A grim and depressing character study

Rating: 8/10 (20 June 2016)

If you don't mind watching the inner recesses of an unhappy and mentally deranged man closely and unflinchingly then Taxi Driver will serve as the best film to offer as such. I never read Paul Schrader's novel and I don't believe it has to be a prerequisite for appreciating the content of Taxi Driver. Martin Scorcese, one of our legendary and best directors of our time, is reliable and competent enough to be faithful to the novel. And he doesn't fail. Thus follows the drab, difficult, sad and paranoid life of ex-marine, Travis Bickle, played by none other than Robert Deniro. This is the young Deniro, lean, hard and wiry. We don't know much about Travis other than he's been honorably discharged from Vietnam services within the past two years. He suffers a bit of PTSD due to his withdrawn and socially inept personality. He doesn't have any friends nor family apparently and just hustles as a New York Cab driver. I remember first learning about Taxi Driver at the time John Hinckley made the assassination attempt on President Reagan. There was a parallel with that story and Hinckley was inspired to carry out his insane plan to no avail other than being pilloried as a mental case worthy of ridicule and scorn. But I hadn't watched Taxi driver till I was in high school and didn't grasp all the details. Perhaps anticipating the long awaited violence to the end didn't satisfy my young appetite for the gratuitous. But Taxi Driver, despite its unappealing continuity, is a masterpiece. it's a cinematic masterpiece due to our brilliant realized performance of our main actor and the meticulous direction of Scorcese.
Travis Bickle is not just a loner, but a self imposed loner who wallows in his own self pity, disdain for society, and his inability to form relationships. Travis sees himself as a victim rather than someone who needs to change his attitude. Strangely enough, as the plot progresses, we see he has a sensitive wisdom about the world at large and his brief interactions with people that many of us can relate to. Martin Scorcese ingeniously captures moments of Deniro within the context of his own drab existence such as his dumpy apartment flat, his nuances in the cab, his pathetic attempts to charm women and Travis' overall lack of mental and social sophistication. This is not just a man who sees the outside world objectively instead of personally, he grows increasingly paranoid with his everyday job, observing decadence, street prostitution, drug trafficking and the menial activity right at the urban core of New York City. I will not talk in depth about the shocking last minutes of graphic violence, but they are shot very effectively. The scene looks very macabre and disturbing. Much debate and discussion has been given to this film in terms of psychoanalysis, moral interpretation and artistic evaluation. I don't think this is Marty Scorcese's best film. I don't think this is Robert Deniro's best performance. But they are nonetheless intense and remarkable. The iconic scene where Deniro looks into the camera and confronts us, "You talking' to me?" scene is always a favorite and surely captures the persona and inner contemplative rage of a man descending into darker spiritual realms. He's crazy yet controlled. He's dangerous yet serene, like a grenade about to explode.
The film is a marvel throughout, playing with camera angles, camera moves, pacing, lighting, subtle acting moments and tempo that truly get us in touch with this character and how he is affected by those around him. The only two aspects i didn't care for were the musical score and the casting of Jodie Foster. I thought the Jazz saxophone was just too banal for this type of film. It didn't add to the suspense in any way, but rather mollified it which was inappropriate. They needed more frenetic sounds and music to enhance the growing sense of unease and fear. As for Foster, there were several other actresses considered for Iris: Mariel Hemingway, Eve Plumb, Carrie Fisher and Linda Blair. each of these women were better suited for this role and could have done a much better job of portraying the beautiful innocence required for the character. Foster is too asexual, blunt and not innately sexy enough to be believable. I felt this ruined the picture.
Taxi Driver has etched its way in movie history and should be required viewing for all film buffs and those who can delve into deep psychoanalytic character studies.