Abstract:
The surrealist movement began in the early twentieth century, taking the post-war world by
storm. Its emphasis on the subjectivity of individual experience has become a core element in
modern culture, notably the film industry. Charlie Kaufman‘s Synecdoche, New York utilizes
surreal themes to engage the audience with a dream-like sense of unease. Kaufman explores his
own questions about life through the characters of the film, and invites the audience to
attentively empathize with their tragedy. Distinguishing the film‘s surreal themes brings clarity
to the movement of surrealism, the message of the movie, and if it succeeds, life itself.