A post on Industrial Scripts examines the movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind to discuss what elements make for a powerful ending. Spoilers!
The film’s ending brings the theme to the forefront, as the characters confront whether forgetting our pain would actually make us happy. It also provides a sense of catharsis, but also leaves some questions open-ended, allowing the story to live on in the audiences’ mind. “Its ambiguity allows the audience to make up their own minds, to create their own ending,” the article says. “We may choose to believe that things worked out well or that they just parted ways. We may equally decide the couple stay together but are doomed to repeat the same mistakes.”
The ending also allowed writer Charlie Kaufman to reflect on his themes: the nature of love, dealing with heartbreak, the desire to forget pain, and whether humans can live fully if they experience only good times. As a final message, Kaufman lets the main characters embrace their fate, even if the audience doesn’t know what they choose. Joel and Clementine acknowledge that their relationship is doomed and are torn between trying again or accepting that their romance will never work. Even with the ambiguity, the message is clear: a life of courage and truth is better than a life lived in fear and avoidance.
The article also examines the film’s cyclical structure, ambiguous ending, and its simplicity.
