Interview with Paul Schrader conducted by Michelle E. Moore and Brian Brems on 9/27/2018 at the Rail Line Diner, NYC

Abstract

This career spanning interview with writer/director/film critic Paul Schrader was conducted in New York City in September 2018. During the wide-ranging conversation, Schrader reflects on his filmography, weighs in on the validity of the auteur theory, offers insight into his approach to writing and directing, draws distinctions between being a film artist and a film critic, and tells interesting stories from his life in the cinema. He discusses his most important contributions to film, including the screenplay for Taxi Driver, his stylistic evolution beginning with American Gigolo, and his celebrated film First Reformed. He also provides trenchant observations about the state of the cinema and how the film business has changed over time, insights offered with his typically unvarnished candor.