Taxi Driver
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New York in the 1970s is not just a city; it is an expression of a rotten soul. The headlights of a taxi gliding over wet asphalt at midnight are like the only light in this dark world. Martin Scorsese portrays Manhattan of that era not as a dump, but as a reflection of the hell within oneself. The result is one of the most disturbing and captivating character studies in the history of cinema. Travis Bickle, returning from Vietnam, traverses a city in a state of insomnia. This man, who cannot rest during the day and whose eyes are haunted by reality and not ghosts at night, sees everything from porn cinemas to senatorial campaigns, from ghostly faces on street corners to neon-lit storefronts. But seeing is not the same as understanding. The more Travis tries to engage with the world around him, the deeper he realizes his loneliness becomes. The thoughts she recorded in her diary gradually transform into a manifesto of inner collapse. Robert De Niro goes far beyond an ordinary performance in this role. He doesn't present Travis as a victim or a hero; he leaves him as he is. The viewer steps into this man's mind and cannot find the exit door. Jodie Foster, despite her young age, takes over the stage with the weight she carries; she expertly portrays a figure far more complex than she appears to be. Scorsese's camera also acts as a witness. The slow zooms and hazy night shots combined with the music left behind by Bernard Herrmann make the film's atmosphere almost palpable. This is a cinematic language that makes you feel the smell of asphalt. Taxi Driver contains one of the harshest statements ever made not only about 1970s American society, but also about the universal spiral of human disconnection from society. Whether it is a warning, a criticism, or a dangerous invitation to empathy remains debatable. This uncertainty is what makes it fresh and unsettling on the screen even decades later.
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Reviews
Ian Beale
February 13, 2017
10/10
**Social outcast with a mohawk goes nutzoid** Porn obsessed loner, Travis Bickle, is a cabbie in New York. The story tells of his gradual descent into madness brought on by his inability to relate to those around him and a feeling of a lack of worth. Travis is essentially invisible - of no importance. Walton's self imposed isolation preferable to getting along with the scum around him. One day he decides to change all of that and become _a somebody_ by murdering a politician. This _nobody_...
David
February 09, 2020
10/10
Taxi Driver has had many things said about it, and I don't wish to add to all that but it is the yardstick I measure all other films by, it is by far my favourite of all the films I have ever watched. It's brutal honesty and use of themes such as paranoia, mental health issues, and society degradation make it a film that has been imitated, and referenced since its opening in cinemas back in 1976. Robert De Niro puts in a tour-de-force performance as Travis Bickle, a Vietnam War veteran wit...
CinemaSerf
June 03, 2023
7/10
Robert De Niro is outstanding in this dark and gritty depiction of former marine "Travis Bickle". He spends his time, alone, driving his cab at night then watching seedy movies during the day. This relentless cycle is broken when he takes a shine to "Betsy" (Cybill Shepherd), a campaign worker for a would be US Presidential candidate. There is a glimmer of hope for him, as she agrees to go out with him for a movie - but when he takes her to his usual haunt for a Swedish film that perhaps wasn't ...
Wuchak
October 08, 2024
8/10
**_Hellish urban decay and one man’s step-by-step fall into Big City madness_** In the mid-70s, an ex-marine insomniac in New York works the graveyard shift as a cab driver (De Niro) while trying to develop a relationship with a beautiful campaign volunteer for a presidential candidate (Cybill Shepherd and Leonard Harris). He experiences White Knight Syndrome as he seeks to rescue a 12½ years-old prostitute (Jodie Foster). Written by Paul Schrader and directed by Scorsese, "Taxi Driver" (...
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Frequently Asked Questions
Taxi Driver was released in 1976.
Taxi Driver has a runtime of 1 hr 54 min (114 minutes).
Taxi Driver belongs to the following genres: Crime, Drama.
Taxi Driver has a rating of 8.1/10 from 13,484 votes on TMDB.
In the United States, Taxi Driver is available to watch on: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.