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At the end of the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, the main characters Joel and Clementine, find that they were formerly in a failed relationship in which both of their memories have been wiped by a medical procedure. Returning to the present from the beginning of the film, both characters are dressed in bundles of everyday clothes with little makeup, with Clementine’s blue ruin color hair symbolizing the freshness of a new beginning as well as sorrow. Making the situation more realistic and, as a result, physically and emotionally comprehensible to the audience.
Hearing the brutally honest tapes they recorded about each other before having their memories wiped leaves Clementine and Joel shocked. Joel and Clementine’s faces are slightly concealed since the entire sequence is shot from the backseat of the car. There is an overpowering sense of regret and sadness, as though the loss of memories is almost more painful than the split itself. Due to the procedure, they both lost a part of themselves, and the individuals speaking on the recordings are not the same as the ones listening to the tapes. They have been denied the opportunity to learn lessons from the heartbreak, leaving them unable to grow from it.
This scene’s gloomy lighting emphasizes the sense of heartbreak and acceptance. The sole source of light in the room is the window, therefore natural lighting is assumed. Compared to the astounding cinematic techniques used in other previous scenes, this whole scene is structured in a simple manner with sincere, realistically composed dialogue and cinematography that does not detract from the presented conflict between the two main characters.
When the two realize what has happened and who they are to each other, Joel is unconcerned about the past and wants to do it all over again, while Clementine flees, afraid to try. Clementine walks through a narrow somber hallway, a tidy, intermittently illuminated gap with doors and exits on both sides, a symbol for where they’ve been and where they could go. There are no effects or sounds, which makes it feel claustrophobic as Joel then makes a frantic plea of ‘Wait,’ which holds weight in their fragile situation. She is annoyed and agitated by the circumstance because she believes they are not meant to be and that, because of whatever reasons, they would still find each other losing love rather than sustaining it, despite their yearning passion and desire for each other right now. Following that comes a pensive time in which both do nothing but wait. Clementine, who has the option to terminate or initiate the moment, is completely silent for eleven seconds.
Clementine’s breaking represents a profoundly emotional act of absolute surrender. Her body leans, her expression transforms, and she loses her balance, forcing her to rest against the wall. It’s tiring when she breathes again, but it also symbolizes immense hope. For the first time Joel fights for her and they both decide to put the road of love ahead of their inevitable ending. Prepared to endure and relive all the moments of their relationship with a simple ‘okay’ and a conflicted laugh. They are willing to risk future suffering for the love they are experiencing today with one another. So, while verbally admitting to each other that they would surely continue down the same path as previously, they agree to stay together. It is bittersweet because we as the audience know how miserable they will be together when things go wrong later on.
Finally, it transitions to an intentionally ambiguous last shot of the pair strolling away together down the snowy Montauk beach, implying a happy conclusion. However, before the screen fades to white, a fast series of aberrant jump cuts loop replicate their actions numerous times, which might nearly go unnoticed on the first watch. This clip implies that they are stuck in a loop of returning to the same relationship over and over. Simultaneously, a theme song named ‘Everybody’s gotta learn sometime’ plays, with the message of dealing with inner conflict in order to grow to become a better person. This contradicts Joel and Clementine as theyre willing to go through the same suffering and not learn or grow from it. It implies that their relationship is destined for failure and emerges in a never-ending cycle of love and pain.
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