Scorsese's break out film is a classic!

Rating: 9/10 (22 July 2012)

Taxi Driver is Scorsese's breakout film. It is dark, visceral and haunting. Only his fourth film, this classic bears all the marks of a seasoned auteur. Intricately crafted shots, perfect timing, and on top of that, De Niro gives one of his most disturbing performances. Together they paint a portrait of a man slipping into insanity and his personal self-destructive fantasy. That said, I don't believe this film is as insightful as everyone says it is. I've seen in three times now and I can't understand it's 'purpose.' What is the point of this? Is Travis a representation of the angst filled youth (of the 70's era) -- wanting to change the world, but misguided in how they try? Is this a portrait of how isolation destroys a man? Is this a tragedy? But these ideas aren't overtly clear. Especially by the happy ending (how he is somehow turned into a hero). Only after watching documentaries with interviews with the creators did I understand their intentions with certain scenes. But like most creators, the writer/director here were so close to their art that they thought what they were doing was self-evident (when sometimes it wasn't.) The character Travis himself is not sympathetic, while even anti-heroes have some part of them that you can connect with, some part that makes you want to root for them. Maybe that's why it works. Taxi Driver is an unfiltered look at New York in the 70's. Most of the film captures this in such detail and finesse, it couldn't have been staged better (which many of the background shots weren't). And Travis is a dark portrait of a reject on the edge, pushed over by the madness of the city/society/humanity(whatever you want to call it), and this story has proved itself to be reality again and again since. This is a mark of accurate art. Maybe that is what Taxi Driver is.