One of the most powerful movies of our time

Rating: 10/10 (3 March 2007)

Every aspiring director, screenwriter and cinematographer has a movie they hold dear, that changed the way they look at cinema forever. Taxi Driver, for me, was that movie.
Travis Bickle, unbalanced by events he witnessed in Vietnam while serving in the Marine Core, decides he must keep himself busy in a bid to save his sanity.
Unable to sleep and disgusted by the world around him, he sees no good left in anyone and decides it's time to make a stand against the evil that surrounds him.
What sets this movie apart from any other in my view is the internal conflict De Niro portrays on screen and how Scorsese presents this mental anguish to the audience. Very little dialogue is required, thus the audience is invited to interpret the movie how they wish.
Not before nor since has an actor had such an impact on an audience as De Niro. His presence on screen keeps you captivated from start to finish, truly holding on to your seat. Before long while rooting for him to do the right thing, you soon find yourself empathising and giving him your blessing to carry out what is ultimately to be the most visually shocking showdown in movie history.
It is incomprehensible that Scorsese did not receive an Oscar for this celluloid masterpiece. It has taken over 30 years for the academy to recognize his genius.
The score, screenplay, photography, casting and direction made this the most unforgettable cinematic experience of its generation and still today holds as much intensity, over 30 years on, as it ever did.
A sad thing, that art this powerful will possibly never be seen again.