Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Date of Degree

6-2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.A.

Program

Liberal Studies

Advisor

Paul Julian Smith

Subject Categories

Other Film and Media Studies

Keywords

freddy got fingered, tom green, surrealism

Abstract

The late Roger Ebert was known for his entertainingly harsh reviews. The review he wrote of the 2001 film Freddy Got Fingered is one notable example. "The day may come when 'Freddy Got Fingered' 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 Freddy Got Fingered is a milestone of neo-surrealism. Freddy Got Fingered director Tom Green has a past that colors the perception people have of Freddy Got Fingered but the film truly deserves to be respected as a neo-surrealist masterpiece. A major studio producing an avant-garde film as bizarre as Freddy Got Fingered 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 Un Chien Andalou and Anemic Cinema, 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 The Theatre and its Double. Freddy Got Fingered is a masterpiece of neo-surrealism and this thesis proves it.

Download

Share

COinS