As I was watching the movie, I couldn't help but realize some interesting parallels between the movie and A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess.
In the novel, Alex is conditioned to hate something he "loved" - ultra-violence, blood and guts, rape, and most unfortunately, classical music. Every time he saw something that was even remotely related to any of those things, he would feel extremely sick and unwell, to a point where it was physically impossible for him to do anything about it.
In the movie, the people at Lacuna, Inc (the company that does the memory erasure) namely, Dr. Mierzwack tells you to bring in anything that can remotely remind you of what you want to forget, so that he can research them. Joel harbors a hatred for this items because of it, and when they find those memories linked with those items in his brain, they terminate them (just like the conditioning in Alex terminated his admiration and love of classical music).
By the end, both learn to get over these and get back into the old "swing" of life. Joel and Clem are inevitably back together (it's fate!) and Alex is back to his pillaging ways, for a bit, at least. Both are changed: Joel has newfound knowledge of their failed past relationship (a disgruntled employee of Lacuna sends everyone their tapes of memories that they recorded back to them) and Alex meets Pete and his wife and is inspired. Both are also existentialist in that nature.
I just thought that would be interesting to point out.
Blissfully forgetful or forgotten bliss? This, along with many other things, are decisions that the characters in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind have to made.
Jim Carrey is known for his comedic roles - being in a more thoughtful movie, in which he, of all people, plays an introverted guy with very little social skills and not much of sense of humor, as his female counterpart, Kate Winslet, plays a impulsive risk-taker with bright, colorful hair, is weird. In this drama of sorts, Joel (Jim) and Clementine (Kate) meet, fall in love, break-up (in which they both end up trying to erase each other) and then meet again. (In the movie it's not in chronological order so it can be a bit confusing. In the beginning, when it seems as if Joel and Kate have met for the first time, it is actually there second time together - it seems to be a cycle of sorts.
The movie is largely centered on Joel's personal experience erasing his memories of Clem. From when they first met to their final fight, Joel and Clem have had to make choices that have made them who they end up being. It's because Clem takes risks that makes her impulsive, not the other way around. Same situation for Joel.
Choices, choices, choices. By the end of the movie, they know that their relationship will fail (once they realize that they had chosen to erase their memories of each other and of their relationship problems). But they decide to do so anyways....why so?
When looking at the existentialist themes in the movie, I took into account to ideologies of J. P. Sartre and a film review by Jenni van Wageningen. In this film review can Wageningen says:
"The movie clearly reflects aspects of existentialism which sees people living alienated from each other in an essentially meaningless world. They are responsible for their own actions to shape their own characters and destinies without any certain knowledge of what is right or wrong."
By choosing to completely ignore their issues, insecurities and problems they try to erase any recollection of them - momentos, memories, physical belongings. They both run away from each other - as far away as possible. But through searching his memories to erase Clem, Joel realizes that sometimes, it's easier and better to learn to live with those harsh memories than to get rid of them. Memories are memories, and even though some are bad, there are some that are warm and meaningful. After realizing this, he (along with his memory of Clementine) try to stop Dr. Mierzwack and his team (the lab techs) from pinpointing his every thought of her and destroying them.
Although memory erasure can lead to this "eternal happiness of the spotless mind" (as the movie title suggests) it is important to note that this choice can completely derail everything that Joel and Clem stood for: their alienation from this meaningless world. There relationship made their world meaningful. By throwing it away, they are not only ruining a companionship, but both are ruining a part of themselves. To them, existence truly did precede essence. Their choices before, during and after their relationship are a testament to that. By choosing companionship, Clem wasn't as impulsive and Joel wasn't as introverted. Both changed, for the better.
Through a whirlwind of events, and memories within memories, plot twists and more, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind truly treads deeply into existential topics. Delving into the Sartre-ian values "Choosing one's fate" Joel's and Clem's choice of memory erasure presents a choice that we all need to make (although we do not have the technology to completely erase memories, they can certainly be surpressed) - Do you really want to forget only the bad and keep the good? Or just stick with it all, for the long term?
http://www.filmcritic.com/reviews/2004/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind/ (for some additional info)
How happy is the blameless vestal's lot! The world forgetting, by the world forgot. Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind! Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd;
Alexander Pope, "Eloisa to Abelard" English poet & satirist (1688 - 1744)
Joel Barish (Jim Carrey) is shy, introverted, and doesn't go out much. Clementine (Kate Winslet), on the other hand, is spunky and spontaneous - she truly carpe's her diem. The polar opposites get together, but soon their relationship begins to unravel. A Manhattan-based company, Lacuna, Dr. Howard Mierzwack (Tom Wilkinson), receptionist (Kirsten Dunst) and lab technicians (Mark Ruffalo and Elijah Wood) erase your painful memories away, a sort of new beginning. As both Clementine and Joel go through this process after their break-up, their memories are uncovered and subsequently loss. The film explores the idea of choosing the live with those memories; or simply erasing them in order to forget the pain that inevitably comes along. A romance with some existential concepts, this movie will make you think about choices and the profound effects of them on not only your life, but the life of others. This star-studded cast has put on a splendid performance, and it's interesting to see Jim Carrey in a role that isn't purely comedic.
Now, if this interests you, go on and watch the movie! After this post, there will be spoilers!
can somehow relate to this (?!): 
