The appeal of Taxi Driver

Rating: 10/10 (30 November 2005)

Why does taxi driver have so much appeal? Well simply because there are so many Travis Bickle's in the world. I have to ask you a question, have you ever felt alone? Walked down a street full of strangers, realising there is no-one around that you know? I'm sure most people have felt that sometime, but Travis Bickle takes that to the most extreme degree, he feels like that all the time. The man who bring this character to life happens to be the rather obsessive, meticulous, method actor, that is Robert Deniro. Travis is such a complex character, miles away from most two dimensional Hollywood blockbuster heroes, for Robert Deniro to bring him to life, well to me makes him one of the greatest movie actors. He doesn't have a "catchphrase", he doesn't have friends, basically all he has is his job and his own loneliness. So basically I would say that Travis is the ultimate anti-hero.
I feel that anyone who has ever had a time in their life where they've spent a lot of alone time, maybe people who have simply seen a friend be like that, can relate. I think this is where the mass appeal lies. Another aspect is that Taxi Driver follows a real life murderer, he isn't portrayed as a monster though, just a misfit, who is a very real person.
Finally, the film just has a certain touch of class. Just the intro scenes made enough of an impact on me. That music and the visuals of the taxi. The speech at the beginning already confirming that Taxi Driver is going to be one of the darkest films you've ever seen (all the animals come out at night). It's brutally honest about New York (at the time), it doesn't paint some sort of false picture about it. It's all there, the drugs, the prostitutes, the porno theatre. How many other films dare talk about these things? Even now? But guess what, though I've never been to New York, I could show you all of these things if I went down to London. Most places have this side to them.
People understand this film. Whether they relate it to themselves or to someone they know, or simply find it interesting to watch Travis' descent until he finally cracks. The surroundings of a big city like New York, with a dirty underside, still relevant. All of these aspects, which I've discussed, make sure that the film is still watched and still relevant today. Sure it will be lost on some people who demand a much faster pace, people who are wondering when the killing will begin and even take joy in it when it does, but Taxi Driver is not supposed to be that film. It's a portrayal of emptiness, loneliness and alienation. People don't watch films like this, they become immersed in them.
So in short; Great acting, great music, great visuals, great script. Really, what else are you looking for in a film? Tell me, what?