A classic tale of a loner who's motivated by his own thoughts and he becomes somewhat of a hero to his subculture.

Rating: 10/10 (7 December 2009)

One of the best and finest films ever made was 1976's "Taxi Driver" a classic tale that mirrored the 1970's with it's dark and loner anti-establishment views. And director Martin Scorsese moves the film along just fine as he blends the drama in so well with the dark culture showing how society can provoke one's thoughts and lead them to branch out to violence to feel welcomed in their own subculture.
In one of his earliest roles the great Robert De Niro is Travis Bickle a young man who's out of the marines and at the age of 26 makes his living driving a taxi in the dark streets of New York City at night. And Travis sees it all at night on the dark corners from junkies, pimps, and street walking whores to the police lights flashing when violence occurs.
Travis sees and becomes obsessed with the view of a pretty lady a young and elegant political campaign worker named Betsy(Cybill Shepherd)after asking her out and after dating Betsy sees that Travis has a dark and perverted mind by taking her to an adult movie. Even after the break off Travis becomes sort of a stalker type yet quinces his desire by still going to the adult films and peep shows of New York City. Yet he runs into an interesting catch when he spots a young street walker named Iris(one of Jodie Foster's early roles)who's trying to get away from her violent pimp. Gradually this affects the mood and mind of Travis as he starts to become a product of his own culture and environment by becoming a weapons collector for street safety! Other notable takes are Harvey Keitel as the slick street talking pimp of Iris's and it was nice seeing the now late Peter Boyle as Wizard a veteran cab driver of the streets who gives Travis a few pointers on the yellow night rides. "Taxi Driver" is a classic film that shows anyone can get caught up in raw culture and we become products of our environment as our thoughts provoke us to become risk takers. Even though as this film ends violent it was rewarding to show that Travis had did a good deed and became a hero of some sort in this tainted subculture of the streets. Overall great film to remember and cherish for it's thought provoking and social impacts.