Taxi Driver - movie review

Taxi Driver

Plot: A mentally unstable Vietnam war veteran works as a night-time taxi driver in New York City where the perceived decadence and sleaze feeds his urge for violent action, attempting to save a preadolescent prostitute in the process.
Cast: Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd
Director: Martin Scorsese
Rating: 18
Runtime: 1hr 53 mins
Release Date: 8th February 1976

You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me? Well this film was definitely talking to me. Then it shouted and screamed. Started slapping me and then knocked me out with one almighty punch. Taxi Driver is unflinching to say the least. This classic by Scorsese and De Niro is widely regarded as one of cinemas best, but with it celebrating its fortieth anniversary this year, does Taxi Driver still stand the test of time?


With quite a small yet prominent cast, the performances of Taxi Driver are all of a high standard. This is the film debut of Jodie Foster (The Silence Of The Lambs, Panic Room) and here, Foster shows just how much of a child prodigy she was. At the young age of 13 at the time of release, Foster depicts the horrifying circumstances of a child prostitute. She is sensational in the film but she is scarily good due to the shocking and adult words that leave her mouth. After the continuous realisations that she is only a child, the film becomes extremely harrowing and depressing to watch, which is by no means a negative. Albert Brooks and Harvey Keitel also have smaller roles but they are still able to showcase their extreme talents. Cybill Shepherd was the only performance that didn't impress as much as the others. Most of the time, she was staring lustfully into the camera but whenever she spoke, the charm and any form of attraction towards her was immediately lost. However, this is undoubtedly Robert De Niro's movie. From start to finish, you are completely hooked on his depiction of the taxi driver himself, Travis Bickle. Thanks to De Niro giving a masterclass in acting, Bickle has now become one of the most significant and quotable characters in film history. It might not be his single greatest performance (I believe that title belongs to his role as Jack La Motta in Raging Bull, another Scorsese film) but it sure is one of his best. There was never a moment where I lost interest in the development of Bickle and De Niro completely delivers in the scenes of either brutal violence or dialogue that gradually increases the tension. He truly supplies an unfathomably phenomenal performance of the human version of a ticking time bomb set to explode at any moment. To whoever is reading this, if you know someone who does not rate Robert De Niro, I implore you to force him/her to watch this film and deny his talents. It's impossible to do.

Martin Scorsese is a freaking genius. No matter what film he makes, it will always create an impact on the audience. He could make a film that may not be good but you will leave changed and affected differently to how you were before the film. This exact scenario is tantamount with Taxi Driver as Scorsese and writer Paul Schrader present a brutal and tough to watch representation of the underground life in New York. There is never a moment where the two of them feel like they were holding back as this film delivers punch after punch. The writing of certain characters is ingenious. A prime example of this is the character of Travis Bickle. Because of the fantastic writing and acting, Bickle is a character that I could never decide if he was likeable. On one hand, he is a battle hardened, hopeless romantic and idealistic taxi driver who only wants to be for the city he lives in to improve. On the other hand, Bickle can change into a unrelenting psychopathic vigilante and we, as an audience, are left to watch him slowly deteriorate. Of course Taxi Driver deserves its classic status but, forty years on from its initial release, there are moments that are clearly dated. Parts of the film do not deliver the impact that it intends to such as the political context it references. At the time, it would have provided a relevant social commentary but now, it seems a little unnecessary. I also wasn't too fond of the supposed romance between Bickle (De Niro) and Betsy (Shepherd). The two didn't share fantastic romantic chemistry but I think that Shepherd was more to blame due to her disappointing performance. This romance also slightly ruined the ending. There was a moment where the film had built to an amazing climax and it would have been a fantastic point to end. However, it continues for five minutes longer that ultimately detracts from the dark and depressing theme that was continuously present.

All of Scorsese's features include a dramatically powerful score and look stunning. Taxi Driver is no exception. The presentation of New York is by no means the glitz and glamour that other movies portray it as. We are subjected to the disgusting and vile underbelly of New York where drug dealers and prostitutes wander. However, this was never displayed in the most simple or basic format. Instead, Scorsese presents the venomous streets through the eyes of Bickle driving in his taxi. This automatically allows for a connection to be formed between us and Bickle as we witness what he has to deal with on a regular basis. The score by Bernard Herrmann is worth mentioning. Known especially from his work on horror films such as Psycho and The Twilight Zone, Herrmann creates a score that implements what he is good at. Creating a tense and suspenseful atmosphere. Something that I had noticed was how the score ran parallel to the character of Bickle. Whenever Bickle seemed calm and content, the score was subdued but still contained a hint of the impending chaos. And then, at points when Bickle snaps into his violent vigilante persona, the score explodes to match his mental state.

Regardless of the anticlimactic ending, unnecessary romance and how it is quite dated now in 2016, Taxi Driver is an immaculately crafted film. De Niro gives a performance for the ages, and any aspiring actors should look to him for influence. As for aspiring directors, Scorsese is a clear inspiration. Do not go in expecting a happy and family friendly comedy. This may not be a movie for everyone but you cannot deny how well it is made.

My Verdict: 8.5/10

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