Overhyped!

Rating: Null/10 (30 September 2018)

Painting an interesting portrait of the underbelly of New York City with its lurid camerawork & deteriorating set pieces, Taxi Driver is a steady examination of an unsteady character whose arc unfolds like a ticking time bomb and leaves behind nothing but carnage & corpses when it finally detonates.
Set in New York City during the 1970s, the story of Taxi Driver follows a Vietnam War veteran who's on the verge of mental breakdown and takes the job of night-time cab driving to cope with his loneliness, depression & insomnia but a couple of setbacks trigger his descent into madness as he eventually snaps and gives in to his violent urges.
Directed by Martin Scorsese, the film is crafted like a drug-induced reverie and is carried by a character who himself is struggling to hang on to his sanity. The plot is rather simplistic, most people in the picture are messed up in the head, and the themes of loneliness, depression & mental illness are wonderfully addressed. But what exactly makes it worthy of such praise?
Is it the fever-dream atmosphere achieved by vibrant camerawork & neon lighting or is it Travis Bickle & what he stands for in the post-Vietnam War America or the downhill journey he undergoes or that iconic monologue that has become a pop culture mainstay ever since or that bloody violent finale? Maybe a combination of all mixed with cynical attitude of the 1970s? I'm not sure.
There isn't anything necessarily wrong with the story or how it is translated to the screen. The atmosphere is dark & alluring, Cinematography captures the ugly side of New York like never before and the use of colour palette & lighting is inspiring. Bernard Herrmann's score has a dreamlike quality to it that not only fits the film's tone but also uplifts it. And the themes it addresses aren't difficult to grasp either.
Coming to the performances, Taxi Driver puts Robert De Niro front & centre of the screen and the actor brings his disturbed character to cinematic life with panache. Supporting characters get only limited space to share with De Niro's Travis Bickle but Jodie Foster still manages to make her mark. Cybill Shepherd & Harvey Keitel play their roles well but it's De Niro who carries pretty much the entire film all by himself.
On an overall scale, Taxi Driver is counted amongst the greatest films ever made and while I found it to be a fascinating insight into the deteriorating psyche of a troubled individual in addition to a splendid piece of filmmaking, I don't entirely concur with the masses when it comes to its legendary reputation. The film does what it set out to do but it is no game-changer. I rather found it overhyped to be honest. And if I'm the only one, then so be it.