Taxidriver Movie Reviews

As I Was watching the bollywood movie “Sadak” on cable Starring Sanjay Dutt and Pooja Bhatt, I reminisced about an old Hollywood Classic movie from which the idea of making a movie like “Sadak” emerged and that movie is the old classic “Taxi Driver”.

This Martin Scorsese's intense film, a classic of 1970s, graphically depicts the tragic consequences of urban alienation when a New York City taxi driver goes on a murderous rampage against the pitiable denizens inhabiting the city's underbelly.

Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) is a Psychotic, pistol packing Vietnam War Veteran who is unsure as to where to go with his life. He is also alone in the world. For Travis, New York City seems like a circle of hell. Driving his cab each night through the bleak Manhattan streets, Travis observes with fanatical loathing the sleazy lowlifes who comprise most of his fares. Through Travis' eyes, Scorsese shows New York as an urban hell filled with drugs, pimps, weapons and politicians

As badly as Travis wants to connect with the people around him including Betsy (Cybill Shepherd), a lovely blonde campaign worker for a presidential candidate and Iris (Jodie Foster) a Child prostitute he tries to save. Travis’s mind slips into insanity after being rejected by Betsy. As he plots the assassination of her party's candidate, he finds himself trying to rescue Iris from her vicious pimp (Harvey Keitel)

But when the attempts of Travis are thwarted, his rage grows, turning him into a Mohawk-wearing walking time bomb. Scorsese portrays the movie with a tragic realism, brilliantly capturing the muck and grime of New York City.

Travis has no concept on how to maintain a relationship. This, in part, allows Travis to become the violent anti-hero that he goes on to become later in the film. Because of his disconnect he isn't 'normal' and therefore he can go and commit murder and be admired for doing so. If he were your average guy in a suit, murder would not be so easy, even if it were to an abusive pimp who farms out young teenagers.

De Niro plays Travis calmly sane, even as he transforms himself into what's become an iconic picture of insane rage: the Mohawk, the fatigue jacket, the arsenal of guns at the ready. And yet the single violent act the film advances to unlike so many movies today.

Robert De Niro has played one of the most career defining roles of his life in this film.De Niro, playing the fragile hero, steps so deep inside his role that the results are deeply frightening.

Jodie foster has portrayed her role to perfection. She truly was a great actress Of her times who stood firm in her character against some of the legends working opposite her in many movies including this one.

Harvey Keitel has also given a sterling performance by portraying the antiques of a vicious pimp with full attitude and Character.

All the other supporting actors also have played their part aptly and have given Good performances in support to the main protagonists.

Taxi Driver is a film that perfectly reflects its subject matter. Paul Schrader’s script combined with Scorsese's direction and topped off by De Niro's performance makes Travis Bickle one of the film’s most complex characters. When you talk about super heroes, he truly is one minus the tights and powers.

This is a must see movie classic and a violent film that would surely kick your senses.

Source:- Internet.

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The 1970’s was a decade of disillusionment for the US. It was for the first time it found it’s superpower status under threat. While Vietnam exposed the limitations of it’s military might, back home the Watergate scandal, made people lose faith in their elected Government and the office of the President. In the East, a rejuvenatedJapan, rising from the rubble of WW2, was emerging as an economic superpower in it’s own right, especially in the field of automobiles and electronics. OPEC’s decision to raise oil prices, and the Japanese introduction of small cars, hit the US auto industry badly. For the first time, the American Dream of having a home, a job and two cars in the garage, was not so rosy. It was around this time, that a young bunch of movie makers started to capture this feeling of cynicism and insecurity among ordinary Americans. Movies which questioned the values in the Amercian society, movies which were cynical and dark in nature.

One of the greatest movies which depicted this cynicism prevalent in the American society, at that time was Martin Scorcese’s 1976 classic Taxi Driver. The plot centers around a loner and an ex marine,Travis Bickle( Robert De Niro). Bickle is an insomaniac, a cynical loser who hates the society around him. As he says “Loneliness has followed me my whole life. Everywhere. In bars, in cars, sidewalks, stores, everywhere. There's no escape. I'm God's lonely man.”

In order to make a living, he keeps driving a taxi around some of Manhattan’s shadiest neighborhoods. This is where he comes in contact with what he calls “scum of society”, drug peddlers, s, pimps, small time crooks, hustlers, loan sharks. His only past time is to watch porno movies in seedy theaters, and rest of the time he spends talking to himself. He tries to date Betsy( Cybil Shepherd), who is an aide for the New York senator, Charles Palantine. However even that backfires when on their first date together, he takes her to a porno movie, and she leaves him in disgust.

This is a crucial moment, as now totally depressed and feeling a sense of rejection, he starts to see himself as one person against the filthy bad world. He is horrified by the moral decay he sees everywhere. He tries to save a child Iris( Jodie Foster) from her pimp Sport( Harvey Keitel). Though she is not interested in being saved, he wants her to go back and lead a normal life. His life becomes obsessed with her. His delusions and paranoia only intensify further, and he also plans to assasinateSenator Palantine, just to get back at Betsy. Will Travis succeed in his mission? Will Betsy come back to him again? Is Iris saved?

Well do watch the movie, but you would still find yourself asking a lot, especially the open ended climax, which just makes you keep guessing. This is one of Scorcese’s finest movies along with Mean Streets, Goodfellas and Raging Bull. The movie again like most of Scorcese’s movies is a pretty multi layered one, dealing with various issues. One is the theme of urban decay, when many cities in the US were hit by rising crime rates, pollution, scandals during the 70’s. Here Scorcese explores the seedy underside of New York City, something which he had already done in Mean Streets. Only in this case, its more of an outsider’s view of it.

Some of the best scenes in the movie are those, where Bickle drives along, and we see shots of the more unsavory side of New York. The other aspect is the existentialist theme of the movie, where the hero suffers from loneliness and delusions. In this case, he sees himself, as a lone ranger against all the scum around him. As he says “Some day a real rain will come and wash all this scum off the streets.”Or of course the memorable quote “You talking to me”, which Travis keeps on repeating while looking at himself in the mirror. In fact if there is a single point on which the movie scores a lot, it’s the characterization of Travis Bickle. He is a loser, a loner, a misfit, yet he seems totally confused. He hates society, he hates the world around him, yet he wants to be accepted as part of that society. He lies to his parents that he is dating Betsy, when in effect she had already left him. He is not a pyschotic kind of character, just a social misfit, some one who is not comfortable with things around him. It was primarily a reflection of the cynicism, confusion and insecurity in the mind of the average American at that time.

Most of the movie is narrated in the first person by Travis, and it centers around him, and his observations. Again the climatic shoot out, is pretty graphic by the standards of those times. As also the scene, where a businessman( Scorcese in a cameo role), wants to kill his unfaithful wife, and Travis purchases the guns for him and ends up shooting a robber. Also the open ended ending, when Travis becomes an unwilling hero. Best left to be seen on the screen and interprted in whatever way you like.

Gritty, realistic and no nonsense, it also has an excellent score by Bernard Hermann. And of course there is Robert De Niro. Niro and Scorcese were to Hollywood in the 70’s and 80’s, what John Ford and John Wayne were in the 50’s, one of the greatest director-actor teams. Scorcese directed Niro in as many as 7 movies including Mean Streets, Raging Bull, New York, New York, Goodfellas, The King of Comedy, Cape Fear and Casino. And this would make it any time to list of Robert De Niro’s best performances. As the cynical, weary, paranoid loser, De Niro, is simply outstanding in the role. Whether it’s hallucinating on being a fighter, or goofing up with his girl friend, or trying to save Iris,Robert De Niro gives an outstanding performance. Harvey Keitel who played the lead role in another Scorcese movie Mean Streets, plays the sleazy pimp here, and he proves to be an able foil to De Niro. Jodie Foster does an excellent job as the child , while Cybil Shepherd does a good job, playing the woman with whom Travis is eternally obsessed. All in all a movie to be seen by any passionate movie lover, and yes do watch this alone or maybe with person sharing your tastes. Because the language and violence, can put off some people.

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Martin Scorcese is one accomplished director, have no doubts about it. His movies have always been awaited with bated breath, and though never having won an Oscar, is by far among one of the most respected and talented men in his field. Having created waves with his movies like Raging Bull, Goodfellas, The Last Temptation of Christ, Mean Streets and most recently, The Aviator, Scorcese movies are in a genre of their own and are cherished by movie connosieurs everywhere.

Taxi Driver comes as no exception to the Scorcese tradition of thought-provoking movies. No, you cant simply watch this movie with the kind of anticipation associated with its somewhat dire title and its not a movie to be watched on the big screen. It is dark, intense, brooding, disturbing and everything else that can be used to describe the melancholy life of an emotionally unstable character. Robert De Niro plays the role of Travis Bickle, an ex- US Army Marine discharged from the Vietnam War, and presently employed as a night-time taxi driver in New York City. Suffering from occasional bouts of insomnia inflicted by the war, he gets disgusted with the venal nightlife on the streets that he gets to witness every night around him. After a chance encounter with Iris (Jodie Foster), a child prostitute, he decides to take it on himself to clean the city from the filth of whores, junkies, pimps and the lot. How he achieves this is what Taxi Driver is all about.

Credit goes to Paul Schrader for a terrificly taut script, and Martin Scorcese for giving such a vivid insight into a single character throughout the movie. During the entire length, you get to see everything from Travis Bickle's perspective and nobody elses; you slowly evolve with the character as the movie proceeds- you become Travis Bickle. Even though characters like Betsy (Cybill Shepherd) who plays Travis' love interest, intercede once in a while, its Robert De Niro's show all the way. You cant help but admire the panaché with which he enlivens the life of an insomniac cab driver, particularly during the work-out scenes in his apartment when he mouths the words,"You talkin' to me?" looking in a mirror. The moody score adds to the total sombre effect, as does the cinematography which stands apart because about 85 percent of the movie is shot at night, and most of that in a grim cab, the darkness a character by itself.

Even if you dont watch Taxi Driver for its finesse, you cant miss the trademark scenes that has been shamelessly lifted by many later movies. I especially enjoyed the scene when De Niro blows away the hand of a pimp with a .44 Magnum gun, and another one in which the camera concentrates on a paracetamol tablet dissolving in a glass of water. Its movies like Taxi Driver, directors like Martin Scorcese and actors like De Niro that will always make Hollywood a class apart from other contemporary film industries and the final frontier for all would-be film makers. Definitely worth a watch.

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Robert De Nero became a great Hero with this film.

“Taxi Driver” was an Oscar award winning film, which depicts a Taxi driver who takes to violence to correct the social injustice.

The taxi driver is not one of those uneducated, crude taxi wallas but an educated one who worked some time back as an officer in the army. After retiring from army he was working as a taxi driver in the city somewhat as part time and somewhat a full time. He regularly writes letters to his mother.

The biggest problem for this taxi driver was sleep. The sleep will not come to him.

Somebody suggested him to watch blue films so that he might sleep. But that worsens the problem.

Another biggest problem for this taxi driver was that he speaks whatever that comes to his mind. And always-pure thoughts will not come to his mind. The moment some thought pattern comes to his mind he speaks making people to misunderstand him.

He finds a girl friend who works for party office when election fever was at high pitch. He invites her to a film in the evening. He thinks that “guptha gnan” type sex education film would be better for that innocent looking girl. Indeed that film was by a popular director and indeed it may be required for her in a home theatre probably after he marries her. But anyway he convinces her that film might be a good one and takes her inside the theatre. Obviously the girl walks out scolding him. She would never like to meet him again anyway.

Thus the girl friend saga ends for the taxi driver.

He sees many types of persons as his passengers and some of them were criminals like the one suspecting husband who watches his own building from the window of his taxi.

At another time a little girl of 12 year old is being sold practically in a red light area. This was most distasteful for him and his blood boils.

At one time even the presidential candidate travels in his car. And the politician expectedly speaks how great are the taxi drivers etc.,

But that 12-year-old girl haunts him, coupled with that he had the trouble of inability to sleep.

Taxi driver thinks that for all the ills in the society the politicians are the base and root cause. Immediately he remembers the presidential candidate who was passenger in his taxi at one time. So he decides to assassinate the presidential candidate!! Because he had witnessed injustice like a 12 year old working like a prostitute. !!

He purchases various types of handguns with all his savings. Changes his residence to a flat in the heart of the city. And attends the political party meeting with shaven head and fully armed. But security guards in civil cloths sense something wrong with this guy and they start moving closer to him. He escapes.

Then he goes to meet the pimp who stands on the roadside to collect money from the customers who might want a 12-year-old girl for a night. He himself goes in to brothel by paying and finds the 12-year old girl innocently approaching him to unzip his trousers to suck his genitals.

He cries “no, no” and tells the baby to come for a break fast next day. The girl tells that she gets up only at 12 pm. midday. When the girl comes she wears coloured glasses generally available on the foot path and the girl says that “how can you protect me from myself” and his idea that there is an injustice done to her was funny according to her because the pimp was giving money to her for goggles and food and in addition to that she is also having fun, a lot of fun from elders etc.,

Taxi driver obviously concludes that the 12 year old girl has to be rescued from brothel.

He simply walks the next evening towards the pimp standing in front of the building and enquires if has gun. The pimp considers him as “nuts” and shouts at him to go away. But the taxi driver takes out the gun and shoots the pimp there and then. After that he sits there itself on the steps of side by building as if nothing happened. Later he enters the brothel and begins to shoot everybody.

The film has won many awards and if any thing attracts it is the acting talent of Robert de Nero. He was at his superb best.

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A cabby with animal instincts coming out alive at nights. Suffering from insomnia he used to drive down the decaying New York City (in Mid 70's). Optimistic at heart that someday a miracle will happen and the 'scum' will be cleared. That's the movie is all about I believe.

I am writing this review after a long time so it might happen that it gets quite disconnected and short too. While starting this review I did read the previous review which is indeed very thorough and informative. Hence I will not go deeper in explaining the plot of the movie.

What I wish to express in this review is the classic connection of the central character ''Travis'' with the individual psyche and its influence on the people who watch it. Robert de Niro looks stunning as Travis. Martin Scrocesse as always done a wonderful work. After watching this film you will definitely look for his other works esp: raging bull, gangs of new york and the recent one- the aviator.

Will keep getting to you with useful recommendations.

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Grim, dark, stark and disturbing. These are just a few words that are often used to describe Martin Scorcese films - and Taxi Driver made in 1976 is no exception.

Taxi Driver tracks the plight of Travis Bickle, a man struggling to come to grips with the degradation of the fiber of society. Travis, with torturous memories of his past, is a lonely and confused man. Desperate for human contact but still unable to overcome his paranoia, Travis seeks to escape from this misery by working as a cab driver during the nights and meeting his fellow cabbies at a coffee joint or watching porn flicks in the day.

This however only adds to his pain as he fails to identify with his aimless fellow mates and worse still, encounters all the scum of the city be it the countless pimps, hustlers, muggers or street punks. Thoroughly shaken, Travis finds solace in Betsy, a campaign worker for a Presidential Candidate, Charles Palantine. However things don?t work out and this throws Travis deeper into gloom. A chance encounter with a young prostitute Iris, roughened up by her pimp Sport, makes him realize that he is powerless to adapt himself thereby forcing him to cleanse what is happening around him.

Martin Scorcese at the helm does full justice to Paul Schrader's power packed script. Narrating the story entirely through Travis? eyes, he paints a picture epitomizing all that is wrong with New York. Scorcese wonderfully brings out the transformation from a Travis who is dispassionate on hearing one of his passengers' detailed plans for killing his philandering wife to a Travis who is fixated with ''setting things right''.

Scorcese manipulates the viewers to see things only from Travis' perspective - the movie seldom deviates to other POVs and even when it does quickly returns back - so much so that we actually do not hate the guy for all his frailities. In one of the film's finest moments (and most widely written too) Travis looks at himself in the mirror and sneers ''You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me? Well I'm the only one here.''

What makes Taxi Driver an absolute classic is that besides the brilliant script and adept direction, the movie is elevated to dizzy heights by a chilling portrayal from the incomparable Robert De Niro. As the deranged Travis Bickle trying to desperately cope with his dark inner self and the surrounding filth, De Niro comes up with a truly arresting performance.

Starting off as a recluse, as events unfold De Niro effortlessly morphs himself into the skin of an obsessive (bordering on manic) change agent. Watch out for the scene when he practices using all his firearms. Check the scene when he explains to Iris that she has to ''turn the corner''. In fact, he is there in almost every frame of the movie and that by itself is reason enough to see this movie.

Jodie Foster as Iris, the 12 year old who has run away from home and taken refuge under prostitution, is competent though I am not convinced this was a performance worthy of an Oscar Nomination. Among the rest, Cybill Sheppard as Betsy, Harvey Keitelas Sport and Leonard Harris as Charles Palantine offer valuable support. The movie also boasts of some stand-out technical work too.

Cinematography of Michael Chapman gives one the creeps as he palpably builds up the tension with long drawn shots and eerie angles. Check the grim shots of the taxi meter ticking, the red and blue neon lights in the sidewalks symbolizing the decadence of life on the streets and the murky corners where the pimps and hustlers operate from. Editing by Tom Rolf and Melvin Shapiro is first rate.

Music by composer Bernhard Herrmann is positively riveting and suits the mood (that?s a jolly understatement) - the use of subtle jazz to convey the seedy New York surroundings is haunting. To add a dash of poignancy, this was also Herrmann's last score and he was deservedly nominated for an Oscar though he did not win it.

Taxi Driver was nominated for the Oscars in four categories - Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Musical score but it failed to win even a single Oscar. There is no doubt in my mind that Scorcese definitely deserved to be nominated under Best Director. Robert De Niro was also unlucky not to win the Best Actor award but this will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the finest performances ever.

Don?t miss this one. Strongly recommended for anyone who is an admirer of good cinema.

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