Just last night I watched the movie Eternal Sunshine for the Spotless Mind directed by Michel Gondry. Although it wasn’t a movie I would suggest all watch, it was a beautiful film with fascinating editing and camera work. The movie is basically a story about losing the love of your life, and permanently erasing the memory from your mind. All memories of said person are erased, but it seems that even with these memories gone the people find their way back to one another. Now it’s while the protagonist is getting the memories of Clementine erased that the most interesting footage is. The thing I loved most about how this film was shot and edited is that it really does give off the dreamy feel. It’s like you feel as though you’ve literally been sucked into his memories, and in a way it makes you feel like an intruder. One of my absolute favorite parts is towards the end. It’s the furthest memory he has of her which means that soon all memories will be. They’re in a house in Montauk and she’s trying to get him to stay the night. But soon the memory begins to fall apart, as does the house in which they’re standing. The surroundings of the couple begin to crumble to the ground and sand begins filling the rooms. All the while they’re discussing why he hadn’t just stayed the night in the real life version of this event. I like it so much because it’s really well done how they’re carrying on their conversation while everything falls apart around them, and it’s just a perfect representation of their whole relationship. Also the use of dark lighting where only he is in what looks like a flashlights light is brilliant. It gives the illusion that we are fading away from the memories as well, makes you feel closer to him and more sympathy. You’re trying so hard to see what’s going on because she is also in fact starting to feel more blind to the memory. To watch it click here. The protagonist is continuously trying to sabotage the whole erasing process because he realizes he doesn’t want to lose his memories of her. He does this by escaping into other memories, which the whole sequence of this occurrence is also beautifully done. The way they have the memories become one another is perfect. Click here to watch an example of this. There are also a lot of closeups to add to the intimacy. The closeup shots bring you closer to their love, and closer to the fact that you’re in his memories. It allows you to feel as close as he did. If you pay close enough attention every little detail of the film is symbolism. There are so many details to this film that I could watch it multiple times, and still discover something new. For instance in one memory of them in Barns and Noble they’re standing amongst the isles of books, and as they talk all of the covers of the books begin to turn white. That is how you know she’s about to disappear from the memory. The details of the background change and shift. Click here to see that scene. Every camera shot and every cut and edit is so perfectly timed in this film that I’ve fallen in love with it. There’s so much thought that went into every shot, I mean from those two clips alone you can see how they worked out the lighting, and the camera shots to make you feel more personal. Most of the shots are on her, to make you see from his perspective more. Or shots from places where it almost feels like your spying on their intimate moments…which you are.
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