Life Experience: <em>Freddy Got Fingered</em> As Neo-Surrealist Masterpiece

<p>The late Roger Ebert was known for his entertainingly harsh reviews. The review he wrote of the 2001 film<em> Freddy Got Fingered</em> is one notable example. "The day may come when '<em>Freddy Got Fingered</em>' is seen as a milestone of neo-surrealism. The day may never come when it is seen as funny," wrote Ebert in his April 20, 2001 review of the film. Humor is subjective and there is no accounting for taste but this thesis will prove that the much-maligned film <em>Freddy Got Fingered</em> is a milestone of neo-surrealism. <em>Freddy Got Fingered</em> director Tom Green has a past that colors the perception people have of <em>Freddy Got Fingered</em> but the film truly deserves to be respected as a neo-surrealist masterpiece. A major studio producing an avant-garde film as bizarre as <em>Freddy Got Fingered</em> is rare and the fact that it was even made is an accomplishment unto itself. This thesis will closely analyze the film scene-by-scene and validate the surrealist bonafides that the movie possesses. The thesis will also point out the similarities to classic Surrealist films like <em>Un Chien Andalou</em> and <em>Anemic Cinema</em>, among many others. There are scenes containing various "Easter eggs" that allude to the origins of Surrealist cinema. The themes and sensibility of the film can be linked to Surrealist co-conspirator and avant-garde artist Antonin Artaud, who revolutionized theatrical sensibilities with his 1938 work <em>The Theatre and</em> <em>its Double</em>. <em>Freddy Got Fingered</em> is a masterpiece of neo-surrealism and this thesis proves it.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts

Level thesis:degree_level

Master

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Liberal Studies

Grantor

The Graduate School and University Center of The City University of New York

Year dc:date.available

2016

Author dc:creator

• Koshel, Frank

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Paul Julian Smith

• Other Film and Media Studies
• freddy got fingered
• tom green
• surrealism

Repository record dc:identifier

https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/1351

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:academicworks.cuny.edu:gc_etds-2374