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Lecture 14: Breaking the Envelope

Lecture 14: Breaking the Envelope. Professor Daniel Cutrara. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) Charlie Kaufman (screenplay). 1. Previous Lesson. Who they are and What do they want? Marketing to the buyer How do you make it stronger? Development Notes. This Lesson.

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Lecture 14: Breaking the Envelope

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  1. Lecture 14:Breaking the Envelope Professor Daniel Cutrara Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) Charlie Kaufman (screenplay) 1

  2. Previous Lesson • Who they are and What do they want? • Marketing to the buyer • How do you make it stronger? • Development Notes

  3. This Lesson • Merging Genres • Breaking the Envelope in The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind • Assignments

  4. Merging Genres Lesson 14: Part I 4

  5. Fluid Genres • Action, Sci-Fi, Western, Drama, Comedy, Thriller, Horror, Adventure, Romance. • Think Dark Knight • Chase scenes • Romance • Abilities

  6. Genres in Eternal Sunshine • Drama, Sci-Fi Romantic Comedy • Love Story • Complex characters and relationships • Memory erasure

  7. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Lesson 14: Part II 7

  8. Backstory • The Director • Michel Gondry, second feature film, previous work music videos. Brings his image manipulation techniques. • The Writer • Charlie Kaufman, Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, Human Nature– for Michel Gondry. 8

  9. Breaking the Envelope Charlie Kaufman, Michel Gondry, and Pierre Bismuth • Academy Award, 2004 • Best Original Screenplay • Story by Charlie Kaufman, Michel Gondry, and Pierre Bismuth 9

  10. The Concept • A love story told through memory. • Begins after the break up as opposed to the typical Romantic Comedy

  11. Characters • Atypical Characters- Both “Losers” • Joel Barish • Overwhelming shyness, afraid to risk • Clementine Kruczynski • Impulsive, addict

  12. Wants and Needs • Joel Barish • Wants security, needs a relationship, must accept the riskiness of being with Clementine. • Clementine Kruczynski • Wants the thrills of life, needs a relationship, must accept the ordinary with Joel.

  13. The Structure • Labyrinthine- like our memories • Places us in the shoes of the characters • Narrative begins at the end of Act Two • Joel and Clem meet as if for the first time • Narrative rupture at the end of the first sequence. • Sudden jump to night as Joel weeps.

  14. Meeting for the “First Time” • Pause the Lecture and watch the first clip from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. • How is the tone established? • Are the genres clearly telegraphed? • What is the irony on the second viewing?

  15. Breaking Rules • Slow, serious beginning, unlike Romantic Comedy more like drama. • Sci-Fi element not yet introduced. The irony– they connect quickly. Because they normally would? Because they connected before? Because they are needy?

  16. Act Two • Act Two recounts relationship backwards as memories erased. • Joel chooses to save her • They work together as a team • “Clem” shares Joel’s most traumatic moments.

  17. Breaking Time • Pause the Lecture and watch the second clip from The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. • Who and when are the characters in this scene?

  18. Breaking Time (Cont’d) • Joel remembering in voiceover, and in the memory. • Joel in the memory • Joel’s construct of Clem. • Clem in Joel’s memory.

  19. Subplots • “Subplots should be spawned by, intersect with, and resolved by the main storyline.” Garfinkel

  20. Triangles • Patrick and Clementine • His impersonation affects her • Stan, Mary, and Dr. Mierzwiak • Her reaction leads to tapes distributed

  21. Act Three • Building toward a dramatic resolution. • Subplots pay off. • Joel and Clem must face the uncertainty and pain of a future relationship.

  22. The Drama • Pause the Lecture and watch the third clip from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. • What they record is what people think but generally don’t say in relationships.

  23. The Resolution • A dramatic commitment, not to happily ever after, but to a relationship that will demand work and forgiveness.

  24. From Script to Screen • Trimming Naomi • Scenes with Joel’s previous girlfriend cut. • She is cut prior to Joel meeting Clem and after he has Clem erased he briefly hooks up with her. • The effect: keeping the focus, telling what is essential in a given amount of time, and strengthening the destiny aspect.

  25. The Theme • Love is inevitable

  26. Themes • Destiny, Fate • A romantic interpretation • Identity, Memory, Love • Exploring how memory functions in relationship to who we are. • The intersection of love and being.

  27. Assignments Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Lesson 14: Part IV 27

  28. E-Board Post #1 • Approximately 200 words. Answer the critique posted for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind • Comment on two of your peers.

  29. End of Lecture 14 Next Lecture: Where to go from here Bowfinger (1999)

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