6/30/12

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

This movie has always been in my favorites. Charlie Kaufman's surrealist filmography shows an approach unparalleled by and large in Hollywood. A philosopher with a day job as a script writer. He won an Oscar for the screenplay of this film. Maybe for this scene in particular. Impossible to watch without a chill:

INT. HOUSE - CONTINUOUS


She runs upstairs, giggling.  
The room is drying out, turning
into a husk.

  JOEL
  (calling after her)
 I really should go.  I really need to
 catch my ride.

  VOICE-OVER
 I didn't want to go.  I was too nervous.
 I thought, maybe you were a nut.  But you
 were exciting.  You called from upstairs.

  CLEMENTINE (CONT'D)
  (flat)
 So go.

  JOEL
 I did.  I walked out the door.  I felt
 like I was a scared little kid.  I
 thought you knew that about me.  I ran
 back to the bonfire, trying to outrun my
 humiliation.  You said, "so go" with such
 disdain.

  CLEMENTINE (CONT'D)
  (poking her head downstairs)
 What if you stay this time?

  JOEL
 I walked out the door.  There's no more
 memory.

  CLEMENTINE
 Come back and make up a good-bye at
 least.  Let's pretend we had one.

Clementine comes downstairs, vague and robotic, 
making her way through the decaying environment.

  CLEMENTINE (CONT'D)
 Bye, Joel.

  JOEL
 I love you.

She smiles.  They kiss.  It fades.

  CLEMENTINE
 I --

EXT. BEACH - NIGHT

1 comment:

  1. I've always had a thing for Adaptation and the first five minutes of Being John Malkovitch.

    ReplyDelete