The knife's edge between damnation and deliverance

Rating: 9/10 (13 April 2014)

This movie was a tour de force that featured De Niro in his grittiest role outside of Jake LaMotta. In a nutshell, this movie places the taxi driver Bickle on a life path so precarious and narrow that we fail, while watching the movie, to see how there could ever be an opportunity for redemption for this fallen and distressing character. Yet he transcends his descent into hell by the narrowest of margins and comes back into the light based on a single act of obsessive moral decency. The plot creates constant tension and discomfort as we see inside an unbalanced neurotic who becomes a saviour to an innocent. LOL, this review sounds like a religious essay! But I remain, to this day, captivated by the stark story-line. It suggests that if you have even a shred of goodness in you, redemption and deliverance are always possible. Stunning acting, amazing photography. Sparse dialogue. Dark and brooding the whole way through. Highly recommended. Reminds me of Deliverance in its intensity.