Fascinating figure, imo.
Strict Calvinist upbringing - didn't see a film until he was eighteen, mother used to stick pins in his fingers and talk to him about Hell, entertainment was debating theology - gets taken under Pauline Kael's wing and becomes a critic until he decides he'd rather write screenplays and she drops him, goes on to collaborate with Scorsese on some of his most famous films, writes and directs several great films himself, eventually gets written off after a string of flops and curiosities, makes a comeback with
First Reformed in 2017 and a new stripped down production process and launches into a trilogy of films, the last of which he makes on oxygen and with one eye due to health issues and postponing surgery for the sake of the film; now looks to be on his deathbed days after accepting a lifetime achievement award at Venice.
Not to mention the Ozu, Bresson, Dreyer book, the proto-incel / mass shooter flavour of a lot of his work, the outlandish social media pesence and probably some other things I've forgotten.
