Did for film in '70s what Brando-"Streetcar" did during '50s.

Rating: Null/10 (21 April 2003)

Brando in "A Streetcar Named Desire" heightened, through film, our awareness of those around us. "Taxi Driver" raised our SELF-awareness. In Streetcar we were right in the room with the charactersÉ in "Driver" we WERE those characters. Most directors compete and excel in movies dealing with various situationsÉ very few are "people" movies. However, Kazan has passed on the baton to Scorsese, who picked it up & expanded on the theme. Such rare intensity & life-study is a welcome relief to the bland, shallow, & silly films of the '60s/'70s.