STORY BY JOHN CARTER
Joel Barish is a lonely man who usually can’t work up the nerve to speak to a woman, let alone attempt to initiate a relationship with one. Luckily enough for him, Clementine Kruczynski is eager for initiation. They fall in love over a series of different events that we the viewers see in Joel’s mind. After the initial love and fun feelings settle the relationship slowly begins to turn negative and the partners grow a bit bitter because they begin to see more of the negative traits that they recognize in each other. (Joel saying Clem sleeps to get attention, and Clementine saying Joel is boring).
Clementine finds Lacuna Inc, a sort of clinic for memory wiping which acts as a plot device for this film, and has her memories removed. When Joel finds out this he goes on to do the same. Joel soon regrets his decisions to erase his memories by finding renewal in his love for Clementine. Joel’s memory wipe is complete and he wakes up. They go on to realize that they will experience the problems with each other but they will enjoy the time they spend together before that happens. They will go on presumably have their memories continually erased and will continue on this track in a cycle for as long as they can.
There are plenty of different topics to tackle when it comes to an analysis of this film, were Joel and Clementine really in love, the implications of the science used to erase their memories, the Ethics of Memory Deletion, and many more. These different implications or ideas make for incredible overarching themes throughout the film. Is love permanent or does it need to be revitalized in the case of if Joel and Clementine were really in love? Seeing the damage of these types of memory erasure happened in the brain in real science could show how the film’s plot is possible, but it is still a great film. They’re all very fascinating to analyze.
So if this were possible (it is technically) Memory Deletion would probably have a bit more ethics codes than what is displayed in the film. The idea that a character such as Mary, the receptionist whose brain was wiped, could be pressured into having her memories deleted is not ethical. The repercussions of the overall damage to the brain that could occur by targeting these memories are detrimental, and not an ethical practice. The mere dancing around in Joel’s room by Mary and Stan, the robbing of Joel’s belongings (Identity), and Clem’s underwear are all messed up. Moreover, the technician operating could remove memories that were not specifically requested and the patient would have no way of knowing is not safe.
The science in this film is interesting, to say the least. This film would be described as science fiction and romance with some psychological influence. Neurons in the central nervous system store memories through a process called memory consolidation. This is theorized to occur during sleep.
“After consolidation, long-term memories are stored throughout the brain as groups of neurons that are primed to fire together in the same pattern that created the original experience, and each component of a memory is stored in the brain area that initiated it,” is the process in which this film describes to get rid of memories. Although it is a very dangerous way of getting rid of the memories, it does hold some truth. If you could actually target specific neurons to get rid of the particular memories it would require essentially brain damage.
The neurons store the memories in the brain by targeting those cells you destroy them to get rid of the memories (or sever the connections between the neurons). The targeting of these neurons would have to be very specific. Not only could it be a danger to the surrounding neurons but the possibility that the targeted neurons contain other memories besides the intended memories is unknown. Old electric shock patients could lose memory because the electric shocks would fire randomly in the brain, thus “Frying” their brains as it was referred to. Neurons aren’t often replaced it the way in which other cells in the body divide. So if Joel and Clem continually us this service there might have some detrimental effects on their brains. Neuroscience is only the base or skeleton for this film, the film finds its true essence in its story.
Were Joel and Clementine really in love? Yes in the later memories of their relationship but not throughout the entirety of it. At first, their relationship starts with the regular infatuation and as we see with Joel’s memories they grow closer and closer (Clem even wants to be a parent with Joel). But then they eventually grow tired of each other’s idiosyncrasies (Clem becoming bored and leaves first). This is very true to real couples. People do tend to fall in and out of love with each other. Joel falling back into love with Clem by revisiting their time together through memories. The couple has the potential to be in love for some time. The film proposes the idea that love isn’t always forever but if people have their way it can be.
The way the world of Joel’s mind is shown to us helps the story convey that he is not going to be able to save his memories. We can see this with the scene changes, the disappearance of signs and book titles, and the areas in which the memories took place being literally ripped away.
The film acts similarly to that of a Kurt Vonnegut science fiction story, in that with scientific advancement comes the checking of morals. The characters Clementine and Joel have the everyday adult couple problems, the problem with dealing with a partner’s issues or keeping it interesting can become problematic in longer relationships. However rather than confronting the problems they run away. Even though one partner Joel is willing to work on the problems at first until Clem concedes to something she see’s might never end, this is referencing the problems she is experiencing. As we know however if they had confronted the problems experienced they may or may not have been successful.
Relationships are tough, Clem and Joel’s relationship is very important in what they represent for people in relationships, If humans had the option to repeat solely the good parts of their relationship would they? I am sure some would. Do people often leave completely or run away when things get hard? There are plenty of times in romantic films where the partners run away and then during the climax of the film they realize what they have always wanted was what they had all along. This film adds to the depth of the crushing reality for some that partners can have that realization or they can simply never come back.
This film is amazing in how it represents the feelings of people who were truly in love only for it to end mysteriously, suddenly, and hurtfully. Only to realize that they want to go back to a time when it was good, but in real life, you can’t do that. We can’t escape the problems of our depression, anxiety, internalized emotional thoughts, relationship problems through running back to our childhood or erasing our memories. This film does well in representing that what if we could scenario, from the perspective of the person running away that it will (in a purgatory-like fashion) end the same every time. (Even though there is hope)
“You know, it’s funny; when you look at someone through rose-colored glasses, all the red flags just look like flags.” – Wanda the Owl, BoJack Horseman
I give this film 9/10 lost memories, for its relevence to deep emotional struggle in relationships and the delightful science fiction backbone of the story.