Cinematic masterpiece is as unpredictable as its protagonist

Rating: Null/10 (24 July 1999)

It seems that one major step to the success of a dramatic work is to write from the perspective of a disturbed mind. Shakespeare did this masterfully with Hamlet, and Paul Schrader has done no less with Travis Bickle, the New York Cabbie not long out of the mindless action of the Vietnam war. The story is unpredictable as is the mind of Travis. Robert De Niro demonstrates his brilliance in character interpretation under he flawless direction of Scorsese. The grimy underside of New York (but it could just as easily be Sydney or London) is gutted and exposed for us to explore through Travis's jaundiced eyes. His impetuous actions take us with him on a seamy ride through his meager life as though we are in the back seat of his cab. After twenty-thee years, this movie still stands as a monument to the fine art of cinema.