Kat Weightman
9/11/2022
Everything that appears within the frame of the camera is referred to as the mise-en-scene. Setting, lighting, performers, décor, and cosmetics are all examples of this. The popular romantic film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind by Michel Gondry portrays the pleasure and sorrow of love. It ponders the nature of memory as well as our fundamental desire to avoid misery. The story incorporates a surrealist flavor. To prevent the anguish of his break-up, the protagonist chooses to wipe out his memory of his ex-lover Clementine. While the eerie use of mise-en-scene is obvious from the first scene, the investigation of the memory realm is absolutely astonishing. The lighting and color scheme are crucial in communicating the atmosphere throughout. Even the outfits worn by the characters give important visual signals. The innovative mise-en-scene of the film adds emotional substance and resonance to the plot.
The film employs surrealism to describe Joel's recollections, and the farther he progresses in the process, the stranger and more unnatural the world gets. The procedure is similar to a lucid dream. The dreamscape, or memory-scape, is an environment in which Joel is fully aware that he is having his memories erased. He is first passive, letting his memories be wiped, but as he loses more and more, he realizes he wants his memories and begins to fight the process. His resistance conjures up nightmare images. The film makes use of its memory setting. By considering the memory world as a dream world, it is possible to achieve an eerie sensation of verisimilitude.
Using light and backdrops, the set design conveys memory loss. As the erasing nears completion, Joel and his memory of Clementine are bathed in blinding white light, while any lights in the backdrop are turned out. The absence of backdrop pieces is also used to represent continuing memory loss in the film. When Joel and Clementine race through a bookstore, the shelves behind them begin to vanish. A montage is utilized to convey the process's escalation, and as it nears conclusion, the camera moves closer and closer to them, ultimately zooming in until it is an extreme close-up of Joel. He is alone as the camera pulls out, and his final memory of Clementine has been wiped.
The clothing worn by the characters is another visual clue used in the film. Joel dresses in brown or dark tones, indicating a more laid-back personality. Clementine, on the other hand, dresses in bright hues that complement her exuberant personality. Her hair is blue and her jumper is bright orange when Joel first meets her on the train. The orange serves as a warning that her character is important to Joel as well as a source of danger; the risk being their failing relationship.
Works Cited
Barsam, Richard Meran, and Dave Monahan. Looking at Movies: An Introduction to Film. W.W. Norton & Co., 2019.
Collins, K. Austin. “Why Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Still Resonates.” Vanity Fair, Vanity Fair, 19 Mar. 2019, https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/03/-eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind-anniversary.
“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” IMDb, IMDb.com, 19 Mar. 2004, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0338013/.
Gondry, Michel, director. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Focus Features, 2004.
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