See How 'Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind' Visual Effects Were Created
One of the best films of the new century is undoubtedly Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. It's an innovative, beautiful, mesmerizing, heartbreaking and simultaneously uplifting romance. The Charlie Kaufman scripted, Michel Gondry directed film is one of my five favorites of all time, and I've explored and read about every facet of the film.
But there might be some of you out there who haven't dug as deep. That's why I wanted to post this featurette that dives into the unique and quaint visual effects of the film. Michel Gondry is known for using some interesting practical production methods, but this featurette looks at the seamless digital visual effects that helped complete the film. There are some effects here that you probably didn't even notice.
Watch the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind visual effects featurette after the jump.
In the falling car scene, I had no idea there was any digital work done around Kate Winslet. It's absolutely seamless. And the same can be said for the shot with Jim Carrey wandering back and forth to the same abandoned car. In a world dominated by blue screen and all digital sets, it's refreshing to see that the effects done in Eternal Sunshine used some pretty ingenious tricks.
If for some reason you haven't stumbled upon Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind yet, do yourself a favor and seek it out immediately before you dive into the above featurette. Here's the official synopsis if you somehow know nothing about the film:
Joel (Jim Carrey) is stunned to discover that his girlfriend, Clementine (Kate Winslet), has had their tumultuous relationship erased from her mind. Out of desperation, he contacts the inventor of the process, Dr. Howard Mierzwiak (Tom Wilkinson), to get the same treatment. But as his memories of Clementine begin to fade, Joel suddenly realizes how much he still loves her.
It's a love story that transcends time, blending grounded sci-fi with raw emotion. The way the story unfolds, moving in and our of memories as they're erased, is surreal and beautiful. And if you're just a young kid who is only just now coming around to more mature films, this one has Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Frodo (Elijah Wood), Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) and Carmine Falcone (Tom Wilkinson).
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a must-see for any fan of great filmmaking and engaging, original storytelling. It also contains two of the finest performances in the careers of Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet. I can't say enough how much I love this film, no matter how many times it breaks my heart.