Paul J. Schrader   [1946]

Stage/Screen Director/Producer

Paul Schrader.jpg


Paul Schrader is a Dutch American and was born and raised in the western Michigan Dutch American community, centered around Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was also born in a religiously conservative family, was forbidden by his parents to go to the cinema, and did not see a movie until he was 18 years old. He attended Calvin College, a rather religiously conservative college, and earned a B.A. degree in philosophy and theology from there in around 1968.

The late 1960’s were tumultuous times in academia, and not because of the professors, but because of the students alarmed at what was happening in Viet Nam and elsewhere. Not surprisingly, even the conservative Calvin College was affected by the tumult created by the student generation of the late 1960’s. And I suspect that the student revolts also affected Paul Schrader, and he began to question all he had been taught at home and at school during those early years.

Following his undergraduate work at Calvin College, Schrader became interested in film, and especially in writing and studying about film. He attended the UCLA Film School Graduate program and earned his M.A. degree from there. He was fortunate to find a mentor in Pauline Kael, who directed him to the UCLA Film Program, and who was also instrumental in his becoming a film critic for the Los Angeles Free Press, and later for the Cinema Magazine. Following the completion of his graduate studies at UCLA, Schrader also studied at the American Film Institute Conservatory.

In 1972, Schrader wrote his first monograph examining cross-cultural similarities in film. The monograph was influenced by Robert Bresson, Yasujiro Ozu and Carl Dreyer. Its title was “Transcendental Style in Film: Ozu, Bresson, Dreyer”.

During the early years of his film career, the early 1970’s, Schrader focused on being a film critic but he also became interested in becoming a screenplay writer. His first successful screen play, “The Yakuza”, written with his older brother Leonard Schrader came out in 1975. The film was directed by Sydney Pollack and featured Robert Mitchum. Only a year later, in 1976, Schrader wrote the screen play for “Taxi Driver”, directed by Martin Scorsese. This film was nominated for a 1976 Golden Globe Award.

Also in 1976, Schrader wrote the screenplay for “Obsession”. This film was directed by Brian DePalma. And in the following year, in 1977, Schrader wrote the screenplay for “Rolling Thunder”, a film directed by John Flynn. With several successful screenplays under his belt, Scrader became interested in film directing. And in 1978, he was able to direct the film, “Blue Collar”, a film whose screenplay was written by Schrader and his brother Leonard Schrader. This film featured Richard Pryor and Harvey Keitel. In the following year, in 1979, he directed the film, “Hardcore”, and again the screenplay was written by Schrader and his brother Leonard. Also in 1979, Schrader and his brother Leonard wrote the screenplay for the film, “Old Boyfriends”, a film directed by Joan Tewkesbury.

So one can see that Schrader was able to become an established fixture in Hollywood during his first decade, the 1970’s, working in the area as a film critic, film screen writer and film director. What would the 1980’s bring?

As a screen writer Schrader would write three screenplays during the 1980’s. They were, “Raging Bull”, co-written with Mardik Martin, and directed by Martin Scorsese. In 1986, he wrote the screenplay for “The Mosquito Coast”, a film directed by Peter Weir. And in 1988, he wrote the screenplay for “The Last Temptation of Christ”, a film directed by Martin Scorsese.

During the 1980’s Schrader would also continue his film directing activities. In 1980, he directed “American Gigolo”, a film also written by him. In 1982, he directed “Cat People”. In 1985, he directed “Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters”, a film written by him, his brother Leonard, and his sister-in-law.  This film was nominated at the Cannes Film Festival for the Palme d’Or Prize. In 1987, Schrader directed “Light of Day”, a film also written by him. And finally in 1988, he directed “Patty Hearst”. So between his screenwriting and directing, Schrader was a busy man during the 1980’s.

Schrader’s directing activities in the 1990’s included “The Comfort of Strangers in 1990, “Light Sleeper” in 1992, also written by him, “Witch Hunt” in 1994, a film for television, “Touch” in 1997, also written by him, and “Forever Mine”, also written by him. In addition Schrader also wrote the screenplay for “City Hall”, a film directed by Harold Becker and co-written with Bo Goldman, Nicholas Pileggi, and Ken Lipper.

During the first decade of the 21st century, Schrader directed “Auto Focus”, in 2002, “Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist”, in 2005, “The Walker”, a film also written by him, in 2007, and “Adam Resurrected”, in 2008. He only wrote one other screenplay, in addition to the one mentioned above. Its title is for the film, “Torch”, to be directed by Harold Becker.

In 2007, Schrader was asked by Newsweek to pick the five most important movies ever made. He selected, “The Rules of the Game”, “Tokyo Story”, “Persona”, “The Godfather”, and “Masculin-Feminin”. He was also asked to which film he constantly returned. His response was “Pickpocket” by Robert Bresson. He stated, “It’s the one [film] that made me realize there was a place for me in filmmaking-- a type of film I could make. It’s about a man, his room and the movement of a soul”.

Paul Schrader was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on July 22, 1946. His first wife was Jennine Claudia Oppewall, from whom he divorced. His current wife is Mary Beth Hurt with whom he has two children, a daughter named Molly and a son named Sam.

 

REFERENCES

Paul Schrader, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Schrader

Biography for Paul Schrader, http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001707/bio

A Life in Movies, Paul Schrader, NEWSWEEK, December 10, 2007, p. 20.

 

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