About

Known credits:
113
Birthday:
1946-07-22
Place of birth:
Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
Website:
Click here

Paul Schrader

Overview

Paul Joseph Schrader (born July 22, 1946) is an American screenwriter, film director, and film critic. He first became widely known for writing the screenplay of Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver (1976). He later continued his collaboration with Scorsese, writing or co-writing Raging Bull (1980), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), and Bringing Out the Dead (1999). Schrader has also directed 24 films, including Blue Collar (1978), Hardcore (1979), American Gigolo (1980), Cat People (1982), Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985), Light Sleeper (1992), Affliction (1997), and First Reformed (2017); the latter earned him his first Academy Award nomination. Schrader's work frequently depicts troubled men struggling through an existential crisis that is then punctuated by a violent, cathartic event.

Raised in a strict Calvinist family, Schrader attended Calvin College before electing to pursue film studies at UCLA on the encouragement of film critic Pauline Kael. He then worked as a film scholar and critic, publishing the book Transcendental Style in Film: Ozu, Bresson, Dreyer (1972) before making the transition to screenwriting in 1974. The success of Taxi Driver in 1976 brought greater attention to his work, and Schrader began directing his own films beginning with Blue Collar (co-written with his brother, Leonard Schrader). His three most recent films have been described by Schrader as a loose trilogy: First Reformed (2017), The Card Counter (2021), and Master Gardener (2022).

Description above from the Wikipedia article Paul Schrader, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known for

Acting
2022 1982: Greatest Geek Year Ever! Actor Self N/A
N/A
2022 The Book of Harth Actor Self 59
Average
2020 The Beauty of Horror: Paul Schrader on The Comfort of Strangers Actor Self N/A
N/A
2020 Clapboard Jungle: Surviving the Independent Film Business Actor Self 58
Average
2020 Paul Schrader: Man in a Room Actor Self 58
Average
2019 What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael Actor Self 59
Average
2018 Time-Image: Transcendental Style with Paul Schrader Actor Himself 61
Fair
2017 We Blew It Actor Self 58
Average
2016 Dog Eat Dog Actor El Greco 55
Average
2016 Ken San Actor Self 58
Average
2015 Hitchcock/Truffaut Actor Self 63
Fair
2013 Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic Actor Self 60
Fair
2013 Milius Actor Self 59
Average
2011 Eames: The Architect and the Painter Actor Self 59
Average
2010 Godard Made in USA Actor Self N/A
N/A
2009 The Rules of Film Noir Actor Self 59
Average
2009 Tales from the Script Actor Self 59
Average
2008 Murnau, Borzage and Fox Actor Self 59
Average
2008 Schrader's Exorcism Actor Himself 59
Average
2007 Influence And Appreciation: A Martin Scorsese Tribute Actor Self 58
Average
2006 Film Noir: Bringing Darkness to Light Actor Self 59
Average
2005 Budd Boetticher: A Man Can Do That Actor Self 59
Average
2005 Raging Bull: Before the Fight Actor Self 59
Average
2004 Männer im Trenchcoat, Frauen im Pelz Actor Self N/A
N/A
2004 Sam Peckinpah's West: Legacy of a Hollywood Renegade Actor Self 59
Average
2003 Sex at 24 Frames Per Second Actor Self 59
Average
2003 A Decade Under the Influence Actor Self 60
Fair
2003 Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex, Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood Actor Self 60
Fair
1999 Making 'Taxi Driver' Actor Self 59
Average
1995 Untitled: New Blue Actor Himself (uncredited) 59
Average
1993 Talking with Ozu Actor Self 59
Average
1990 Hollywood Mavericks Actor Self 59
Average
1990 Preston Sturges: The Rise and Fall of an American Dreamer Actor Self 59
Average
1990 Pictures of Europe Actor Self N/A
N/A
1984 The Road to Bresson Actor Self 59
Average
Best Served Cold Actor Himself N/A
N/A

Directing
2024 Oh, Canada Directing Director 59
Average
2023 Master Gardener Directing Director 59
Average
2021 The Card Counter Directing Director 60
Fair
2018 First Reformed Directing Director 66
Fair
2017 Dark Directing Director N/A
N/A
2016 Dog Eat Dog Directing Director 55
Average
2014 Dying of the Light Directing Director 54
Average
2013 Venice 70: Future Reloaded Directing Director 58
Average
2013 The Canyons Directing Director 53
Average
2012 A Transcendental Film Directing Director N/A
N/A
2008 Adam Resurrected Directing Director 59
Average
2007 The Walker Directing Director 58
Average
2005 Dominion: Prequel to The Exorcist Directing Director 56
Average
2002 Auto Focus Directing Director 60
Fair
1999 Forever Mine Directing Director 58
Average
1998 Affliction Directing Director 60
Fair
1997 Touch Directing Director 58
Average
1995 Untitled: New Blue Directing Director 59
Average
1994 Witch Hunt Directing Director 58
Average
1992 Light Sleeper Directing Director 60
Fair
1990 The Comfort of Strangers Directing Director 58
Average
1988 Patty Hearst Directing Director 58
Average
1987 Light of Day Directing Director 58
Average
1985 Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters Directing Director 65
Fair
1982 Cat People Directing Director 59
Average
1980 American Gigolo Directing Director 60
Fair
1979 Hardcore Directing Director 62
Fair
1978 Blue Collar Directing Director 62
Fair
Dark Directing Director N/A
N/A
Non Compos Mentis Directing Director N/A
N/A
Nine Men from Now Directing Director N/A
N/A
The Basics of Philosophy Directing Director N/A
N/A

Writing
2024 Oh, Canada Writing Screenplay 59
Average
2023 Master Gardener Writing Writer 59
Average
2022 American Gigolo Writing Characters 69
Fair
2022 There Are No Saints Writing Screenplay 57
Average
2021 The Card Counter Writing Screenplay 60
Fair
2020 Cybermario Writing Writer N/A
N/A
2018 First Reformed Writing Writer 66
Fair
2017 Dark Writing Writer N/A
N/A
2014 Dying of the Light Writing Screenplay 54
Average
2007 The Walker Writing Screenplay 58
Average
1999 Forever Mine Writing Writer 58
Average
1999 Bringing Out the Dead Writing Screenplay 63
Fair
1998 Affliction Writing Screenplay 60
Fair
1997 Touch Writing Screenplay 58
Average
1996 City Hall Writing Writer 58
Average
1995 Untitled: New Blue Writing Writer 59
Average
1992 Light Sleeper Writing Screenplay 60
Fair
1988 The Last Temptation of Christ Writing Screenplay 68
Fair
1987 Light of Day Writing Screenplay 58
Average
1986 The Mosquito Coast Writing Screenplay 61
Fair
1985 Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters Writing Writer 65
Fair
1982 Cat People Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1980 Raging Bull Writing Screenplay 77
Good
1980 American Gigolo Writing Writer 60
Fair
1979 Old Boyfriends Writing Writer 58
Average
1979 Hardcore Writing Writer 62
Fair
1978 Blue Collar Writing Screenplay 62
Fair
1977 Rolling Thunder Writing Original Story 61
Fair
1977 Rolling Thunder Writing Writer 61
Fair
1976 Obsession Writing Screenplay 61
Fair
1976 Obsession Writing Story 61
Fair
1976 Taxi Driver Writing Screenplay 80
Very good
1974 The Yakuza Writing Screenplay 62
Fair
Amber Light Writing Writer N/A
N/A
The Basics of Philosophy Writing Writer N/A
N/A
Non Compos Mentis Writing Writer N/A
N/A
Nine Men from Now Writing Screenplay N/A
N/A
Bait Writing Screenplay N/A
N/A
Life from the Other Side Writing Screenplay N/A
N/A

Production
2022 There Are No Saints Production Executive Producer 57
Average
1979 Old Boyfriends Production Executive Producer 58
Average

Camera
2012 A Transcendental Film Camera Camera Operator N/A
N/A

Crew
2015 American Johns Crew Thanks 58
Average
2012 A Transcendental Film Crew Cinematography N/A
N/A

Visual Effects
2012 A Transcendental Film Visual Effects Visual Effects N/A
N/A