An all time masterpiece that will remain immortalised as a cinematic classic.

Rating: 10/10 (17 February 2015)

It's hard to believe that Taxi Driver is almost 40 years old. Released in 1976, Taxi Driver has earned a well deserved spot in cinematic history as an all time classic masterpiece. In the early stages of many collaborations as an actor and director, Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese bring to life an urban tale of alienation and one lonely man's struggle to get a grip of his sanity in a rapidly decaying New York City. Robert De Niro is also strongly supported by an all star cast, including Jodie Foster, Harvey Kietel, Albert Brooks, and Peter Boyle.
Robert De Niro plays Travis Bickle, a former U.S. Marine who gets a job as a taxi driver in New York City. He is also plagued with insomnia, loneliness, and the inability to connect with others on an emotional level. Throughout his night shifts he witnesses society at its worst, and often longs for the real rain to wash the scum off the streets. When he is not working, Travis spends time in a variety of pornographic theaters and keeps to himself in his small apartment. Travis often keeps his personal thoughts written down in his diary. He is still quite guarded around fellow drivers including Wizard (Peter Boyle). Travis' life takes a successful turn when he becomes infatuated with Presidential campaign worker Betsy (Cybil Sheppard) and he successfully asks her out on a date. The date starts off on the right foot but ends badly when Betsy is disgusted with Travis taking her to a pornographic theater and thus Betsy breaks it off with Travis. Travis tries to make it up to Betsy but she constantly rebuffs him. The relationship ends for good when Travis berates Betsy at her work and Tom (Albert Brooks) kicks Travis out. After a chance meeting with Presidential candidate Senator Charles Palantine (Leonard Brooks), Travis turns his unhealthy obsessions towards Charles Palantine. Travis also befriends a teenage prostitute Iris (Jodie Foster) who wants to leave but is unable to do so as she is under the thumb of her pimp and lover Matthew "Sport" (Harvey Kietel). Travis prepares for a confrontation by physically transforming himself and obtaining several handguns so he can do what needs to be done. The only question here is, is he going to be a hero or the villain? Robert De Niro has enjoyed a stellar career and his filmography over the past 40 years has been very impressive. Taxi Driver is often mentioned as one of his best movies, and rightfully so. No other actor could capably portray the troubled Travis Bickle, and Robert De Niro has done an admirable job. Robert De Niro earned an Academy Award nomination for his role as Travis Bickle, but unfortunately lost to Peter Finch who posthumously won for his role in Network (1976). Jodie Foster went on to become a successful actress as well as a two time Academy Award Winner for her roles in The Accused (1988) and The Silence of The Lambs (1991). Her role as the teenage prostitute Iris made critics and audiences sit up and take notice. Harvey Kietel has also enjoyed a great career and Taxi Driver sits up near the top of the list along with such movies as Reservoir Dogs (1992), Bad Lieutenant (1992), The Piano (1993), and Pulp Fiction (1994). The late Peter Boyle is well known to TV audiences for his role in Everybody Loves Raymond, but here he does a great job as fellow cab driver Wizard.
Martin Scorsese's direction is pure brilliance and it can be said that Taxi Driver proved to become a pivotal moment in his career. Martin Scorsese has gone on to direct further excellent movies in his career, but Taxi Driver highlights Scorsese at his best. Paul Schrader's screenplay is extremely intelligent and also has dark moments of humour. Bernard Herrmann's hauntingly sombre jazz score (which was also his last before his untimely death) is outstanding.
Though Taxi Driver is a very intense and violent movie, it is no stranger to controversy. Taxi Driver attracted negative publicity in 1981 when it was revealed John Hinkley Jr, who attempted to assassinate Ronald Regan, was deeply obsessed with the movie. Hinkley Jr also became infatuated with actress Jodie Foster, and carried out his assassination attempt in order to win her affection. Hinkley Jr was later found not guilty by reason of insanity but later confined to a psychiatric hospital.
Many people commonly perceive Taxi Driver as an action movie. When I think of action movies, movies such as the Lethal Weapon series, the Die Hard series, James Bond, Indiana Jones, Rambo, and Jason Bourne instantly come to mind. Taxi Driver is a gritty drama which doesn't come close to an action movie. Travis Bickle is certainly not an heroic character that audiences find themselves cheering on. Travis Bickle is an emotionally troubled, paranoid, and mentally unstable person, and the movie portrays him as an anti hero instead of the villain.
Nobody can dispute the classic scene where Robert De Niro's Travis Bickle is acting out an imagined confrontation in front of a mirror which gives him a chance to draw his handgun. The line "You talking' to me?" has firmly embedded itself as one of the greatest lines in cinematic history. It's also amazing that this line was not in Paul Schrader's script, but in fact improvised by Robert De Niro.
"You talking' to me? You talking' to me? You talking' to me? Then who the hell else are you talking' to? You talking' to me? Well I'm the only one here. Who the f*** do you think you're talking to? Oh yeah? Okay."
Robert De Niro has never been better in his iconic role, Jodie Foster's career later skyrocketed, and Martin Scorsese's first masterpiece will always remain immortalised. Taxi Driver is a cinematic classic that will stay with you forever.
A well deserved 10/10.