Taxi Driver (1976)

Director: Martin Scorsese

Story: Paul Schrader

Cast: Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster

Music: Bernard Herrmann

Time: 113 minutes

Bottom-line: Highly intense and hard-hitting

On every street in every city, there's a nobody who dreams of being a somebody.

Winner of the 1976 Palme d’Or, here is the film considered to be one of the greatest dramas of all time: Taxi Driver. Martin Scorsese’s second collaboration with De Niro is a film that explores one man’s perspective of the city: his intentions, his loneliness, his willingness to bring about a change, his love life, and eventually, his destruction. Jodie Foster also plays a lead role, with Harvey Keitel, Peter Boyle and Cybill Shepherd playing the supporting roles.

You talking to me? Well, I'm the only one here.

Travis Bickle (De Niro) is an honourably discharged US Marine, now working as a taxi driver in New York. He suffers from depression, and is disgusted by the crime, sleaze and prostitution he witnesses on the streets, and keeps talking about bringing about a change (as he enters his feelings into a diary). He falls in love with Betsy (Shepherd), a campaign volunteer for presidential candidate Senator Palantine, but the romance doesn’t work out. Travis later becomes obsessed with a child prostitute, Iris (Foster), who entered his cab once to escape from her pimp, Matthew (Keitel). As he reaches his breaking point, he decides to undergo an intense physical training program, and purchases and uses a range of guns with a plan to assassinate the Senator. At the same time, he also tries to convince Iris to quit prostitution and go back home.

 

De Niro as Travis

All animals come out at night.

One such “animal” is the character of Travis. The film is a case study of his life and his mind; he is sickened by the society he is in, but he has no choice but to deal with it. He hates the prostitution, but he spends time at adult movie theatres at night. Throughout the film, he tries to make contact with those around him: first, it is Betsy, who leaves him after he takes her to a porn movie; then the Senator, then later his bodyguard, and lastly, Iris. When everything fails, he decides to do the “cleaning up” himself. In his own words, “Now I see it clearly. My whole life is pointed in one direction. There never has been any choice for me.”

Here is a man who would not take it anymore. Here is someone who stood up.

When Travis does decide to take charge, what he does results in a violent climax. The last few scenes can be thought of as a dream, or reality. Does he achieve what he wanted, or is that only in his head? Both scenarios are equally likely. The background score by Herrmann is his last piece of work before his death (which, sadly, was before the release of the film); critics say that his score reflected the sleaze and filth that Travis witnessed, but for me, the music just got on my nerves. It wasn’t exactly a chilling piece, like that of Psycho, but there was something about it that gave an uneasy feeling. The cinematography, particularly the use of lighting – considering that most of the film takes place at night time – and the subtle slow-motion shots, is also something to look out for. Scorsese also had to desaturate the colour in the shootout scene, for such an amount of on-screen violence led to controversy.

 

Travis, with Betsy (played by Shepherd)

Loneliness has followed me my whole life. Everywhere. In bars, in cars, sidewalks, stores, everywhere.

Robert De Niro is simply riveting in his role. From the everyday taxi driver to the gun-wielding killer, he is in top form every inch of the way. Bickle’s character is often cited as a villain, but that is again something to ponder over. Are his intentions truly evil, or does the society portray him as a villain? The other star, of course, is Jodie Foster. 14 years old when she acted in the film, she pulls off such a difficult role to play. Foster had to be tested by psychiatrists to ensure that the role would not affect her mind, given the content (and the violence). She later won the BAFTA award for her role.

 

Foster as Iris

So, except for the occasional slow pace of the film, the acting, character development and Scorsese’s direction make this a Hollywood classic that will leave a strong impression on you.

My Rating: 4/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 99%