A Pure Shocker!!!

Rating: 10/10 (3 March 1999)

A masterpiece filled with the fantastic score of Bernard Herrmann, the exquisite direction of Martin Scorsese, the chilling screenplay of both Scorsese and Paul Schrader, and of course, the performances of an incredible cast. DeNiro, Foster, Keitel, Boyle and Sheppard are all amazing in their roles. DeNiro is magnificent, but it is Keitel who truly ignites the screen with a role, that according to Keitel himself, was mostly improvised. He was originally set to play the Albert Brooks (also good) role, but Keitel wanted the pimp and that's what he got. To compare this Keitel with the Keitel in Mean Streets shows a great range on the part of the multi-talented actor.
The film is violent yes, but Scorsese almost makes it art. DeNiro's Travis Bickle is as twisted as the mean streets he meets every night, but he makes him someone we feel sympathy for. The scene with director Scorsese is quite amazing itself. Scorsese shows some acting ability here that an actor/director like Tarantino wouldn't know if it jumped up and bit him in the behind.
One of the most chilling climaxes I've ever seen...One of the most compelling films ever made.