GITS Script Reading & Analysis: “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” — Structure

This week we are analyzing the screenplay for the 2004 movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

You may access the 2003–02–04 version of the script [screenplay by Charlie Kaufman, story by Charlie Kaufman & Michel Gondry & Pierre Bismuth] here.

Today we discuss the script’s structure. You may choose to consider the story in terms of three-act structure with one of these iterations:

Aristotle: Beginning / Middle / End

Campbell [Hero’s Journey]: Separation / Initiation / Return

Hegel: Thesis / Antithesis / Synthesis

Jung: Invitation / Immersion / Integration

If anyone is into sequence theory, if you’d care to break down the script per its sequences, we would all laud and honor you.

Or make your case that the script has some other narrative structure… or perhaps none at all. Given the time jumps and parallel world effect of the script, we should have an interesting discussion on this front.

See you in comments!

For Day 1 of our analysis of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, go here.

Here are some behind the scenes clips of Michael Gondry and Jim Carrey:

And Kate Winslet and Gondry:

Remember our last November entry:

Week 12 [November 28-December 2]: Panic Room [2000–02–23] — Action Thriller

NOTE: THIS SERIES AND THE USE OF SCRIPTS IS STRICTLY FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES!

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