Taxi Driver

***Taxi Driver*** is a 1976 American psychological crime thriller film directed by Martin Scorsese, written by Paul Schrader, and starring Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd, Harvey Keitel, Peter Boyle, Leonard Harris, and Albert Brooks. The film follows Travis Bickle (De Niro), a veteran working as a taxicab driver in a decaying New York City, following the Vietnam War, and his declining mentality over his hatred over the "scum" he sees on the streets while working his taxi jobs.

Widely claimed to be one of the greatest films of all time, with the film being called the 47th greatest film of all time on AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies and 52nd on the list's tenth anniversary, *Taxi Driver* has been cited to be an extremely revolutionary film, as well as one of the most influencing films of all time. *Taxi Driver* was also nominated for four Academy Awards, including, Best Picture, Best Actor for De Niro's performance, Best Supporting Actress for Foster's performance and Best Original Score. It won the Palme d'Or at the 1976 Cannes Film Festival.

However, the film has also become extremely controversial, due to many things, including the story focusing on a violent vigilante, Jodie Foster's performance as a child prostitute and the influence the film had on, John Hinckley Jr., who nearly assassinated Ronald Reagan due to his dreams of having Jodie Foster fall in love with him after he committed the murder. But since then, the film has been cited to be "culturally, historically, or aesthetically" significant by the U.S. Library of Congress.

## Plot

In New York City, Vietnam veteran, Travis Bickle takes a job as a taxi driver to deal with his insomnia. Travis also keeps a diary containing his various depressing thoughts and aphorisms as well as frequently visiting porn theaters on 42nd Street. While working as a taxi driver, Travis grows a distaste to the "filth" he sees on the streets, with him having grudge against of crime and prostitution. Along with him, also wishing that someone would finally ridding "the scum off the streets."

While working his shifts, Travis grows a crush on a woman named Betsy, a campaign volunteer for presidential candidate, Senator Charles Palantine. After working up the courage to ask her out, she hesitantly agrees to go out for coffee. Eventually, the two form a romantic connection, but it is soon ruined when Travis brings Betsy to a porn theater with Betsy soon breaking up with him. This enrages Travis, who barges into the campaign office, yells at Betsy, until he is kicked out by Betsy's colleague, Tom.

In order to cope with his existential crisis and his violent thoughts, Travis asks for advice from his fellow taxi driver, "Wizard", who tries to give Travis advice, however, Travis dismisses his advice. Afterwards, Travis begins working out constantly in an effort to cope with his anger. Another fellow taxi driver, "Doughboy", gives Travis the contact for a black market gun dealer, nicknamed, "Easy Andy", to which Travis buys several guns from. Travis also begins attending Palantine's various rallies. One night, Travis murders a man attempting to rob a bodega.

Throughout Travis's night shifts, he begins to notice a young girl, named Iris Steensma, working as a child prostitute on the streets. Travis, deciding to become a full-fledged vigilante, tries to convince Iris to leave her life as a child prostitute and go back to her parents, to which Iris agrees. Travis cuts his hair into a mohawk and attends one of Palantine's rallies, planning to assassinate him. However, his plan fails as he is chased down by Secret Service agents. Later that day, Travis travels to Iris' pimp, Sport's brothel, where he murders him, a bouncer and an Italian mobster in front of a now sobbing Iris. Just after Travis murders the bouncer, he attempts suicide, but realizes he is out of bullets. Just when the police enter the brothel, Travis falls into a coma due to his injuries.

When Travis wakes up from his coma, he is declared a heroic vigilante by the city and is even sent a letter by Iris' parents who thank him. Travis, with his hair now grown out, reclaims his job as a taxi driver, where he encounters Betsy. Travis brings her home, declines her money, gives her a slight smile and then drives off. Just before the film ends, he notices something in the rearview mirror, agitating him.

## Cast

* Robert De Niro as Travis Bickle
* Jodie Foster as Iris Steensma
* Cybill Shepherd as Betsy
* Harvey Keitel as Matthew "Sport" Higgins
* Albert Brooks as Tom
* Leonard Harris as Senator Charles Palantine
* Peter Boyle as "Wizard"
* Steven Prince as "Easy Andy", the Gun Salesman
* Martin Scorsese as "Passenger Watching Silhouette"/Man Outside Palantine Headquarters
* Harry Northup as "Doughboy"
* Victor Argo as Melio, the Bodega Clerk
* Joe Spinell as The Personnel Officer
* Norman Matlock as Charlie T.
* Bob Maroff as Anthony Sciloso

## Deaths

* **Unnamed robber:** Shot in the face by Travis Bickle.
* **Matthew "Sport" Higgins:** Shot to death by Travis Bickle.
* **Anthony Sciloso:** Shot six times in the face by Travis Bickle.
* **Unnamed bouncer:** Shot in the face by Travis Bickle.

## Production

According to Scorsese, he first encountered writer, Paul Schrader through Brian De Palma. The script of *Taxi Driver*, came from Schrader, who used the diaries of Arthur Bremer, the man who attempted to assassinate presidential candidate, George Wallace, as an inspiration, as well as the ending of Travis becoming a hero being inspired by Squeaky Fromme, who after she attempted to assassinate Gerald Ford, appeared on the cover of *Newsweek*. However, the main inspiration for the script was Schrader's own life. In a 1981 interview, Schrader stated that while living in New York City, he to suffered from insomnia, which led him to frequently visiting sex shops and porn theaters during the night, as well as him living in his car for a period of time after going through a breakup and divorce. After visiting the hospital, Schrader wrote the script for *Taxi Driver*, with the main idea being that if he didn't change, he would eventually become Travis. According to Scorsese, Travis is also somewhat representative of a saint, who wishes to cleanse the world of crime and evil. Dustin Hoffman, Al Pacino and Jeff Bridges were considered for the role of Travis Bickle.