Directed by:
Martin ScorseseScreenplay:
Paul SchraderCinematography:
Michael ChapmanComposer:
Bernard HerrmannCast:
Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Albert Brooks, Harvey Keitel, Leonard Harris, Peter Boyle, Cybill Shepherd, Diahnne Abbott, Frank Adu, Victor Argo (more)VOD (3)
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At 26, Vietnam veteran Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) is slipping slowly into isolation and violence on the streets of New York City. Trying to solve his insomnia by driving a yellow cab on the night shift, he grows increasingly disgusted by the people who hang out at night: "Someday a real rain will come and wash all the scum off the streets." His touching attempts to woo Betsy (Cybill Shepherd), a Senator's campaign worker, turn sour when he takes her to a porn movie on their first date. He even fails in his attempt to persuade child prostitute Iris (Jodie Foster) to desert her pimp Sport (Harvey Keitel) and return to her parents and school. Driven to the edge by powerlessness, he buys four handguns and sets out to assassinate the Senator, heading for the infamy of a 'lone crazed gunman'. (Columbia Pictures US)
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Reviews (13)
Taxi Driver is the story of a man who couldn't stand how the whole of New York was gradually being flooded with all kinds of "filth", so he decides to sort it all out on his own. This film is mainly based on the outstanding performances of Robert De Niro and partly of the then young Jodie Foster, who were perfect for their roles. Then there's the strong musical score and the well-situated cinematography (especially in the final scene as it passes from Iris's room through the stairwell to the door). In short, a very fine piece of filmmaking, but one that I can't give full marks to because there was just something else missing.
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Scorsese's first major league feature and still one of his most famous. Once again, the master does what he does best, immersing the protagonist chin-deep in the seedy, prostitute- and small-time gangster-infested corners of New York, where no ethical laws apply. As always, the excellent De Niro is amazing in his role and his slow inner transformation is one of the best things of Taxi Driver and enhances its story. Scorsese manipulates the viewer very skilfully, for an hour and a half he just prepares them as they try to identify with the main character, which is very essential towards the final minutes and crucial for the overall impression. The atmosphere is also greatly enhanced by Herrmann's excellent and mysterious music, whose tones are heard at almost every turn. It's just a pity that the narrative wasn't given a smoother and rawer tone, because the bloody finale seems a bit contrasting and absurd in relation to the story as a whole. Taxi Driver is another impressive film from a directing legend, but I'll probably just pass on it again. 80%
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Quite shabby and very much “about nothing”. I don’t see anything exceptional about Taxi Driver. De Niro acts like in every film – almost all his roles are the same to me – and I still can’t bring myself to like Scorsese. It’s a shame, but I’ve already come to terms with the fact that the best works of these two gentlemen will never say much to me.
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I wouldn't be afraid to call those moments in which Robert De Niro drives through New York City at night as a taxi driver something magical. I've known about this movie for a long time, of course, but with such an iconic thing it's almost mandatory to see it on a proper screen with proper sound, so I just waited. The magic is in the sensual atmospherics, the excellent cinematography, and the perfectly fitting Herrmann soundtrack. Plus, the way Martin Scorsese "manages" it all is fantastic – there are a thousand other movies being made in New York, but Taxi Driver captures the Big Apple vibe in just the right way. All the nooks and crannies, the dirty streets, the creatures you would prefer never to meet, and the contrast with its pomposity – the beautiful buildings, the charming lights, just the spirit of the big city with all that goes with it. I don't think it's a film with extraordinary overtones or even deep philosophical undertones.) The whole film can be summed up as a dirty, gritty, and unadorned portrait of New York, one of the many excellent collaborations of the Scorsese-De Niro duo.
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Taxi Driver is probably a movie that I will appreciate much later than in my twenties. It is a huge reaction to today’s society, which cannot be monitored. It is only possible to fight it, but the question is whether the fight will change the society or the person who is trying to fight against it. In this film, Robert De Niro made it clear that it is easier for him to change than for the society. With that he created an absolutely unbelievable scene towards the ending, which made me really sick. Even worse were the consequences, which could not be overlooked. Martin Scorsese shot a very good film, but I couldn’t deal with its story. And that was the biggest stumbling block. Otherwise, it’s an example of absolutely great filmmaking, which will be hard to match.
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Gallery (320)
Photo © 1976 Columbia Pictures
![Taxi Driver - Photos](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/161/279/161279445_66bf29.png)
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