Screenwriters' Lecture: Charlie Kaufman (2011) | Hacker News Reader

Screenwriters' Lecture: Charlie Kaufman (2011)

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I'm a huge fan of Kaufman's work but only recently saw Synecdoche, New York, which immediately became my favorite movie, ever. That led me down a rabbit hole of listening to basically every recorded interview he's ever given. He's absolutely brilliant, sincerely humble, probably depressed, and just an absolute joy to listen to. I have a simple quote from him on my computer that I look at from time to time:

I try to do what I can to put something in the world that is not garbage.

Synecdoche, New York is an awe-inspiring work, but it's incredibly hard to watch and left me ruined, mentally, for days afterwards. It's obvious why it's not a popular movie -- he talks about wounds in this speech, and that movie is basically an open psychic sore. It takes a tremendous amount of courage to make a movie that's so relentlessly grim and honest.

I also found found it incredibly hard to watch, and was also ruined me for days if not weeks. In fact, I think a certain part of me has been permanently changed.

And that is exactly why it is now my favorite movie. A lot of movies have moved me, but this thing did something I didn't even know movies could do.

I was going to watch it based on the first review in this thread. I think I will have to wait to watch it based on the 2 ruined people.

I don’t currently have time for that. thank you for the warning.

I can echo the others. It's also my favorite movie, period. It is a movie that psychically assaults either vicariously through the characters and/or (likely and) through identifying with the themes of struggling with the idea of artistic experience, destiny, legacy, etc. Even if you don't "actually" believe in all of those things it's probably because you contended with these ideas before and came to some psychologically safe (ethically and philosophically coherent, at least internally) conclusion about them, but this movie really tugs at those deepest heartstrings and induces a reliving of the main character's struggles with those themes.

The first time I watched it I had to pause it halfway through... the next couple hours I was in a mental space that can only be rationalized as "schizophrenic". I thought everyone around me were psychopaths and I was the only sane one, but lived that in a more or less manic way. The only other piece of art that's had that kind of effect on me is the novel Naked Lunch. It's my favorite movie precisely because of how unflinchingly it plumbs those depths, those cracks, of the human condition and the anxiety of dying having not contributed enough.

Sounds great unfortunately I seem to be living the circumstances you currently describe.

Best of luck with all that. It's good you're taking care of yourself.

Thanks for reaching out. I'm in a good place where I think I'm doing great. The description of the main character's negative attributes sounds identical to what my partner accuses me of. These perceptions are impossible to shake no matter the contrary evidence. In fact the person would rather ignore me than learn the truth.

So I identify with what I believe the character is struggling with in the film. I have no question about what I'm doing. My partner on the other hand has completely lost/never had faith after 30 years.

It's a tough spot to be in. Currently I'm discovering Jack Benny and there is a lot to learn.

It leaves such a lasting impression. I find myself remembering some pieces on many ocassions. With my kids, my projects, some aspect of self absorbedness on my own goals.

I took a first date to Synecdoche, New York and we didn't have a second (good film though).

I enjoy Roger Ebert's review of it: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/synecdoche-new-york-2008

Here's the first paragragh:

    I think you have to see Charlie Kaufman's "Synecdoche, New York" twice. I watched it the first time and knew it was a great film and that I had not mastered it. The second time because I needed to. The third time because I will want to. It will open to confused audiences and live indefinitely. A lot of people these days don't even go to a movie once. There are alternatives. It doesn't have to be the movies, but we must somehow dream. If we don't "go to the movies" in any form, our minds wither and sicken.

If you like that movie, then I highly recommend checking out The Rehearsal (2022). Basically a show version of the movie!

The Rehearsal (and Finding Frances) is with Synecdoche, New York in the bucket of "I didn't know art could do that". I was just in complete awe of what he did with with both of those.

And then there's How To with John Wilson, executive producer: Nathan Fielder.

This is a great series of "s,ny" analysis : https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLs13oSKi_qiuwDIYaQROhJr1F...

It's life changing.

> In many cases a major obstacle is your deeply seated belief that you are not interesting. And since convincing yourself that you are interesting is probably not going to happen, take it off the table. Think, ‘Perhaps I’m not interesting but I am the only thing I have to offer, and I want to offer something. And by offering myself in a true way I am doing a great service to the world, because it is rare and it will help.’

Adaptation is one of the gems of Postmodern cinema. I really like what that film did to my brain the first time I watched it. It's hilarious.

It's a keen insight into the process and emotional rollercoaster of creative work.

The layered hilarity to it all is that it's based on the real experience of Kaufman trying to adapt The Orchid Thief.

"Adaptation" is absolutely amazing of a movie. Kaufman's works are all amazing but I think this one takes the cake. It's so smart and so well executed. I know Nic Cage is a very controversial actor, and I don't doubt he acted terribly before, but this movie is a good demonstration of how incredibly good he really is if he decides to play well, which really strengthens his other works because you always question "did he really mean to do that just now?" like a Schoenbergian "did he really mean to put a minor second at every measure?"

I appreciate Adaptation for being well written and clever but it doesn't really astound me because it relies too heavily on its gimmick. The classic meta "you see this movie you are watching? I am self referencing it! I am breaking the fourth wall! And now I'm breaking the fourth wall about breaking the fourth wall". The entire thing is just neurotic obsessive self examination without a point. It just repeatedly goes for the obvious joke by laying out the subtext without much subtlety.

Adaptation is the film I didn't know I wanted to write. It's perfect.

If you have Netflix, check out one of Kaufman's more recent films, "I'm Thinking of Ending Things". It's an (increasingly loose) adaptation of Ian Reid's book of the same name. The book is deliberately disorienting and unsettling which makes Kaufman's style really shine.

https://www.netflix.com/title/80211559

I'm a huge fan of Kaufman, I think I've seen almost everything he's done. In my opinion, "I'm Thinking of Ending Things" is not his best work. But I have to admit, I think of the themes in this movie more than almost any other film of his.

I read a few interpretations of the film before I watched it and I would actually recommend people to do the same. I think it is worth spoiling the premise behind the movie to understand what is going on. The film is purposefully obtuse which is off-putting to some. In fact, the "twist" of it wouldn't be obvious to most people who watch it. But to appreciate the depth of the story you have to get passed the surreality of the presentation.

Like "Synecdoche, New York", what remains once you strip away the fantasy is pretty bleak in an existential angst kind of way. But that is pretty much what you get with Kaufman: a bleak existential crisis.

I loved "I'm Thinking of Ending Things" so much. Kaufman's work scratches a deep itch that nothing else can really reach.

The video/audio of this talk is also quite good: https://youtu.be/eRfXcWT_oFs?si=clFM0bNLTO7ll7bK

Long ago I was the assistant to the movie tie-in editor at Tor Books. One day we're going through the mail and there's the script for Being John Malkovich. I read it, and I'm like, holy shit, we have to do this. But wait, how are we going to do this? So I show it to the editor, and he says, yeah, this is great, but how are we going to make this a book? I mean, I could think of ways, but no way that Tom would pay for. So I spend the better part of year just blabbing to people about this great script, but no one has any better idea of what do with it. Still disappointed.

If you haven't already, pick up a copy of Kaufman's only novel, Antkind. It is easily the funniest thing I have ever read. The audiobook version is perfectly done. I have never laughed so hard in my life.

I'll give this book a strong second. It is outrageously funny. The narrator/protagonist is such an insufferable wimp. I swear it's good, though.

I didn't know there was an audio book though. That might be worth a look.

Every time I listen to this lecture it hits me in the gut.

https://vimeo.com/45097801

Eliot Rausch edited a beautiful short video with clips from this speech:

Video of the lecture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRfXcWT_oFs

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