FanUnity B(uzz)log

As I watched “Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind”, it occurred to me that the movie shared a basic theme with “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.”In “Star Trek V”, a new character is brought to life by Laurence Luckinbill, called Sybok. Sybok is a Vulcan who, in blasphemous fashion for that pointy-eared race, is deeply in touch with his emotions. A sci-fi Dr. Phil, Sybok wants to feel your pain. He wants to dig deep inside your soul, bond with your pain and make it right. Make your pain not hurt anymore, and bring you peace of mind.

Sybok wins himself a following of people who want to hand their pain over to him, and follow him. But James T. Kirk isn’t having it. When Sybok works his pain-groping mojo on Captain Kirk, William Shatner has one of his hammy-best moments in all of “Star Trek.” He screams at Sybok, and says, “I don’t want my pain taken away! I NEED my pain!” It may be second only to “Khaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!” in great Kirk hissy fits.

“Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind” illustrates how we need our pain, and how our pain makes an important part of who we are. When Jim Carrey’s character learns that his love, the aptly-named Clementine, played by the always fantastic Kate Winslet, has had her mind erased of all memories of him, he freaks out in a vengeful fit and gets the same done of her. But in the middle of the process, when temporary madness passes and reason takes over, like Captain Kirk, he realizes he needs his pain. He doesn’t want to forget Clementine, so he fights it and fights it. Through a nifty plot device, the Carrey character and Clementine ultimately have the chance to make it right again.

The movie is touching though, because anyone can relate to the feeling of wanting to take the whole idea of a person who we loved, a person who caused us great pain, and wipe them from our minds and move on. Through its well-constructed story structure, “Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind” gives a sense of what something like that might feel like. And it feels like crap. Imagining oneself in the position Carrey’s character is in, you can feel the desire to stop it all in place, just like he feels.

The film brings you to that same realization the character had, and Captain Kirk had: While certain memories may be painful, they are a part of who we are. Pain and love are intricately tied together, because of the depth of both emotions and the vulnerability one opens the other to. The Buddhists say that desire leads to suffering. So too fulfilled desire leads to great joy. That’s the point “Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind” reminded me of, and it did it a hell of a lot better than “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier” ever did.

3/5 Stars.