I just finished watching the movie and I didn't understand most of it, but I felt it.

"this film is a little depressing" the understatement of the year

"its about dying without having finished your lifes work." we get it Adam, just release the the rest of the review already!

The beginning time of the movie is 7:44 which is also the same time Caden dies at the end. The beginning is tied to the end. What the fuck this movie is clever.

When Hoffman says "he won a Nobel Prize", I saw it as how our achievements in life won't change the inevitability of death.

As soon as I heard Caden say: "Try to keep in mind that a young person playing Willy Loman thinks he's only pretending to be at the end of a life full of despair. But the tragedy is that we know, you, the young actor, will end up in this very place of desolation." I knew this was going to be a good one.

Did anyone else realize that in the beginning of the film, when the radio is on and its a man and woman speaking, the woman had a German accent? the foreshadowing in this movie is incredible. and the topic of discussion was about the "fall". a double meaning including the autumn season as well as the "beginning of the end" as the german woman put it. and to think this movie is full of double meanings, miscues, and misunderstandings is truly mind boggling. truly a miracle movie and my favorite movie of all time.

Is it worth noting that Olive's first mention of the concept of having blood was brought up in the bathroom when she catches her father bleeding? So, in the car, it might be possible that she's saying "I don't want blood" which, to her, might translate to "I don't wanna get hurt." Which fits a lot of what happens to her later in the movie.

Notice the grey fade-in at the start of the video.

Whoa, isn't that old Olive speaking on the radio while young Olive is singing?

This movie fucked me up so bad when I was in the most fucked up situation that could be. I never expected it could be worse, but it did. And it was beautiful.

Is any body watching this after “I’m Thinking of Ending Things”?

My favorite thing about this movie is that every time I watch it I pick up on microscopic little details that add pounds of weight to the story and it's realism. It's crazy how much is absolutely packed into this movie.

"I never set out to make the movie depressing." I don't believe the guy who wrote Little Person didn't intend on making people sad.

"Now you are here, It's 7:43. Now you are here, It's 7:44. Now you are; gone."

its probably the best movie i've ever seen i can't believe it's so underappreciated, it changed my view on life forever

I genuinely cannot believe this. I watched it and tried to understand it but I couldn't. Now that I'm seeing this...all I have to say is that the amount of meaning even in the smallest of details in this film is impeccable. Haven't been this impressed since I saw Mulholland drive

Just finished watching, fuckin Adam, I could give you a fuckin hug, the last line of the review broke me into pieces. This has been one of my favorite movies of all time and Kaufmann is one of the most awesome person to produce content these days, I can say your review is right on point with a lot of things I thought (besides being only on the early part of the movie without a lot of the existencial things coming later) and I'm anxiously waiting for the next video. Keep on dude, you're pretty fuckin awesome.

Hey Adam, I normally don't comment on videos, but I just wanted to say that after only half of this video has passed, I am already completely blown away. I've been watching your videos for a few days now (the YMS ones) and thought they were really funny, but this was the first serious one that I've seen of yours. This video is brilliant! I just love hearing your incredibly intelligent commentary on this movie that you're so passionate about, it's just simply awesome. That scene with the alarm clock and the title scene was incredible, by the way, and you should be proud of your serious eye for detail! Thanks for making so much good content, I'm excited to see what else I find on your channel! ^^

This movie changed my life. For the worse.

I grew up about 10 minutes from Schenectady. Mohawks is the ambulance service that's been in the area for as long as I've been alive and GE is the massive General Electric plant that still exists in Schenectady, pretty much where Edison originally got his start. Schenectady is also a massively depressing city full of crime so it's definitely suiting as their location for this movie lmao.

I still say this is the single best representation of the human experience Ive seen on film, a true masterpiece, cool to see an analysis.

Is it weird that I look forward to YMS videos the way I do actual films. I have a bucket of popcorn and soda ready as I'm watching this.

We all know that books are something you read and interact with alone, nobody sits down and reads the same book with someone. This feels like a film that should be watched and interacted with alone, it's not like other movies you go to the cinema with your friends to watch. This will be a personal experience for every viewer.

"The Film is about death" *shot with Phillip Seymour Hoffman* sigh.

0:00 2nd favorite film of all time 1:13 Built around Themes 1. Death 2. Regret 3. Dying Before You’ve Finished Your Work (part of everyone’s life) 2:34 Olive singing about her home of Synecdoche 2:54 Music Drowned out 4:07 The end is built into the beginning Greyish to opening End -> Beginning -> End You could be buying your last thing, doing your last thing. Synecdoche • Cleveland won by 6 runs (not all of Cleveland, The Cleveland Indians) He is attempting to make a film that anyone can experience and connect to. A story that strings all together. Universal 6:16 Human Experience - Struggle Into Existance - Struggle With Time. Being killed by time * _Layered levels of detail_ Time Slipping 8:02 Autumn Day 🍂 • Uncompromising Honesty (Authenticity) 8:49 Adele coughs -> Adele dies of lung cancer 9:26 Adele & Caden: Non-chalance vs Over-Obsession (Either; Or, 2 Ways of Being) 10:23 Caring For You • Therapy Visits • Every heart has its own suffering 😭 11:18 Skynews clip reference • Caden’s Paranoia/Obsession with Death 12:19 September 22nd, October 8th, October 15th, _Life In A Dreamlike State_ Kid - so slow Adult - so fast Halloween, December 13:42 Cotard Syndrome 14:14 Film Imagery presented with things intentionally missing 15:29 Pipes Smoking House tubes Body pipes Capillaries “I don’t want blood” repeated 🩸 Problems - Ignoring the problem Visual change makes life go longer. New things make life longer. 18:55 The Struggles of Living Knowing you are stuck inside your own perspective 19:45 Part W

Great video mate -Garrus

Now this may be kind of an obvious thing because the first part of the song is obviously about Schenectady but literally about the cities life and death. I think it goes along with everything Adum said, the radio switches on and she sings about the cities death and it's drowned out by the radio (because who cares about that dead city). The city I feel is an incredibly important piece to the entire movie and this is echoed in the song. Schenectady was the booming electric city (Home of GE), everyone wanted to live and die there because of the great employment opportunities. Hell GE employed a huge portion of the people in city and surrounding area. Long story short GE basically cuts all the jobs in the 1960s and the city literally falls apart, everyone leaves. Now the city is mostly a slum and has the highest rate of crime in NY state (yes more than the 5 boroughs). Everyone left there, no one wants to live there, and no one who left is ever going back. I think she's literally singing about the city itself (which echos a bit of the under tones of this movie). Life goes on, people move on to the next thing, they try to cling to the things they know, they distract themselves from life with frivolous things, and eventually have to leave their life behind all together.

Uh... no? The letter fading differently on the titles due to contrast hues on the video compression of a 2008/2009 digital non linear movie editing, changing some parts of the video faster as the median hues are calculated (which has improved with time but is still not perfect, not being a lossless compression).

Well shit. I could have watched this movie 100+ times and still not notice the fucking fading on the alarm clock. This is dedication.

I now know why Charlie took 7 years to make another film after Synecdoche. Because it takes 7 years and hundreds of viewings to properly interpret all the layers of this movie. The effort is greatly appreciated. SO pumped for 'Anomalisa!' :)

this is all freaking me out. I watched this movie just once and was sure it's got more layers but the ammount of attention to detail actually is creepingly scary (I literally get shivers all around my body when I see what I've missed)

It’s crazy that Kaufman watched this and enjoyed it enough to meet you. Good job

While I think you took a little to much time analyzing the alarm clock at the very beginning of the movie (Maybe that text fade in thing was intentional. I don't know, I am not Kaufman) I absolutely loved that you pointed out the segments of time and how they moved so quickly in this film. That is something that I did not catch the first time I watched this film, and will gladly watch the movie again to spot out time stamps of sorts. I can't remember if you mentioned this, but the film starts on September 22nd, which is the first day of Autumn. Autumn is typically associated with death in literature, so this enforces that the end is built into the beginning, where the beginning of the film starts on a day associated with death, an end of sorts.

Why does the director of this movie look like Neil Breen?

I've spent my last ~2 weeks without a computer and internet. I came back to my apartment now and watched every video I missed on youtube during those weeks and I must say that this analysis is my favorite. The insight is truly amazing and adds so much more to the movie. Even "boring" breakfast scenes bombard you with thrilling information. I wish I could see this within movies.

Damn, Adam. I watched this 7 years ago when you first released it and just came back to rewatch it and just have to say, you are a fantastic film critic. The research and detail in this video is amazing and your love for this film really shows. It really stands out even after all these years.

I'm an illustrator & I lost count on how many times I listen to this amazing reading of Synecdoche while working. Well in my opinion it's the best movie I've ever watched, and your eloquent analysis helped me a lot to rediscover many details in it. Thank you...

Third time watching this waiting for Adam to release the final part. It's been 84 years.

I'm here to say that 6 years after hearing your recommendation for this movie i finally watched it. I'm not sure i understand it. But after finishing the film i sat in silence for about 10 minutes thinking about my life and some of the moments that led me to where i am today. I burst into tears and had to excuse myself to my bedroom. This film really spoke to me on a deep level and i'm not entirely sure why. I'm now thinking about how tragic and beautiful it is that we all live such intricate and complex lives filled with joy and grief, hope and regret, but in the end we all fade away with little fan fare. We're all just extras in somebody elses play.and once its over, all of our dreams disappear along with it, never getting a chance to be realized.

Coincidentally, not anticipating your review at all I watched this for the first time ever. It was really......I watched it. Your review is laying out SO MUCH I missed the first time. Keep it coming!

i’ve finally just now watched this movie after all the synecdoche, new york comments in the adum and pals videos… i can’t say i enjoyed it very much. i can’t remember the last time a movie made me pause it just so i could take a breather and calm myself down.

This is my favorite film, and I've seen it at least a dozen and a half times, seeing something new every single time I watch it, and yet you've still managed to point out things I hadn't noticed. Kudos, sir, and I look forward to parts 2 and 3.

I've been meaning to watch this film ever since you posted this video, but eight years passed without me even realizing. It's almost terrifyingly appropriate, given the subject matter.

There is one thing that I noticed that you didn't touch on. I have always seen Caden's recurring tooth issues as having a duel meaning. The first, which you pointed out, is to show his growing obsession with his health problems. But the second meaning that came to mind when I saw this was that it is commonly known that if one has a dream about his or her teeth falling out, it is said that that dream signifies a subconscious fear of growing old. I believe that Kaufman put the particular problem of Caden's teeth in the film to show his fear of time slipping away, growing old and not leaving his mark on the world.

Adele Lack Cotard = A delicate art...

Stunning so far Adam, so happy you recommended this film and even happier you are doing something like this for it, keep it up man!

I always love it when people go deep into the meaning of titles and how they play into a film. I am already chomping at the bit for part 2 man, excellent stuff.

I’m obsessed with death, but it encourages me to behave completely opposite of the main character. While he tries to defy it in fear, my obsession has turned into acceptance. It’s made me live life more openly and happy, knowing it could all come to an end any second

I just want to thank Adam for making me find this film, it was the best experience of a film that I have ever had and it changed my outlook on life. Thank you for making me discover this masterpiece.

Nice to see you dig in at something that didn't release just recently, because this was a magnificent analysis. This movie has been haunting me, made me think so much, and now I want to go back to it. Can't wait for the next part!

Bravo, Adam. I've been following you for a while and I am waiting eagerly for the next thing. You're helping me understand this movie even more, by showing me routes by which I can take my own interpretation. Very well phrased and thought out. Bravo again.

I am by no means a movie person, but after watching this video, I finally got around to seeing the real thing. It seriously made me tear up more than once, and my girlfriend outright broke down and got angry at me for showing such a depressing movie to her. It was a great movie night.

At the end of the movie, the woman guiding Caden (Ellen) at the end of the movie says "now you're here, it's 7:43... now you're here, it's 7:44... now you're" and wouldn't you know it, the movie begins at 7:45.

Part two's not out yet but I can tell this is probably going to be my favorite thing that you've done. I look forward to part 2 and and however more follow.

Hey Adam. Just wanted to thank you for introducing me to this magnificent film. I've already watched it two times, and it's just amazing.

It is fantastic how his videos tell more about himself than the movies he talks about.

"After all, the film is... about you."

wow, it's been three years since you started this Adam, good job keeping faithful to this project, I hope things get better for you

This is a wonderful retrospective so far, will be watching the rest. I study philosophy and creative writing at university so I was hooked from many, many angles by this film. Glad to see it's getting the attention it deserves.

It's great to hear him talk about a movie he really liked.

TIL Adam is my AP English teacher.

It's a full year and I really hope you end up finishing this review. This movie is probably my favorite of all time, and I never wouldn't have found it thanks to you, Adam.

I'm gonna cry. You finally uploaded something, and Synecdoche nothing less. Happy New Year from this side of the world Adam!

I love to think that when hazel buys the burning house, it is representative of her involvement in the main characters life. As it keeps burning and burning it represents the involvement of him in her life. Until she dies.

the missing owl paintings or the tripped over chair may also indicate Caden as he is dead and missing from his family of three :(

Wonderful job, can't wait for part two!

I really enjoy these kinds of interpretation videos. Great job, Adam!

I've actually had to deal with Cotard syndrome for several years, let me tell you, those delusions are not fun to experience. Not to mention the other physical effects your psyche causes you to feel when those delusions start up randomly, sometimes not happening for a week and sometimes being constant and so annoying that you can't get to sleep no matter what you do.

"You probably ate something green." Such a great juxtaposition.

This is awesome! I'm going to watch it again now and I'm extremely excited for the next part of your review

Brilliant work. Bravo. I've been trying to explain to people for 5 years why this is my all-time favorite. Finally I have the tool to show them.

Holy hell this movie has layers to it that I never even could have imagined.

So much hype for this review. I think my brain will explode when you review The Herly Murntin.

Thanks bro for getting me on to this film. It has to be one the greatest movies I've ever seen, absolute masterpiece. Keep up the good work, looking forward to part 2

I gotta say, I love your comedic reviews. In my opinion, you are one of the funniest personalities on youtube as far as the movie review scene goes. However, your serious reviews, such as this, are on a whole other level. You have a much deeper analysis, and have a much stronger passion for the movies than most others I watch. Thank you for these kind of reviews, this one in particular which really open my eyes to the world of cinematography and let me see a whole side of these movies I never saw in the past. After watching this I absolutely have to see this movie. It looks not only fantastic, but as you said, is extremely relative to all members of the audience. Thank you for this awesome review :)

7 years ago already? Synecdoche for real...I get your point...Wow.

“You are breaking the fourth wall!” Lmao

Second time seeing the movie just now. I first watched it in 2018 and hes right later on in his analysis. Iv'e been coming back to Adam's videos about the film at different intervals of time like i just did come back to the film itself for the first time in 6 years. Noticing how little / lot has changed in my life. Thank you Adam for making me discorver this amazing work of art.

Upon rewatching the movie and this series, I was inspired to purchase the soundtrack (which I didn't initially think much of as I was reeling in from the heaviness of the movie's themes). I am looking forward to Part 6; take your time producing it. This series OBVIOUSLY took a lot of effort on your part to produce, and I don't want to feel like I'm pressuring you with yet another request. Just looking forward to it whenever it's out, thanks man!

Greetings from Cleveland! We won by six runs.

Does he talk about Little Winky in this video!? That bit always stumped the hell out of me (I'll check back and watch the entire video later.)

I saw this movie four times in a small theatre by myself. I remember it making me cry so hard, being really confused by it, and then just going back the next day because I wanted to understand it all. Thank you for unpacking it like this. Wonderful film and a great review.

Great work! We're looking forward to part two!

This movie is great but Mega-Pirahna is better.

I didn't remember that such perfection could exist in a movie. Charlie Kaufman is as obsessed about details as Caden is about death... and we all thank for that. More than changing what you said, I would like to say a detail I found. In the scene when Caden is beaten by the sink I guess it could also represent the pipes of his body getting broken (his veins) and more because of the way he bleeds right afterwards. This could also be a "hen/egg" stuff, because the metaphor is happening before the reality comes to it, and it can also be a part of the idea "the end is built into the beginning". I could think this is a rupture of his routine, but when he appears in the hospital and the time just continues the same fast as before, I think it is there to represent that Caden is used to accidents, and they don't brake his routine cause they are part of it. It reminds me about David Linch's "Blue Velvet" very beginning, when the old man suffers a heart attack represented by a bent hose he was using to water his garden. These brilliant writer/directors... beautiful minds.

this is some of your best stuff so far. i look forward to the rest of it.

I just realised there's 5 parts to this review! I only watched the first one a few years and thought it was a meme that we had to wait for a really long time for the second part... Apparently it's already out but KZfaq doesn't recommend any of these?? Wow

I thought this was YourMovieSucksDOTorg not your film is YourMovieIsGreatDOTorg

Adum, I love you, but as someone who struggles very badly with depression and anxiety, as well as someone with high empathy, I think watching this movie is the worst thing I could do for myself. So I'm just gonna watch reviews of it online and thought analysis on it. I will live vicariously through you all.

This is a fantastic review. Great work, truly. Needless to say, I can't wait for part 2.

I absolutely love your series of reviews and aging with them has been an incredible experience

Omg no, I am rewatching all of these vids and I saw the date when this vid came out I'm shocked because I thought it came out like last Christmas but no it came out 2 years ago and I just look back and now realize time is going to fast and I haven't done anything.

I finished my second watchthrough of the movie a week ago and decided to go through these analysis videos again. One thing I didn't notice until now is how Ironic it is that Olive's song at the beginning directly states that she'll live and die in Schenectady yet she ends up living out the rest of her life in Germany.

This is one of my all time favorite movies. I'm glad to see you really breaking into the nitty gritty, fine detail combing over of the absurd time jumps in the beginning. I'm surprised you passed over Caden's wife's line "everyone is more disappointing, the more you know someone" while working on one of her paintings. I thought it was quite indicative of not only their relationship but also the more general themes of decay and dissatisfaction. It also adds insight into her artistic style (her visceral, muddy paintings of nudes) and how she sees people through a distancing lens that simultaneously allows her to see people for what they are, unclouded by sentiment, while also keeping her removed from those she depicts so bluntly. Like Caden she is compartmentalizing her life into manageable pieces, but where Caden strives to represent all of our shared experiences (ironically causing his art, his coping mechanism to grow unwieldy and ultimately deeply alienating) his wife seeks only to recreate her own personal perspective which while arguably pure is devoid of participation (interprative or otherwise). That being said however I'm glad you at least got into how they are indeed opposites. I'm excited for part 2. Keep it up.

This is so Great. Its also one of my all time favs. Endlessly complex and layered. Thanks for doing this

Thank you for introducing me to this movie :) watching it now for the second time and trying to pay attention to the timeline. Noticed that Adele's art exhibition is taking place between Nov 2026 and Jan 2027, it says it on a guy's shirt who is walking past Caden at about 01.23.20 in the movie.

What you said about our brains ignoring consistent stimuli is why I can't really keep a proper 'reminder' routine to overcome my memory disorder. There's a note that I look at no matter what every time I use the kitchen sink, but after a while it's become white noise in the background as if it's not even there. I can look right at it and read it unconsciously without properly processing and acknowledging what it says. I'm pretty sure I'd be more likely to process the reminder written on it if it were to just not be there one day, simply because something would have changed from the norm.

It's literally taken me several hours to watch this 20 minute video as I keep having to pause it and walk around talking to myself to think about the ideas in this video, great video btw

your analysis videos are always really well thought out but i must admit you've outdone yourself. i love this movie and am going to give it another watch right now because of this video. i appreciate that you said this was your own interpretation and that you encourage all of us to make up our own minds about what the movie means to us as individuals because i agree that that is the point of the film. highly looking forward to the rest of the series