从早期开始，杰瑞·刘易斯就与卓别林、基顿和劳雷尔齐名，用他的视觉笑话、哑剧小品和标志性的闹剧幽默逗得观众捧腹大笑。然而，刘易斯不仅仅是个小丑。他还是一位开创性的电影制作人，他永不满足的好奇心促使他编剧、制作、上演和导演了许多他出演的电影，最终创作出《侍者》、《花花公子》、《差使小子》和《肥佬教授》等深受喜爱的经典电影。通过成为一名“全能电影制作人”，刘易斯超越了人们对喜剧演员的期望，成为好莱坞的一股推动力量。他凭借技术创新、独特的嗓音和敏锐的视觉眼光打破了界限，甚至在海外赢得了尊重和赞誉。然而，美国评论家和文化精英倾向于拒绝他粗俗的艺术。尽管他们认为刘易斯只不过是个小丑，但其他人，比如法国人，却认为他是一位真正的作者，这引发了困扰美国流行文化 50 多年的问题：为什么欧洲人喜欢杰瑞·刘易斯？美国人对他的这种莫名厌恶感究竟是什么？他只是一个傲慢无礼、无所顾忌的小丑吗？还是他是一个创意天才？小丑背后的人是谁？Since the early days, Jerry Lewis - in the line of Chaplin, Keaton and Laurel - had the masses laughing with his visual gags, pantomime sketches and signature slapstick humor. Yet Lewis was far more than just a clown. He was also a groundbreaking filmmaker whose unquenchable curiosity led him to write, produce, stage and direct many of the films he appeared in, resulting in such adored classics as The Bellboy, The Ladies Man, The Errand Boy, and The Nutty Professor. By becoming a "total filmmaker," Lewis surpassed expectations as a comic performer and emerged as a driving force in Hollywood. He broke boundaries with his technical innovations, unique voice and keen visual eye, even garnering respect and praise overseas. However, American critics and the cultural elite tended to reject his abrasive art. While they viewed Lewis as nothing more than just a clown, others like the French recognized him as a true auteur, giving rise to questions that have perplexed American pop culture for over 50 years: Why do Europeans love Jerry Lewis? What is this inexplicable aversion Americans have towards him? Is he just a brash, anything-for-yuk buffoon? Or is he a creative genius? Who is the man behind the clown?
