time.

Judging by your post and hansen's, this may be the absolute perfect date movie.
Some kind of litmus test for a true understanding of love? Hmmmm. * seriously considers inviting guy over for movie night*

ezekiel22x: Absolutely true about the acting. The two of them were so earnest that they really shed their celebrity personalities; I felt like I was watching two talented unknowns.

And once Elijah Wood's character turned out to be a jerkface, I managed to let go of the feeling that I was watching a bizarrely tall Frodo running around.

 

Great movie! I thought they captured the chaoticness of the mind fairly well. You really felt like you were in one big dream. Everything around the main characters was so dream-like that it made the movie that much more realistic.

 

You know, I thought that was very realistic too. It portrayed the randomness of human thought, exactly.

 

I loved the movie when I saw it in theaters. Great concept and I loved the mood of the film. Very melancholy and surreal. Certainly the best work Jim Carrey has done so far.

I need to see it again, though. Does anyone know if the DVD is any good?

 

You know, I've never really thought of Eternal Sunshine as science fiction, but you're right, in a lot of ways it is. I mean, take a look at the choices made in the movie. Very far ahead of our time, with modern-day emotion thrown in.

Either way, this is an excellent film, although it tends to be quite depressing for me considering how much I can relate to it. I love the way it was thrown together, though. Very humorous, but serious at the same time. I love the Tarantino-esque portrayal of the entire film. The druggy effect also helped.

What I wouldn't kill for that kind of brain damage...