A psycho's journey to rid New York of its criminals

Rating: Null/10 (9 August 2004)

The seventies brought us the greatest films of our time from the Godfather one and two, The Deer Hunter, Serpico, One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest and so on. Martin Scorceses Taxi Driver definitely ranks up there with the most poignant films in its dark and disturbing nature. De Niro seems to have a special ability to play unstable individuals as he did so flawlessly playing Jake La Motta in Raging Bull. Taxi Driver is no different and De Niro gives one of his most powerful performances in his career, on par with his appearance as Vito Corleone in The Godfather Part two. This film is at times slow moving but this is to allow you to get into his world and it works. As we watch him driving around in his taxi acting maybe a little bit weary and odd we get the impression that he isn't that weird. Well this is the part where he takes his girlfriend for a night out and to where? To a very romantic porn film. After this I just thought get out while you can woman and thankfully for her sake she did. Travis (De Niro) was now very clearly a mentally unstable man, the film then takes off from here and the story becomes very compelling. De Niro decides that he must clean up the streets as the authorities just don't seem up to it. He takes on the role of a secret government worker and he sets off on his destiny. Watch in amazement as De Niro gives a chilling five minutes of him in front of a certain mirror. The scene "you talkin to me" is quite brilliant and it did pioneer many reminiscent scenes after it. With De Niro looking very much psychotic, deranged, chilling and just amazing this scene was truly terrifying. This film catches many major issues that are still very much around today; when De Niro befriends a thirteen year old prostitute played by an excellent Jodie Foster we are shown a side to De Niro that was always there but just did not surface. He wants to help this young girl, help her to escape from the vile pimp (Harvey Kietel). This is where De Niro takes revenge on behalf of Foster and the finale is quite brilliant. Yes it is bloody and yes it is very real, 'A savage piece of work', with Scorcese at his pinnacle and De Niro playing to perfection this bold, dark, surreal and evil film is a must see not only for it's wide recognition but also for it's reminder of the mentally ill people whom live in this world. Hellishly superb, only the Devil could have orchestrated such a fine and twisted film.