Alex Aloise - Eternal Sunshine

This is actually one of my all-time favorite films. To me, it's the best cinematic love story since Casablanca. I think this film fits really well into this class. Last night we discussed Purgation and Illumination. These two ideas are essentially the main themes of Eternal Sunshine... Joel is determined to get rid of any and all memories of his relationship with Clementine. The pain is just too great to deal with. The first half of the film focuses on his attempted Purgation, his quest to rid himself of this painful burden, to cleanse his mind and, more importantly, his heart. The second half of the film is a result of his illumination. He comes to the realization that he doesn't actually want to forget Clementine because the time he spent with her was so great. In this respect the movie also explores the themes of Eros and Agape, which we've also discussed in class. Joel feels Eros, a romantic love, for Clementine. She is his one true love and he doesn't want to lose her. Thus he sacrifices his own safety and shows Agape, selfless love, by running through his memories trying to save her. It's not just the story that I love about this movie, but its visual style. It's such a remarkable feat of imagery. I remember watching this movie in the theaters with my jaw literally hanging open from what I was seeing on the screen. I especially loved the scene where Joel is on the street corner and he keeps running back and forth and the corners all remain the same. I have no idea how they filmed that shot, but I'm glad they did. I was just really excited that we got to watch this in class.