Michael's Art 328 Process

Before the title sequence even starts there is about 17mintues of the beginning of the film shown to introduce the character Joel and his girlfriend Clementine. It continues to show one full day of Joel and how simplistically depressive it is. Only on this day he randomly decides to deviate from his normal work routine and takes a train out to Montak where on his way, his attention is deterred to Clementine.

The movie quickly goes through an awkward set of interactions between the two as they try to get to know each other. Just before the credits start, the audience is lead to believe Joel has just found the most amazing person that is going to derail his previously depressive normalcy. As he pulls up to Clementine's house to drop her off after an amazing first day/all nighter he is approached while still in his car by a young man that the audience has no clue yet as to his identity or relevance. The young man asks if Joel needs help and Joel has no clue what the young man is asking. The scene ends with him starring down the road in a confused state as the young man walks away.

Credits appear as a totally unexpected scene of Joel crying at night in his car when the previous scene was a happy Joel in the bright morning. Obviously a big cut to a different-probably future moment. The music qualities sound muffled alluding to his actual stereo playing the music in the car. The first title, 'FOCUS FEATURES' comes in slowly and then disintegrates off the screen.

Cuts to Joel driving down the road with more credits revealing and quickly disintegrating. Then Joel takes the tape out and the music stops. A symphonic score takes over the rest of the credits with a strong flute and brass section and some strings leading the score.

We watch Joel pull up to his apartment and some guys in a van are making comments to each other re-affirming that the guy walking is indeed Joel and it's the right address. They don't appear to be malicious and Joel seems to ignore them as if he knows of some inevitable circumstance.

The titles end just as the van passes Joel walking to his apartment with a bag of groceries.


I believe this title sequence sets up a few key elements of the film that help the viewer understand from the beginning that the story is about disconnected sequences. The music at the beginning of the title sequence coincidentally talks about "needing someone to make the sunshine and everybody needing to learn sometime." Those lyrics paired with Joel's car driving crying sequence helps reaffirm that Joel had his sunshine and is learning this time. Once he removes the tape he's not seen crying anymore and the music changes. This helps show how Joel is moving on with his life almost aimlessly or without thinking. As he walks from his car to his apartment and the guys are trying to figure out if it's Joel; the audience is shown a depressed man but ignoring his surroundings. All of these sequences together again instill that incurable loneliness Joel feels.

In short the title sequence and the 17min of film beforehand do a good job of setting up the back story, alluding to a lost love, making a hasty decision, introducing characters and setting up an impending action between Joel and the guys in the van.