Terrifying movie from Scorsese.

Rating: 9/10 (31 March 2005)

Probably Scorsese's most blatantly dark work to date, Taxi Driver is cinema at it's best. Not only is the whole atmosphere brooding and realistic, but the nature of Bickle (De Niro) is highly ambiguous - sometimes splitting opinion to weather he is hero or just plain psychopath.
Tearing away from the stilted conventions of Hollywood films, Scorsese dares in this movie. The cinematography is great, with great shots showing Bickle's world, and the birds eye view of the crime scene at the end of the movie. The editing is fresh, used to great effect to bring out the visceral nature to Scorsese's work that we are so used to. While not as powerful as the work in Raging Bull, or as lively as Goodfellas, Taxi Driver is a calmer beast, taking its time in telling story and revealing the surroundings - which fits in well with the theme of the movie anyway.
Scorsese also created the meticulously planned shooting at the end of the movie, which happens to be one of my favourite scenes ever. While not exactly polished (special effects in the 70's were used rarely), the gritty feeling really shines through, and although the blood is slightly saturated (to get certificate!) it is still highly violent. Set in the claustrophobic pimp house of Sport (Keitel) the scene just fizzes with energy, even if it contains as much dialogue as an early Chaplin movie.
De Niro is frightening as Travis Bickle, the protagonist of the movie. He is so layered; the tics, the sayings, the feelings - De Niro has created someone so real, it is untrue. It's always the little details that stick out - like when De Niro puts his hand in his pocket (to reach for a gun?) during the "president's" election show - to spook out the guards. To see them running after him, as Bickle has a childish grin on his face is just priceless. To see this character burn slowly over the course of the film is something to experience. As I said at the start, Bicle is highly ambiguous, which I think is the best kind of character to have in a film, wherein the audience can decide weather or not he is hero or villain.
Foster is great as the 12 and a half year old prostitute - a challenging role for any young actress. Cybill Shepherd, although slightly primitive in terms of acting skills, she suits the role well. The rest of the cast are superb too, with Keitel giving a sleazy performance as Sport, the pimp.
So, where does this rank in Scorsese's already-really-amazing-CV? Certainly. It is up there with my top 4 Scorsese films: Goodfellas, Casino, Mean Streets, After Hours. A classic if ever there was one.