It is important to remember that each visual appeal communicates to viewers the cinematographer’s concept of beauty. Camera angles, lens choices, composition, costume choices, music, editing/effects, and even the narrative and screenplay should all be designed to heighten our emotional reaction to what we are watching. The filmmakers of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind made distinct choices when creating each small segment of Joel’s recollections, because as a whole they should all add up to a unique yet relatable relationship. Consider the raw feelings of the characters who have reached their threshold of distress and their longing for an ideal vision of love—are these ideas not beautiful?
There is also an element of external beauty that is relevant. Though Patrick woos Clementine by imitating Joel’s personality and basically reenacting Joel and Clementine’s relationship, Clementine doesn’t fall for Patrick (instead she finds him repulsive). Is there an element of physical attraction here, Clementine being physically attracted to Joel and not to Patrick? Why was the young and blonde Kirsten Dunst cast for Mary’s role? Finding the beauty that the characters (and thus filmmakers) value, agreeably or disagreeably we also discover our attitudes toward beauty as well.
