Taxi Driver (1976)
8.1 /10
13595 Reviews
Rate This Movie:
Suffering from insomnia, disturbed loner Travis Bickle takes a job as a New York City cabbie, haunting the streets nightly, growing increasingly detached from reality as he dreams of cleaning up the filthy city.
Videos & Photos
cast
... Travis Bickle
... Iris
... Betsy
... Sport
... Wizard
User reviews
**Social outcast with a mohawk goes nutzoid**
Porn obsessed loner, Travis Bickle, is a cabbie in New York. The story tells of his gradual descent into madness brought on by his inability to relate to those around him and a feeling of a lack of worth. Travis is essentially invisible - of no importance. Walton's self imposed isolation preferable to getting along with the scum around him. One day he decides to change all of that and become _a somebody_ by murdering a politician.
This _nobody_ with the superiority complex has gone off the rails, for certain and it can only lead to bloodshed. A lot of it will be his own.
Reviews of
Taxi Driver
**Social outcast with a mohawk goes nutzoid**
Porn obsessed loner, Travis Bickle, is a cabbie in New York. The story tells of his gradual descent into madness brought on by his inability to relate to those around him and a feeling of a lack of worth. Travis is essentially invisible - of no importance. Walton's self imposed isolation preferable to getting along with the scum around him. One day he decides to change all of that and become _a somebody_ by murdering a politician.
This _nobody_ with the superiority complex has gone off the rails, for certain and it can only lead to bloodshed. A lot of it will be his own.
Taxi Driver has had many things said about it, and I don't wish to add to all that but it is the yardstick I measure all other films by, it is by far my favourite of all the films I have ever watched.
It's brutal honesty and use of themes such as paranoia, mental health issues, and society degradation make it a film that has been imitated, and referenced since its opening in cinemas back in 1976.
Robert De Niro puts in a tour-de-force performance as Travis Bickle, a Vietnam War veteran with symptoms of PTSD and paranoia, who becomes a New York City taxi driver because of his inability to sleep. Travis is one who is at odds with society, fed up with pimps, prostitutes, drug dealers, and all the other scum of the earth, he slowly works himself in his sleep deprived and drugged state to become a one man army ready to kill anyone he believes to be part of the problem.
His interactions with other cabbies, Betsy (Shepherd) a Presidential Candidate campaign worker, Iris a teenage prostitute (Foster), and her Pimp “Sport” (Keitel) fuels his destructive mission to rid New York City of its problems. His attempt at normalcy with Betsy, by taking her on date to a movie that disagrees with her sensibilities ends in disaster, mostly due to Travis’ supposed naivety about what is considered appropriate and tasteful entertainment.
While plying his nightly trade as a NYC cabbie, he has some unusual encounters, including a fare from a fairly psychotically jealous man showing Travis the place where the man’s wife is cheating on him, and then a short encounter with Iris who gets in his cab, and then forced out by Sport, who throws Travis a dirty crumpled up twenty dollar note for the trouble, Travis then makes it his mission to rescue Iris from her situation while also making a menace of himself to the visiting Presidential candidate.
This film is still relevant in these times, as social media, and other such technological & society advancements have brought about a new degradation of values, with many wanting their fifteen minutes of fame by any means necessary, which now brings with it many who sell their souls to attain notoriety.
I love De Niro's performance as Travis, its one that has many facets to it, in it is a man who is angry, naive, sleep deprived, lonely, a sociopath, and a killer.
A scene in the Presidential campaign office where he is rebuffed by Betsy due to the terrible date experience, and ushered, and menaced by the opportunistic & snotty campaign co-worker Tom (Brooks), shows the range of De Niro's performance as he goes from apologetic, and sheepish to angry, and ready to fight. De Niro was nominated for the Best Actor Academy Award for this role.
The presentation on blu-ray is a solid one, PQ is nice, skin tones not waxy, and the AQ allowing the score, and surrounding noise subtleties to really shine through, it's very well handled for a source filmed in the mid 70's
Robert De Niro is outstanding in this dark and gritty depiction of former marine "Travis Bickle". He spends his time, alone, driving his cab at night then watching seedy movies during the day. This relentless cycle is broken when he takes a shine to "Betsy" (Cybill Shepherd), a campaign worker for a would be US Presidential candidate. There is a glimmer of hope for him, as she agrees to go out with him for a movie - but when he takes her to his usual haunt for a Swedish film that perhaps wasn't quite Ingmar Bergman, he ends up back at square one. Simultaneously, he takes a more protective interest in the young "iris" (Jodie Foster) - a teenage hooker who is being used abused by her pimp, and to that end he acquires some firearms with which he is perfectly proficient, and so finally starts to see a purpose for his hitherto rather rudderness existence. Director Martin Scorsese and veteran scorer Bernard Hermann have created a wonderfully convincing and evocative scenario emphasising the seediness of a night time New York in which De Niro is able to thrive as few other actors could. He exudes a sense of helplessness but also of decency; he has integrity almost in spite of the indifference of his city, his peers - and by the end, I was firmly in his corner. If you can see it up on a big screen, then do so - it lends a great deal to this wonderfully atmospheric and potent piece of cinema.
**_Hellish urban decay and one man’s step-by-step fall into Big City madness_**
In the mid-70s, an ex-marine insomniac in New York works the graveyard shift as a cab driver (De Niro) while trying to develop a relationship with a beautiful campaign volunteer for a presidential candidate (Cybill Shepherd and Leonard Harris). He experiences White Knight Syndrome as he seeks to rescue a 12½ years-old prostitute (Jodie Foster).
Written by Paul Schrader and directed by Scorsese, "Taxi Driver" (1976) is an interesting character study of a misfit and his descent into radicalness after the day-to-day grind of living amidst the grungy, unsanitary places of an infernal Gotham, especially the grindhouse district. The protagonist is a ‘contradiction,’ loathing the decadence he observes but frequenting porn theaters in his spare time. Then there’s the irony of a potential assassin perceived as a vigilante hero.
The notable cast also includes a young Harvey Keitel as the girl’s pimp and Peter Boyle as Travis’ mentor-like fellow cabbie. Albert Brooks is on hand as a protective colleague of the campaign volunteer. Scorsese shows up in a bit part as an unhinged cab passenger.
It’s a good companion-piece to similar Schrader flicks, like “Hardcore,” “Cat People,” “Auto Focus” and “Dog Eat Dog.”
The film runs 1 hour, 54 minutes, and was shot in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
GRADE: B+/A-
Cast & Crew of
Taxi Driver
Cast
... Travis Bickle
... Iris
... Betsy
... Sport
... Wizard
... Charles Palantine
... Tom
... Concession Girl
... Angry Black Man
... Melio
... Policeman at Rally
... Iris' Friend
... Cabbie in Bellmore
... Hooker in Cab
... Soap Opera Woman
... Dispatcher
... Stick-Up Man
... Tall Secret Service Man
... Soap Opera Man
... Secret Service Photographer
... Mafioso
... Charlie T.
... Tom's Assistant
... Iris' Time Keeper
... Doughboy
... Street Drummer
... Campaign Worker
... Andy, Gun Salesman
... The John
... Passenger Watching Silhouette
... Palantine Aide
... T.V. Interviewer
... Personnel Officer
... Angry Hooker on Street
... Campaign Worker
... Boy on Sidewalk (uncredited)
... Movie House Patron (uncredited)
... Cab Passenger (uncredited)
... Police Officer (uncredited)
... Clerk at Sam Goody Store (uncredited)
... Campaign Worker (uncredited)
... Political Rally Attendee (uncredited)
... Political Rally Attendee (uncredited)
... Campaign Aide (uncredited)
... Political Rally Attendee (uncredited)
... CIA Agent (uncredited)
... Girl at Columbus Circle (uncredited)
... Political Rally Attendee (uncredited)
... Boy on Sidewalk (uncredited)
... Iris' Friend (uncredited)
... Political Rally Attendee (uncredited)
... Campaign Worker (uncredited)
... Sam Goody Store Customer (uncredited)
Crew
... Producer
... Producer
... Director of Photography
... Original Music Composer
... Casting
... Editor
... Editor
... Sound Re-Recording Mixer
... Sound Effects Editor
... Sound Effects Editor
... Sound Effects Editor
... Sound Effects Editor
... Art Direction
... Set Decoration
... Costume Design
... Stunts
... Hairdresser
... Special Effects Makeup Artist
... Assistant Director Trainee
... Second Assistant Director
... Second Assistant Director
... Assistant Property Master
... Other
... Sound Mixer
... Sound Recordist
... Sound Re-Recording Mixer
... Boom Operator
... Sound Supervisor
... ADR Recordist
... Assistant Camera
... Assistant Camera
... Gaffer
... Grip
... Additional Photography
... Key Grip
... Best Boy Electric
... Assistant Camera
... Assistant Camera
... Still Photographer
... Extras Casting
... Wardrobe Supervisor
... Security
... Music Director
... Conductor
... Orchestrator
... Music Director
... Orchestrator
... Musician
... Musician
... Musician
... Producer's Assistant
... Other
... Other
... Production Assistant
... Publicist
... Production Office Coordinator
... Other
... Production Assistant
... Production Assistant
... Creative Consultant
... Title Designer
... Executive In Charge Of Production
... Other
... Thanks
... Thanks
... Thanks
... Thanks
... Thanks
... Thanks
... Thanks
... Thanks
... Makeup Artist
... Production Manager
... Transportation Coordinator
... Thanks
... Script Supervisor
... Scenic Artist
... Camera Operator
... Associate Producer
... Makeup Effects
... Assistant Director
... Special Effects
... Additional Photography
... Supervising Film Editor
... Assistant Editor
... Assistant Editor
... Thanks
... Still Photographer
... Publicist
... Title Designer
... Music Editor
... Director
... Property Master
... Supervising Sound Effects Editor
... Camera Operator
... Score Engineer
... Musician
... Stand In
... Writer
Videos & Photos of
Taxi Driver
Videos (3)
Photos 88
Similar Movies To
Taxi Driver
Judgment Night (1993)
6.46/10
Four young friends, while taking a shortcut en route to a local boxing match, witness a brutal murder which leaves them running for their lives.
Release: 1993-10-15
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
8/10
An assassin is shot by her ruthless employer, Bill, and other members of their assassination circle – but she lives to plot her vengeance.
Release: 2003-10-10
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
8.089/10
Joel Barish, heartbroken that his girlfriend underwent a procedure to erase him from her memory, decides to do the same. However, as he watches his memories of her fade away, he realises that he still loves her, and may be too late to correct his mistake.
Release: 2004-03-19
Buddies (1985)
8.213/10
David, a naive graduate student, has volunteered to work as a 'buddy' for people dying of AIDS. Assigned to the intensely political Robert, a lifelong activist whose friends and family have abandoned him following his diagnosis, the two men, each with notably different world views, soon discover common bonds, as David's inner activist awakens and Robert's need for emotional release is fulfilled.
Release: 1985-09-12
Freaks (1932)
7.764/10
A circus' beautiful trapeze artist agrees to marry the leader of side-show performers, but his deformed friends discover she is only marrying him for his inheritance.
Release: 1932-01-01
Wings of Desire (1987)
7.757/10
Two angels, Damiel and Cassiel, glide through the streets of Berlin, observing the bustling population, providing invisible rays of hope to the distressed but never interacting with them. When Damiel falls in love with lonely trapeze artist Marion, the angel longs to experience life in the physical world, and finds — with some words of wisdom from actor Peter Falk — that it might be possible for him to take human form.
Release: 1987-09-23
Breaking the Waves (1996)
7.5/10
In a small, conservative Scottish village, an oilman is paralyzed in an accident. His wife, who prayed for his return, feels guilty; even more, when he urges her to have sex with another.
Release: 1996-07-05
Blade Runner (1982)
7.935/10
In the smog-choked dystopian Los Angeles of 2019, blade runner Rick Deckard is called out of retirement to terminate a quartet of replicants who have escaped to Earth seeking their creator for a way to extend their short life spans.
Release: 1982-06-25
Dirty Dancing (1987)
7.324/10
Expecting the usual tedium that accompanies a summer in the Catskills with her family, 17-year-old Frances 'Baby' Houseman is surprised to find herself stepping into the shoes of a professional hoofer—and unexpectedly falling in love.
Release: 1987-08-21
Beverly Hills Cop II (1987)
6.533/10
Axel Foley returns to the land of sunshine and palm trees to investigate the near-fatal shooting of police Captain Andrew Bogomil. With the help of Sgt. Taggart and Det. Rosewood, they soon uncover that the shooting is associated with a series of "alphabet" robberies masterminded by a heartless weapons kingpin—and the chase is on.
Release: 1987-05-18
Gladiator (2000)
8.23/10
After the death of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, his devious son takes power and demotes Maximus, one of Rome's most capable generals who Marcus preferred. Eventually, Maximus is forced to become a gladiator and battle to the death against other men for the amusement of paying audiences.
Release: 2000-05-04
First Lady of BMF: The Tonesa Welch Story (2023)
10/10
Inspired by the true life of Detroit native Tonesa Welch. It charts Welch's rise from a teenager's mother to a drug dealer, she is referred to by federal prosecutors as "The First Lady of the BMF"
Release: 2023-10-05
Forrest Gump (1994)
8.464/10
A man with a low IQ has accomplished great things in his life and been present during significant historic events—in each case, far exceeding what anyone imagined he could do. But despite all he has achieved, his one true love eludes him.
Release: 1994-06-23
Joy (2024)
6.9/10
A young nurse, a visionary scientist and an innovative surgeon face opposition from the church, state, media and medical establishment, in their pursuit of the world’s first ‘test tube baby’, Louise Joy Brown.
Release: 2024-11-15
Lovers (2024)
0/10
Two women return to their hometown for the funeral of a friend who has taken his own life. They find themselves reconnecting with their old community at Lovers, the local dive bar music venue that hasn’t changed in the years since they left. The friends face their shared loss, and are reminded of the power of coming together through music.
Release: 2024-11-03
A History of Violence (2005)
7.17/10
An average family is thrust into the spotlight after the father commits a seemingly self-defense murder at his diner.
Release: 2005-09-23
Al Basha (1993)
7/10
A police officer finds himself worthless as he soon realizes there's no way he could put an end to a businessman associated with running a prostitution ring.
Release: 1993-11-01
The Devil's Own (1997)
6.196/10
Frankie McGuire, one of the IRA's deadliest assassins, draws an American family into the crossfire of terrorism. But when he is sent to the U.S. to buy weapons, Frankie is housed with the family of Tom O'Meara, a New York cop who knows nothing about Frankie's real identity. Their surprising friendship, and Tom's growing suspicions, forces Frankie to choose between the promise of peace or a lifetime of murder.
Release: 1997-03-13
Jerry Cotton: Death and Diamonds (1968)
8/10
Sixth part of Jerry Cotton movies. Agent Jerry Cotton infiltrates a big crime syndicate that is planning a major diamond heist.
Release: 1968-02-23