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· 173 ratings · 13 reviews
Start your review of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Dec 16, 2016 Farhana rated it it was amazing
Last week I was like skipping through books, trying this, trying
that but couldn't focus on any. The night I picked this up, I spent almost 4 hours in trying to read several. I thought I would read Fight Club, I opened that one too, read a few pages but the scenes were too dynamic to imagine & keep my mind on it at the same time. Then suddenly its name crossed my mind. Back then I didn't know if any writing on this movie even exists ! When I found it ,I thought it would be the story & the screen Last week
I was like skipping through books, trying this, trying that but couldn't focus on any. The night I picked this up, I spent almost 4 hours in trying to read several. I thought I would read Fight Club, I opened that one too, read a few pages but the scenes were too dynamic to imagine & keep my mind on it at the same time. Then suddenly its name crossed my mind. Back then I didn't know if any writing on this movie even exists ! When I found it ,I thought it would be the story & the
screenplay. Okay, I was wrong, it discussed the PHILOSOPHY of the movie. Then it hit me. I wonder if it was a 'vulnerable', 'needed' or 'useful' reading! ' "Everybody needs a little time away," I heard her say, "from each other."
A few months back in the evening I saw a video on youtube, A Fine Frenzy's song 'Almost Lover' with scenes from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I liked it, I thought the soundtrack was from the movie (actually not) & decided to watch it. The next morning I watched it. Even I experienced some moment when I wished if I could erase
my memory like that in the movie~
After reading it I learnt Gondry is also the director of one of my favorite songs - Foo Fighter's Everlong. Then I saw some of the music videos he directed. I liked the doodling in the wet shower glass in his latest music video 'City Lights'. Seeing some of his work it seems he has a knack for Repetition & Pattern. How past moments affect & leave their traces. How some things repeat themselves again & again. The two theses are contradictory,
"Blessed are the ones who forget" & "Those who forget have the tendency of running into the same mistake again." :/ Affirming one's life requires denying & forgetting certain aspects of life. There are nice theoretical terms, nice explanations, nice self actualizing words, philosophical theses --- "active forgetting", "will to ignore", "ethics of memory", "affirming one's life with everything that happened" & many more.
All good for a movie. But what's the use ~
Suddenly
reaching at this point of writing I'm not finding any meaning, maybe I thought there's something but I cannot recall it now..
This evening when I was reading the book & Chicago's Hard to say I'm sorry was playing , then I had a feeling the song offers the outline of the movie ---
"Even lover's need a holiday far away from each other."
Hold me now. It's hard for me to say I'm sorry. I just want you to
stay.
After all that we've been through, I will make it up to you. I promise to.
And after all that's been said and done,
You're just the part of me I can't let go. '
Jul 18, 2018 Javier Sevilla rated it really liked it
A collection of essays full of
philosophical an emotional content. If you liked the movie, this is a must read. Exploration of fascinating second opportunities and regret. I recommend it to fans of dystopian/ emotional novels.
Aug 20, 2013 Tays rated it liked it
A very interesting and fruitful read. Its a collection of essays that says insights about how the movie Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind affects philosophy. Some were good and some were bad, nevertheless its still interesting enough to have me finish reading the whole thing.
Mar 09, 2012 Nikki rated it liked it
A varied and interesting collection of essays. The film brings forth a lot of ideas about emotion and memory and they are explored in fascinating ways here. However, I felt that some of the essays only used the film as a spring-board to discuss outside ideas. I preferred the essays where the outside ideas were applied to analysis of the film itself.
I have this book for a long time, love it and rent kindle book to read online again Love the movie and read this book for a long time ago. Special rent kindle book to read online again.
Aug 04, 2017 Joe Solomon rated it it was amazing
Read this before watching, and was punched in the face by a wave of memory, love, and second chances. Hold on, hold on!
Apr 12, 2019 Yajie Li rated it it was amazing
Impressive and illustrates how philosophers utilize philosophical resources to better understand films~
My Fav. Romance novel of all time .
The quality of the essays decline rapidly, but the first one is excellente.
Absolute must read. Return to this collection of essays often.
Oct 06, 2010 Michael rated it liked it
selection of essays. some good, some less. if you like the film, this is interesting philosophical reading.
Aug 09, 2018 Jung rated it it was amazing
How
happy is the blameless vestal's lot?
The world forgetting, by the world forgot:
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!
Each prayer accepted, and each wish resigned; How happy is the blameless vestal's lot?
The world forgetting, by the world forgot:
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!
Each prayer accepted, and each wish resigned;
...more
News & Interviews
The glint of fangs in the dark, the sound of tap-tap-tapping at your window, the howling of wind (or is it just wind?) in the trees...that's...
“Eros does not aim at happiness. We may think he does, but when he is brought to the test it proves otherwise. Everyone knows that it is useless to try to separate lovers by proving to them that their marriage will be an unhappy one. This is not only because they will disbelieve you. They usually will, no doubt. But even if they believed, they would not be dissuaded. For it is the very mark of Eros that when he is in us we had rather share unhappiness with the Beloved than be happy on any other terms. Even if the two lovers are mature and experienced people who know that broken hearts heal in the end and can clearly foresee that, if they once steeled themselves to go through the present agony of parting, they would almost certainly be happier ten years hence than marriage is at all likely to make them—even then, they would not part. To Eros all these calculations are irrelevant—just as the coolly brutal judgment of Lucretius is irrelevant to Venus. Even when it becomes clear beyond all evasion that marriage with the Beloved cannot lead to happiness—when it cannot even profess to offer any other life than that of tending an incurable invalid, of hopeless poverty, of exile, or of disgrace—Eros never hesitates to say, "Better this than parting. Better to be miserable with her than happy without her. Let our hearts break provided they break together." If the voice within us does not say this, it is not the voice of Eros.” — 5 likes
“For surely there is a certain level of ignorance that is necessary at the start of a love affair.” — 4 likes
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