{"id":115029,"date":"2020-11-19T00:20:06","date_gmt":"2020-11-18T21:20:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/25-things-we-learned-from-paul-schraders-blue-collar-commentary\/"},"modified":"2020-11-19T00:20:06","modified_gmt":"2020-11-18T21:20:06","slug":"25-things-we-learned-from-paul-schraders-blue-collar-commentary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/25-things-we-learned-from-paul-schraders-blue-collar-commentary\/","title":{"rendered":"#25 Things We Learned from Paul Schrader&#8217;s &#8216;Blue Collar&#8217; Commentary"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2cbbd8eb159\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2cbbd8eb159\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/25-things-we-learned-from-paul-schraders-blue-collar-commentary\/#Blue_Collar_1978\" >Blue Collar (1978)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/25-things-we-learned-from-paul-schraders-blue-collar-commentary\/#Best_in_Context-Free_Commentary\" >Best in Context-Free Commentary<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/25-things-we-learned-from-paul-schraders-blue-collar-commentary\/#Final_Thoughts\" >Final Thoughts<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#25 Things We Learned from Paul Schrader&#8217;s &#8216;Blue Collar&#8217; Commentary<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\">\n                <\/aside>\n<p><!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 3.7.8--><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\">Welcome to\u00a0<\/i><b data-stringify-type=\"bold\"><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\">Commentary Commentary,<\/i><\/b><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\"> where we sit and listen to filmmakers talk about their work, then share the most interesting parts. In this edition, Rob Hunter listens to Paul Schrader discuss his directorial debut, Blue Collar.<\/i><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p><strong>Paul Schrader<\/strong>\u2018s been a part of the American movie scene since writing 1974\u2019s <em>The Yakuza<\/em>, and he\u2019s remained a compelling voice through films as varied as <em>American Gigolo<\/em> (1980), <em>Affliction<\/em> (1997), <em>Auto Focus<\/em> (2002), and <em>First Reformed<\/em> (2017). He decided early on in his career, after seeing four <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">script<\/a>s of his directed by others, to take a seat in the director\u2019s chair himself. The result was a terrific American drama featuring one of <strong>Richard Pryor<\/strong>\u2018s best dramatic performances, <strong><em>Blue Collar<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Keep reading to see what I heard on the commentary for Schrader\u2019s <em>Blue Collar<\/em>.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"graf graf--h3\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Blue_Collar_1978\"><\/span>Blue Collar (1978)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Commentators: Paul Schrader (writer\/director), Maitland McDonagh (journalist)<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\"><strong>1.<\/strong> The opening credits shots include an overhead one lifted from Sergei Eisenstein\u2019s <em>Strike<\/em> (1925).<\/p>\n<p><strong>2.<\/strong> The automobile plant scenes were filmed at the Checker Cab plant in Kalamazoo, Michigan. \u201cWe tried to go to every auto plant in the US and Canada, and we were turned down uniformly.\u201d This plant finally relented because they were having some labor issues and thought the shoot would help settle and calm the workers.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3.<\/strong> The origin of the <em>Blue Collar<\/em> script started with a young man who brought an idea to him about his own father who worked in an auto plant before committing suicide. Schrader told him a better idea was a story about workers who rob their own union. \u201cAfter he left I called up my brother and said \u2018there was a guy over here and I gave him a very interesting idea, but I don\u2019t think he\u2019ll ever write that idea. Let\u2019s you and I write it.\u201d He and <strong>Leonard Schrader<\/strong> wrote the script, but once the film went into production the man, <strong>Sydney A. Glass<\/strong>, returned claiming he had supplied the initial idea so they gave him a \u201csource material\u201d credit.<\/p>\n<p><strong>4.<\/strong> One theme that Schrader returns to again and again in his writing is exploring why people act against their interests.<\/p>\n<p><strong>5.<\/strong> Schrader notes that Richard Pryor had done one previous serious role in <em>Lady Sings the Blues<\/em> (1972), but the comic actor had actually appeared in more than a few serious films, albeit in smaller roles. These include <em>The Mack<\/em> (1973), <em>Hit!<\/em> (1973), and <em>Some Call It Loving<\/em> (1973). The filmmaker was trying to find financing and having trouble, but bringing on the rising star helped dramatically.<\/p>\n<p><strong>6.<\/strong> Pryor was prone to improvisation and only \u201cgood\u201d for the first few takes. \u201cBy the fourth or fifth take he would already be downhill because he\u2019d be running out of gas.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>7.<\/strong> He was met with resistance in trying to sell the film as being about \u201ctwo Black guys and a white guy,\u201d as people would respond asking if he meant to say \u201ctwo white guys and a Black guy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>8.<\/strong> Schrader says he used to refer to Pryor as suffering from \u201cthe big and Black problem.\u201d He explains that the performer wanted to be a big success while still holding onto Black politics. \u201cHe would turn on people, he would instigate racial situations, and everyone hated it.\u201d The next day he would be a joy and ingratiate himself with everyone. The pendulum swings led to confrontations both verbal and violent.<\/p>\n<p><strong>9.<\/strong> <strong>Yaphet Kotto<\/strong> first caught Schrader\u2019s attention in 1972\u2019s <em>Across 110th Street<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>10.<\/strong> The shot\/scene around 14:37 led to a fight between Pryor and <strong>Harvey Keitel<\/strong>. The latter would take several takes to warm up, so they\u2019d shoot him with a stand-in reading Pryor\u2019s lines. \u201cWhen Harvey was all warmed up you brought in Richard and you shot Richard\u2019s first take.\u201d Apparently Keitel started riffing and Pryor joined in leading to a big, off-script rant that, while funny, possibly looked like showboating to Keitel who then moved an ashtray and spoke directly into the camera to scratch the take. \u201cEven before I cut, Richard was on Harvey, fists were flying,\u201d and soon Pryor\u2019s bodyguard and Schrader himself entered the fray. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t the only time things happened like this on the film.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>11.<\/strong> The film was shot over forty days which was more than he had on <em>Affliction<\/em>, which was the last film he made prior to this commentary track.<\/p>\n<p><strong>12.<\/strong> He essentially apologizes for the scene in which Zeke (Pryor) is visited by an IRS agent and it\u2019s revealed that he\u2019s been scamming welfare by pretending to have twice as many kids as he actually does. It was funny to him at the time he wrote it, but \u201ctoday in retrospect it\u2019s quite offensive.\u201d He adds that it\u2019s difficult to watch now, but rather than pursue the matter McDonagh decides to ask if the IRS actually visited people at home like that.<\/p>\n<p><strong>13.<\/strong> Pryor had bad things to say about Schrader after the film\u2019s release including accusing the director of \u201cputting him back on cocaine, which was a bit of a stretch.\u201d Two decades later, though, Pryor asked if Schrader would adapt his autobiography. \u201cIt\u2019s not something I could do while he\u2019s still alive, because as long as there was one body part of his that was still functioning he\u2019d come after you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>14.<\/strong> Schrader was overwhelmed as a director and leaned heavily on his cinematographer (<strong>Bobby Byrne<\/strong>) and script supervisor (<strong>Wallace Bennett<\/strong>).<\/p>\n<p><strong>15.<\/strong> \u201cI hired three bulls and asked them come into a china shop, and I promised each of those bulls that they would be the lead actor.\u201d Pryor, Kotto, and Keitel each figured out soon enough that they weren\u2019t the lead, and it led to chaos. Keitel saw himself as having to play straight man to Pryor\u2019s shenanigans, Pryor saw himself as \u201cthe colored friend\u201d of Keitel\u2019s character, and Kotto felt secondary to both men. \u201cIt became a real ego struggle about who would win the day,\u201d and that was every day.<\/p>\n<p><strong>16.<\/strong> The party scene was among the last sequences filmed, and by that time there was ample drug use among the cast including Pryor\u2019s return to cocaine. \u201cThey were coking it up on set.\u201d The scene featured Sweet n Low as a substitute, but he discovered later that the actors were actually using between takes.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-359752\" src=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/blue-collar2.jpg\" alt=\"the final shot in Blue Collar\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/blue-collar2.jpg 800w, https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/blue-collar2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/blue-collar2-160x120.jpg 160w, https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/blue-collar2-320x240.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>17.<\/strong> The shot above of the three leads on the couch was the final shot they filmed, and it required intense wrangling on Schrader\u2019s part to get the three actors to sit together. That\u2019s a recurring theme throughout the commentary as he reveals that numerous scenes were shot without closeups or additional coverage because calling cut meant the actors would get up and leave im<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a>tely.<\/p>\n<p><strong>18.<\/strong> Jerry\u2019s (Keitel) house features very visible religious iconography, and Schrader feels it\u2019s overdone. He mentions that Martin Scorsese is making his script for <em>Bringing Out the Dead<\/em> (1999) and the two had already butted heads over the Catholic imagery and paraphernalia in the film. The novel it\u2019s based on is heavy with the stuff, but Schrader told the director they\u2019d been reliant on the imagery for too long and for too many of their films.<\/p>\n<p><strong>19.<\/strong> Keitel walked at one point mid-film and went to the airport to fly back home, but thankfully his agent talked him into returning to the set.<\/p>\n<p><strong>20.<\/strong> Schrader says this is his first viewing of the film since its release roughly two decades prior. \u201cIt\u2019s strange to watch it after all these years. I don\u2019t go back and watch films I\u2019ve made because it\u2019s a lose\/lose proposition.\u201d He adds that if they\u2019re good you wonder what happened to the talent you once had, and if they\u2019re bad you realize you never had talent at all.<\/p>\n<p><strong>21.<\/strong> He decided to direct <em>Blue Collar<\/em> because he didn\u2019t feel as if he was in charge of his creative life. \u201cOnce I was able to direct, I was able to go back to writing for others without feeling incomplete.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>22.<\/strong> Universal did minimal marketing for the film\u2019s release and essentially folded it in with their marketing for Pryor\u2019s other Universal release, <em>Which Way Is Up?<\/em> (1977). It died in theaters fairly quickly as people realized it wasn\u2019t another Pryor comedy, but positive reviews helped launch Schrader as a director anyway.<\/p>\n<p><strong>23.<\/strong> Smokey\u2019s (Kotto) death scene is a favorite of many because it\u2019s dramatic and satisfying, but \u201con a realistic level it has zero credibility.\u201d He says it\u2019s not how the painting works, and you probably couldn\u2019t kill someone this way either. \u201cIt shows the power of <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">movies<\/a>, because if it\u2019s the right emotion and the right action at the right time, people set their more realistic sensibilities aside and go with it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>24.<\/strong> The car chase scene with Jerry being followed features the ominously increasing sound of bees. Composer <strong>Jack Nitzsche<\/strong> used a prototype synthesizer with digitally recorded sounds to create the effect.<\/p>\n<p><strong>25.<\/strong> The freeze frame ending was planned from the start as a \u201cclassic social realist poster.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"graf graf--h3\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Best_in_Context-Free_Commentary\"><\/span>Best in Context-Free Commentary<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p graf--startsWithDoubleQuote\">\u201cIt\u2019s so spooky watching Richard. He was the unhappiest person I ever met in my life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou could be sure if on one given day he was extremely nice to everybody, the next day he was gonna walk in and kick someone\u2019s ass.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf this is what directing was, I wanted no part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI learned that day never to put somebody so white next to somebody so Black.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not a big stickler for political correctness.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI really didn\u2019t figure out how to direct until my third film.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is the scene where Richard hit Yaphet with a chair.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs a writer you look back and you wince.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI just wish I could rewrite it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMore people want to make films than want to see films.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPlot 101. Make \u2019em nice so you can kill \u2019em.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"graf graf--h3\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Final_Thoughts\"><\/span>Final Thoughts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">This is, perhaps unsurprisingly, a fantastic commentary track with one real caveat \u2014 Schrader\u2019s frequent use of the n-word. He says it six times, and while it\u2019s used in the form of references as opposed to casual utterances it\u2019s still jarring. He mentions that Pryor went through a period where he wouldn\u2019t say it, and Schrader says it twice while sharing that information. Later, he talks about how other people viewed the film\u2019s characters and uses the word a few more times. In each instance he\u2019s essentially referring to someone else\u2019s use of the word, but it\u2019s clear that he has no qualms about using it himself. Context matters I suppose, but still, it\u2019s unnecessary and left unchallenged.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Schrader is a \u201cgive no shits\u201d kind of filmmaker, for better and worse, but his observations on <em>Blue Collar<\/em> are honest and never less than engaging. He points out weaknesses in his script, shares his inexperience, and offers up anecdotes involving his cast that are both entertaining and crazy. McDonagh unfortunately doesn\u2019t add much, as while she\u2019s a strong writer in her own right she seems a bit out of her element here. Still, it\u2019s a great listen and highly recommended.<\/p>\n<p class=\"graf graf--p\">Read more Commentary Commentary from the archives.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/social-media\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Social Media category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/paul-schrader-blue-collar-commentary\/#utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=paul-schrader-blue-collar-commentary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#25 Things We Learned from Paul Schrader&#8217;s &#8216;Blue Collar&#8217; Commentary&#8221; Welcome to\u00a0Commentary Commentary, where we sit and listen to filmmakers talk about their work, then share the most interesting parts. In this edition, Rob Hunter listens to Paul Schrader discuss his directorial debut, Blue Collar. Paul Schrader\u2018s been a part of the American movie scene&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":115030,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/blue-collar-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[80548,22447,24872],"class_list":["post-115029","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-mediaa","tag-blue-collar","tag-commentary-commentary","tag-paul-schrader"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115029","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=115029"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115029\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/115030"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=115029"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=115029"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=115029"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}