Is Synecdoche New York the most narratively 'deep' film ever made?
- What is Depth?
An online blog 'homeforfiction' has an interesting definition for it being; 'the propensity of a text to indirectly explore various probabilities and follow them to appropriate narrative lengths'. In many ways Synecdoche New York is that, where we follow multitudes of characters, with shifting timelines, at some point introducing doubles for characters, playing other characters, as well as multiple times questioning and debating over the complex and multifaceted identity of Caden, through characters like Sammy and or Millicent Weems. In that regard, we follow layers of story all interplaying with each other, helped by surrealism and time-bending elements
What about older epics? Does their length necessarily account for narrative depth? Does more story contribute to the narrative complexity? That is a more difficult question to answer in my opinion, since the longer narrative can contribute to more deeper explorations of characters, story, and possibilities. Clocking at 2 hour 4 minutes, Synecdoche isn't exactly even comparable to some epics made in 1950s with their gigantic runtimes.
- Is it the most narratively deep film ever made?
I think given that I have seen this film around 4 times, and still discover something new every time, it is definitely an experience I havent exactly had with any other film to such degree. The way I felt about the film in 2021, is significantly different to how I felt about it during the 2025 rewatch, as I thought about it in a different way. Does it imply that if the narrative can create multiple meanings, it is deeper and more layered? Perhaps. I think its possible that the answer might be very close to yes, as I truly haven't seen a film that has still so much to discover to such a strong degree
