The 1959 movie that inspired Paul Schrader to become a filmmaker: “I can make a film like that”
Paul Schrader's journey to filmmaking was shaped by an unusually restrictive religious upbringing that prevented him from watching films until age 17. Upon leaving home and working as a film critic, he encountered Robert Bresson's 1959 film Pickpocket whilst sharing accommodation with four aspiring filmmakers. The film's meditation on guilt and morality deeply resonated with Schrader, crystallising his conviction that he could create work of similar calibre—a realisation reinforced by his peers challenging him to attempt filmmaking himself.
This breakthrough moment in 1969 sparked a highly productive period: Schrader published his influential study of film aesthetics within two years and completed the Taxi Driver screenplay three years later. The film's critical success, including winning the Palme d'Or, significantly advanced both his own reputation and that of director Martin Scorsese. Schrader went on to build an extensive directing career encompassing numerous styles and genres throughout the following decades.
- Paul Schrader credits Robert Bresson's 1959 film Pickpocket with inspiring him to pursue filmmaking after viewing it in March 1969
- This moment led to his screenplay for Taxi Driver, which achieved major critical acclaim and elevated both Schrader's and director Martin Scorsese's careers
- Schrader subsequently established himself as a successful director across multiple genres, with a career spanning decades