Dark and gripping psychological drama with De Niro at top form

Rating: 8/10 (16 December 2014)

"Taxi Driver", one of Martin Scorsese's most widely known works, is a gripping and compelling portrait of a troubled character. This dark psychological drama is concerned in exploring the mind of his protagonist, linking the effects of living in the city with the development of his personality.
This character is Travis Buckle, played by Robert de Niro, the titular taxi driver and a lonely man who has get the job as a way of battling against his insomnia. Travis spends all nights driving passengers of all kind through the city, although he doesn't care about that, he spends all the journey looking outside the window, looking at the 'animals' of the city, corrupt and dirty people without values.
As much as Travis tries he is not very good interacting with others. He detest most people but he has some friends, though he doesn't talk with them too much and when he tries to express something he feels uncomfortable. He is not very good with women, and when he finally finds one she ends up by rejecting him. Travis feels like it is the moment to 'clean' the city, and this leads him to take certain decisions in an attempt to prove something. As the movie progress his behavior turns violent and we are there watching him. We observe the evolution of Travis and what he really wants to do. We don't know where Travis comes from or about his past, but we get to know enough of him. The ending of the film can be seen both as an irony or (as some reviewers have stated) simply as a dream Travis always wanted to have, given the mysterious nature of this last scene.
Scorsese's style of direction fits the film, which moves smoothly as the narrative progresses. The cinematography of Michael Chapman is excellent, contrasting New York city lights and scenes inside and outside the cab in a outstanding way. Bernard Herrmann's score (which is his last) gives the film an appropriate atmosphere, although I have to complain that the main theme repeats very often in the movie.
Similar to what he would do years later in "Raging Bull", Scorsese explores the mind of his protagonist and Paul Schrader's screenplay let us know enough of Travis' thoughts using narration, although I feel the story is not as deep as it could have been, resulting in a more simple approach. The acting is excellent. Robert de Niro embodies Travis in a very convincing way and it may be one of his best performances. The supporting roles are also compelling, with good performances from Albert Brooks, Harvey Keitel, and Cybill Shepherd as Betsy, Travis' romantic interest. One surprising role is that of 14-year old Jodie Foster as a child prostitute, a role for which she was nominated for an Academy Award despite her short screen time and obviously her age.
Great as "Taxi Driver" is, I couldn't help but finding some faults. The film is not for everyone and sometimes it is uncomfortable to watch. The dark portrait of the character, the themes presented, and the violence near the end of the film are disturbing. Some of the scenes move slowly and some of them seem like they have no meaning at all. "Taxi Driver" is not my favorite film from Martin Scorsese, but like "Raging Bull" it portrays a man's life and hell, and how the world he lives in affects him and causes he takes decisions that may even have not crossed his mind in the first place.
"Taxi Driver" is an imperfect but thought-provoking psychological drama, with an extraordinary performance from Robert de Niro, and a classic in its own right.
My Score: 8.8