It's more than an art house masterpiece....It's a national treasure that we should use as a constant reminder.

Rating: 10/10 (13 May 2002)

Moody and near sheer flawless depiction of an isolated, aloof former war veteran, Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro), who spends his nights in New York driving a taxi cab, sees the endless amount of low-lives (prostitutes, pimps, drug dealers, etc.), and slowly becomes determined to make his presence felt throughout the city.
Furthermore, what makes this movie leave such an unforgettable impact on the viewer is how director Martin Scorsese and writer Paul Schrader set-up the jungle-like atmosphere and I begin to get the feeling that the people like Bickle are animals, not the same type. Is everyone who lives and works in the Big Apple almost identical? Not absolutely.
Even the views of the night life in the city, that are provided by cinematographer Michael Chapman, reminded me some of the Renissance paintings that I saw in high school. It's just beautiful, simple as that. And the musical score, which is the last one composed by the legendary Bernard Herrmann ("Psycho", "Carrie") is something that you want to listen if you aren't a big fan of modern music. The music flows to a slow, but smooth jazz rhytmn and I bet a (high school or college) music teacher would love that.
Last but not least, the performances are definitely memorable and de Niro himself isn't alone. Jodie Foster, Peter Boyle, Albert Brooks, Cybill Shepherd, and Harvey Keitel round out the marvelous cast. Plus, Scorsese himself has a nice cameo as an unhappy passenger who tells Travis what he wants to do. That scene alone and the mind para-lyzing climax, which I wouldn't dare throw away, pick up where "Death Wish" left off with the revenge factor, and take it to staggering heights.
In conclusion, "Taxi Driver" does teach the viewer a valuable lesson that shouldn't be forgotten, period. It makes you think about what you choose the way you live and view any situation. A wake-up call, at best. It's more than an art house masterpiece....It's a national treasure that we should use as a constant reminder.