One of the major questions left behind by Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind's ending is whether what we're seeing play out is the first and/or only time Joel and Clementine have had their memories wiped. That's not something Mary can rectify with herself, because she went through the treatment alone and because of who she tried to forget, but it's something other people - not least Joel and Clementine - can learn from. This regret at experiencing the same pain twice (and quite specifically, the pain of hearbreak), without first being given the opportunity to learn and grow from it, is a key part of the human experience that she was robbed of. Mierzwiak, and of it happening all over again. Mary had to discover the hard way of the memory erasure procedure she went through, of the affair with Dr. Mierzwiak and an attempt at revenge - though it is both of those things, not least because of the damage it will do to the company - but because of how she gives Joel, Clementine, and all the other Lacuna patients the choice that she never had. Mary's choice isn't just of her lashing out in anger at Dr. While this serves a crucial narrative function - to effectively give Joel and Clementine their memories of one another back - it also has a greater thematic purpose as well. One of the most decisive moments in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind comes not from Joel or Clementine, but Mary ( Kirsten Dunst), the Lacuna employee who sends out the tapes. Part of the beauty of the ending is that ambiguous, bittersweet nature to it, where a person's interpretation can come down less to what the film presents, which could go either way, and more the kind of person you are yourself, allowing the viewer to take what they want from it without trading on delivering on the film's overall themes and messages, and still giving a satisfying sense of closure. Often in life that way be with other people, but Joel and Clementine have a rare second chance to start anew together. But at the same time, part of making mistakes is to take the opportunity to grow and learn from them to do things differently. And since it didn't work before, it could mean it won't work again.
Having witnessed Joel and Clementine's relationship, it is clear there are many ways in which they're not compatible, with almost countless things about them that will irritate and wear down the other.
Indeed, if them getting back together is to highlight the oft-cyclical nature of life and the way people can repeat mistakes, then it would be easy to argue fairly strongly that they will break-up once more. There are no hints in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind's ending that this is a couple built to last, or that things will end any differently than before. And while the choice they make is the right, albeit more difficult, one, that doesn't guarantee a happy ending for them. Of course, with Joel and Clementine entering into this new relationship, the audience is every bit as aware of the potential dangers as they are. It may end in heartache, but they also know it'll bring happiness, laughter, and love into their lives, so it has to be worth a shot. In the end, they choose to take a leap of faith with one another, and to decide to explore their feelings and see where they lead, rather than just shutting them off completely and being miserable again.
Things could end up different this time, because there's no way of knowing exactly how they will play out, especially with prior knowledge of these things (which could serve to help or severely hinder the relationship). It's all those memories that make up a person's life, and Joel and Clementine need that if they're to go on. Even if they do break-up again, they cannot be complete without knowing what it's like to be with each other, because it's a very literal missing piece of their respective puzzles.Įternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is about memory - and so too is life, but that goes for both good and bad. That, yes, it might not work out, but right now that's all part of the adventure they can go on together, as they re-discover who the other person is, and also find a big part of themselves that's been missing too. Joel and Clementine make the romantic choice at the end of Eternal Sunshine: that it's better to love, lose, love, and potentially lose again than it is to not have those real memories.
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