An American masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (25 January 2003)

There may be a handful of American films that are better, but in my opinion "Taxi Driver" is the United State's most significant contribution to the world of cinema. Travis Bickle is what we have left as a protagonist in a world when heroism is dismissed as passe and empty. He is as endearing as he is disturbing. Like Cybill Shepherd's character, we've never met anyone quite like him. But we understand him. We feel his frustration and his suffering. It's the frustration of those living in an isolationist culture that tries to make islands of all people. Travis is God's lonely man, just as some could call Americans God's lonely people. I know I'm reading a lot into it, but in my opinion the central themes of "Taxi Driver" stem from the darker, alienating aspect of American culture. It's so much more observant in it's depiction of failed American values than other films. "Citizen Kane" is a film about material greed and loss of innocence. Travis is also seeking innocence but his greed is not for corporeal things but for love and acceptance. For a chance to contribute to people's lives. His suffering is greater than almost any other character in American film and literature, because he seems to understand what is truly valuable in this life (justice, self-respect, love) but is driven mad by his inability to attain them. Do I recommend this film? No. I demand that everyone sees it at one point in their lives. It's that important.