Max Dedulle is studying English linguistics and literature at Ghent University, Belgium, and he wrote a thesis on Charlie's work:
Change is not a Choice, An analysis of the poetics of Charlie Kaufman, based on "˜Being John Malkovich', "˜Adaptation.' and "˜Synecdoche, New York.' SNAZZY. It's interesting reading, very in-depth (83 pages, with tons of citations), but not dry like many other college papers.
Do check out the file if you're of an academic bent.
Here's an excerpt:
I chose to write my MA thesis on this screenwriter after watching Adaptation as part of Roger Ebert's 'Great Movies' list, which I am using to fill the ever so many gaps in my film culture. I was immediately fascinated by the game Kaufman plays with fiction and reality, and decided to dive a little deeper into his work. I had already seen Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, but it was Synecdoche, New York that really puzzled, frustrated but ultimately fascinated me. After seeing the film twice, I felt as if I had still not really mastered it, but I was sure of its ambition, grasp and significance as a work of art. In my opinion, Synecdoche is a crucial yet undeservedly often overlooked film in Kaufman's oeuvre. It was this film that really pulled me into Kaufman's strain of thought and made me decide to write my MA thesis on this author.


