my favourite movie/film and why i LOVE it

(im english so will refer to it as a "film" even though its american, suck it up lifes not fair)

My favourite film is: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

It would be impossible to summarise this film properly here, so go and watch it, but read this first because I'm very cool and my opinions are valid.

Basically: some guy (Joel) finds out his girlfriend (Clementine) has had every memory of him erased after an argument. Joel then gets the same procedure done where he has to talk about all his memories with Clementine to these science people who then visit his house at night and do their brain stuff so he wakes up with no memories of Clementine. During this he relives every memory with her, starting with their most recent argument and ending on the day they met.

Why I love it: The way this was all filmed and edited is so fucking clever and satisfying. The way the memories begin to crumble at the end of each scene, the layering of different clips and voices. I also really like how certain faces are blurred out, which remind you that its all a bias memory and not accurate at all.

The soundtrack is incredible too, a lot of the songs were composed by Jon Brion who is a brilliant musician which really comes across in the tracks. It matches with the mood of the film perfectly and that one piano song is beautiful - no other words can describe it.

The main reason I love it though is simply because, its realistic! All the characters seem like real people you can relate to, through the memories you see that Joel and Clementine aren't perfect, and that's because no couples are!

The majority of romance films paint love as this perfect thing but Eternal Sunshine gives you the harsh truth and so much reassurance.

How it links to the poem in the title: "eternal sunshine of the spotless mind" is a line from one of my favourite poems ever, "Eloisa to Aberlard" by Alexander Pope. This is referenced in one of the later scenes too.

(MASSIVE SPOILER AHEAD!!!)

The poem is about Eloisa receiving a letter from her love, Aberlard, after not being allowed to speak. It draws parallels to the end of the film when Joel and Clementine listen to their tapes of the day they spoke about their memories.

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!??!?!: I believe the overall point to this film is that absolutely nothing and nobody is perfect, and nothing will ever change that; you have to learn to accept it because if it wasnt for those shitty days the good days would have no significance.

It shows that everything has a point, that everything you go through is important in shaping who you are as a person. Instead of fighting it, accept the tough times and embrace the good moments. 

And that is why Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is my favourite film of all time.