Sound in Eternal Sunshine

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a complicated film by Michel Gondry follows the meeting of Joel and Clementine, only to reveal that they had a two year relationship beforehand, which was then erased through a mental medical procedure, leaving them both with no memory of each other. The film begins following Joel just after his operation, and his sense of confusion is mirrored by the audience, as they also have no idea who he is or what he has done/will do. Sound is a useful device to enthral the audience, confuse them, and give them action codes and tantalising hints to the plot to come.

Firstly, as Joel is waking up, no music is playing. He is clearly still in a sense of foggy dreaming and so the first sound we hear is the first sound to really rouse him; the slamming of a car door. We then hear the car begin to drive away. This alerts the audience to the fact that the person who has just driven away, may in fact have been with him the night before, or not supposed to be there at all (such as a thief), or even just a casual noise outside. Immediately it creates curiosity within the spectator, and a drive to continue watching.

Slow, sad piano music is then introduced as the prolonged diagetic sound of rustling bed sheets alerts the spectator to his unwillingness to remove himself from the comfort of his bed. Then, a simple, major tune begins over the top of the slow melancholy music, contrasting with itself and giving the scene a bitter-sweet tone with this contrapuntal, happy music.