raw

Rating: 10/10 (14 January 2000)

Taxi Driver is the kind of movie in which I'd like to have been beside the screenwriter while he was typing it out. It feels like it was written half out in one sitting, the other half two months down the line. We begin with Travis Bickle as a young, somewhat unthreatning character. He is unvilont, doesn't lash out or raise his voice, like he was uneffected by Vietnam. The odd thing is, somewhere along the line, he breaks down. But we don't see that as clear as we should, because we can't tell if he's disturbed to start with. All of a sudden, this calm little 'vigilante' lashes out in a violent way. What happened? He hates the city? He doesn't have to stay there. If he doesn't know that, is that why he's 'crazy'? Who knows. Then why, you ask, do i think its one of the ten best movies of all time? Because Mr. Bickle did what I would do if I were just a little bit crazy, and got away with it. Don't I just wish.