Not a film about Travis, a film about everyone

Rating: Null/10 (28 November 1999)

Taxi Driver is a stupendous film, one of the only one's that gets better the greater number of times you watch it. It has been lambasted by a minority of people, though, because it doesn't have a plot. Well frankly, this is a character driven film, not a plot one, as most of Scorcese's films are.

The reason that the character of Travis is so universally understood by audiences is that what he does and how he lives could be done by any one of us reading here after the traumas that he has been through. He was in 'nam, people tend to ignore him, he's got a dead end job, compared to those people around him he is a nothing. As are nearly all of us at one point or another in our lives. That is why, apart from the brilliant direction and camera shots, the loneliness comes through. And also because of DeNiro's performance. Don't get me wrong here, I am not a DeNiro-phile. In fact, I think I am possibly one of the only people in the world who thinks that he is over-rated hugely as an actor, preferring Depp and Pitt to him any day. But HE IS TRAVIS BICKLE. He is the sum part of everything.
This film needs to be looked at through open eyes joined to an open mind. And when I've had enough sleep, my eyes are constantly open. This film is a 9/10, if only because I don't think that there is such a thing as 10/10.