We’re all hurtling towards death.

Charlie Kaufman is undoubtedly one of Hollywood’s greatest ever writers. Being John Malkovich, Adaptation & Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind all appear on the Writers Guild of America's list of the 101 greatest movie screenplays ever written. However, despite his genius, Charlie has struggled immensely with the business side of Hollywood. In this essay I explore Kaufman’s philosophy, what I believe to be his greatest film, and the current/future state of the thing I love more than anything, cinema.

#charliekaufman #eternalsunshineofthespotlessmind #videoessay

Films: (in order of appearance)

Synecdoche, New York
Being John Malkovich
Adaptation
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Anomalisa
I’m thinking of ending things
Apocalypse Now
Megalopolis
The Godfather
Eraserhead
Raging Bull
Casino

Interviews:
2004 Oscars
GIFF 2011 Charlie Kaufman Masterclass
Charlie Kaufman BAFTA Masterclass
Charlie Kaufman on writing
Charlie Kaufman Synecdoche, New York interview
Megalopolis Cannes interview
Martin Scorsese at NYFF 60
Martin Scorsese on visual literacy
Charlie Kaufman variety interview
Charlie Kaufman 2023 WGAW speech

Kaufman on Hollywood studios
https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2023...
https://screenrant.com/charlie-kaufma...

Kaufman on funding difficulties
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/new...

On Cotard Syndrome
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotard%...

Hollywood AI deal details
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/16/holly...

David Lynch on Snootworld being rejected by Netflix
https://deadline.com/2024/04/david-ly...

Sony Pictures using AI
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/bus...