Why does Joel get beaten by Freddy in Eternal Sunshine?
In the movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, there is a scene where Joel has a memory of himself with a kid who is a bully.
Until now, Joel has been able to change and relive his memory as he chooses to change it. He is able to change his memories with Clementine by running away with her from the memory itself.
Why is it that in the case of Joel's memory with Freddy, he is not able to relive it differently? Why does Joel still get beaten by Freddy even though Joel still knows it's a memory?
Best Answer
The moments you are describing take place while Joel is having his memories of Clementine erased.
While he is "under" for the procedure, Joel realizes he doesn't want the memories of Clementine erased -- so the "running away" is not about changing the memories; it is Joel's attempt to preserve some recollection of Clementine by moving from memories that are being erased to as-yet unerased memories.
Presumably, while he is "under" for the erasure procedure and his subconscious is explored by the procedure, he relives not just Clementine memories but other random memories, such as the incident with Freddy. Joel doesn't "run" from that Freddy memory because it is not one of the memories being erased.
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Why did Clementine erase Joel?
She is impulsive and erased Joel because she was angry with him, and he then did it out of hurt and spite. However, as his memories start to crumble and fade, he realizes that he's made a mistake.Does Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind have a happy ending?
Clem says he will because that's \u201cwhat happens\u201d and he responds with \u201cokay.\u201d She responds back with the same line and they laugh to one another before running through the snow happily, closing out Eternal Sunshine.What happens in the end of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind?
At the end of the film the central characters, Joel (Jim Carrey) and Clementine (Kate Winslet), have discovered that they were previously in a failed relationship, and that both of their memories have been erased through a medical procedure.What is the meaning behind the movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind?
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind shows us that memories aren't files to be deleted. They are more than simple thoughts stored in the mind, as they shape the core of the self. People need both the good and the bad to learn and grow.Eternal Sunshine | Creating Joel's Mind
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Answer 2
It has been quite a while since I've seen the movie so I might be off base but...
As I recall Joel doesn't have Matrix like powers over his dreams. The only one he can really interact with fully is Clementine. Joel also expresses that he still retains some of the mindset of a child/the past when he is hiding with Clementine in the kitchen scene. Both of these combined would explain why he "let" the bully embarrass/beat him up. Joel couldn't really control the bully's actions, and he still had the same fear/mindset when he was beat up before.
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