Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (part iii)

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, 9.6.2004
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, 13.9.2005
and yet, today, I'm watching it on Channel 5 again, and writing about it, again.

The first time I watched it my mind flickered with X, how much I wanted to forget him, how much I managed to forget him. My feelings towards the film was clouded by my emotions at that time.

The second time I watched it my mind was filled with Mr Swirl. It was just behind our huge blow up and I was severely and sorely missing him, and lots of other fucked up reasons. I wanted to forget him, but I couldn't do so, at least not at that moment since things were so bad between us at that point in time. My feelings towards the film was clouded by my emotions at that time.

This is the third time watching it, this is the only time I'm watching it without the feeling of any need to forget anyone, somehow, the film doesn't seem that touching anymore. The saddest part for me is actually the opening of the film, where Joel meets Clementine for the second first time.

Oh My Darling Clementine
In a cavern, in a canyon,
Excavating for a mine
Dwelt a miner forty niner,
And his daughter Clementine.
Refrain:
Oh my darling, oh my darling,
Oh my darling, Clementine!
You were lost and gone forever
Dreadful sorry, Clementine.
Light she was and like a fairy,
And her shoes were number nine,
Herring boxes, without topses,
Sandals were for Clementine.
Refrain
Drove she ducklings to the water
Ev'ry morning just at nine,
Stubbed her toe against a splinter,
Fell into the foaming brine.
Refrain
Ruby lips above the water,
Blowing bubbles, soft and fine,
But, alas, I was no swimmer,
So I lost my Clementine.
Refrain
How I missed her! How I missed her,
How I missed my Clementine,
But I kissed her little sister,
I forgot my Clementine.
Refrain
Then the miner, forty-niner,
Soon began to peak and pine,
Thought he oughter join his daughter,
Now he's with his Clementine.
Refrain
In a corner of the churchyard,
Where the myrtle boughs entwine,
Grow the roses and the posies,
Fertilized by Clementine.
Refrain
In my dreams she still doth haunt me,
Robed in garments soaked in brine;
How in life I used to hug her,
Now she's dead, I draw the line.

Older version of the lyrics:
In the centre of a golden valley,
Dwelt a maiden all divine,
A pretty creature a miner's daughter
And her name was Clementine.
Refrain
Oh my darling, oh my darling,
My darling Clementine,
You are lost for me forever,
Dreadful sorry, Clementine.
Refrain
Her noble father was the foreman
Of ev'ry valued mine,
And ev'ry miner and ranchman
Was a brother to Clementine.
Refrain
The foreman miner, an old forty niner,
In dreams and thoughts sublime,
Lived in comfort with his daughter,
His pretty child Clementine.
Refrain
When far away, he would often pray
That in his sunny clime
No harm might overtake her,
His favorite nugget, Clementine.
Refrain
When the day was done and the setting sun
Its rays they ceased to shine,
Homeward came the brawney miner
To caress his Clementine.
Refrain
None was nearer, none was dearer,
Since the days of forty-nine
When, in youth, he had another
Who was then his Clementine.
Refrain
She led her ducks down to the river,
The weather it was fine,
Stubbed her toe against a sliver,
Fell into the raging brine.
Refrain
He heard her calling: father,
Her voice was like a chime,
But alas he was no swimmer,
So he lost his Clementine
Refrain

I changed my mind, the opening of the film is actually the second saddest part of the whole film. The first saddest part is still Joel and Clementine's very first meeting, the first first meeting, because it comes after their second first meeting. I always thought that because of hindsight the second first meeting will seem as the saddest in retrospect, but after watching the first first meeting for the third time round, I think in retro-retrospect, that first first meeting is the saddest part.

And of the whole scene of the first first meeting, the moment where Joel sang Oh My Darling is the single saddest moment of the whole whole film. Even when I'm not feeling sad, I can still feel the sadness oozing out of the film.