This is one of those 70's flicks that meant to shock the audience, and it did...back then. "Taxi Driver" is slowly-paced, pondering at times, and very self-indulgent, in particular one scene in with Martin Scorsese stating how he's going to kill his cheating wife.
There are more than dozen films better from this era, with better story lines, better acting and something more important to say.

You've got to have been in a coma for the past 30 years not to have seen this movie. Robert De Niro as Travis Bickle, the "troubled" cab driver is awesome and scary. Jodie Foster (Iris) is alarmingly sexy, Cybill Shepherd (Betsy) is dreamy, and Harvey Keitel (Sport) is the evil pimp. The big shoot-out towards the end of the film is an unforgettable "classic." Tension-building direction from Martin Scorsese. Robert De Niro - The Best.

Bad acting, lame story and very poor execution. It could have been good if carried out right but it moves too slowly. The dialogue doesn't make much sense and it's like Martin was just killing film time by having the actors talk slowly so they had less to write. Nothing brilliant about this film, 1/5

Martin Scorsese, the writer/director of the Taxi Driver, has admitted that this film is the cathartic result of a bevy of dark thoughts that surrounded his mind during a very low period of his life. By the time the credits finally make their merciful way on screen, we can see exactly what Scorsese saw during those days and the residual effect it has on us, the viewers, will likely stay hauntingly familiar long after we have watched the conclusion of this film.

PLOT:

Tavis Bickle, a taxi driver and volunteer for a New York City political campaign, has tried it all. He's attempted doing things the right way, treating people with kindness and women with respect. Nevertheless, he is ignored and his chivalrous advances continually stepped upon or altogether discarded by one person after another. It is when Tavis realizes that he will forever be average and overlooked that he decides to make drastic changes in his world. Almost at once he begins driving the most dangerous portions of New York in his taxi, scouring the nighttime landscape with his mind cultivating a solution to his own personal, dark problems. Soon, his decision becomes conclusive: he will become a vigilante, and his first offering to the world will be in aiding a young teenaged prostitute by providing her a way out, no matter what it may cost Tavis personally in the process.

Perhaps Scorsese's most poignant film, The Taxi Driver offers a bleak, but somehow refreshing, alternative to the concept of "taking it lying down." Here, in his vision, there is another solution, and one in which while many of us fantasize about, almost all of us refuse to make a reality.

4.5 out of 5

This is the main observation of Travis Bickle, rookie NYC cab driver who has recently returned from active duty in the Viet Nam war. He cruises the mean and scummy skid row streets on the midnight shift, loathing the locals while he steals from his employer by "doing it off the meter".

Played by Robert De Niro (in what must be his twenties), Travis exudes all the makings of a spring wound too tight and ready to explode into a million pieces. Obvious signs of post traumatic stress including dependence on drugs and alcohol, inability to relate to "normal" people back in the USA, combined with a repulsion of those "night animal people" he services with his taxi, latent racist tendencies, and an underlying contempt for authority and the society who seemed indifferent to the war or those in it create a character who is a walking time bomb with many potential targets to choose from to vent his rage. It is a rage that simmers just beneath the surface and is never physically visible to those around him.



"She appeared like an angel out of this filthy mess."

Travis's first sighting of Betsy (Cybill Shepherd) was nicely photographed in slow motion. He finds a way to meet and charm her into having lunch with him. He asks her to a movie, she agrees and he now has an opportunity to have a relationship with a smart and beautiful woman. But on his way to the date the music is somber and we see Travis plodding slowly toward what we know will be a doomed encounter. The only world to Travis is fifty square blocks of seedy, dirty, crime infested neighborhoods including the local porno theatre where (to Betsy's horror) Travis takes her for their movie date. He thought it would be okay because "lots of couples go there". He wasn't trying to be salacious; he just didn't know any better. She leaves abruptly. Across the street from the porno theatre is a regular movie house showing regular movies.

He sends her flowers numerous times, phones to ask forgiveness and another date. This scene is probably the most pivotal and one of the best scenes in the movie. As he is going down in flames and it is too painful to watch, the camera mercifully and slowly pans away, focusing on the busy street outside as we can still hear the one way conversation. After he hangs up the phone his infatuation with Betsy is immediately over and he feels she has now become "cold and distant" and is "just like all the others."

The director, Martin Scorsese, makes a cameo appearance as an unhappy and creepy fare that is stalking his cheating wife and plans to kill her for her infidelity. A young Peter Boyle has a small role as "Wizard" the street wise career cab driver who tries to console Travis with guidance and life philosophy when Travis (in his time of grief over losing Betsy) says to Wizard he wants to go out and "do bad things".



"He called you a little piece of chicken."

As Travis descends into madness, he once again encounters a child prostitute named "Easy", real name Iris, (played by a very young Jodie Foster) being used and exploited by a punk, street thug pimp (played by a very young Harvey Keitel). He tries to convince her that he will rescue her from her sordid life style. She is not interested.

At the same time Travis plots to kill the Presidential candidate (that Betsy was working for). The fact that she jilted him seems the only reason he wants to do that. After a bizarre conversation between Travis and a secret service agent at a supporter rally followed by a failed assination attempt, he escapes into the crowd. Once back at home he begins to feel that his real purpose in life at this time is to rescue Iris from the clutches of the scum he detests even if she is unwilling.

He illegally purchases many weapons, shaves his head into a Mohawk and sets out to administer justice, punishment, and do the "right thing" because "here is a man who stood up and wouldn't take it anymore".

The ending was not unexpected but did have some surprising and thought provoking twists. The soundtrack is haunting and the cinematography is terrific. Overly bright neon lights sometimes seen through a rain washed windshield or cruising the grungy, seedy, skid row streets that show the color of blood brighter than anything is a tribute to Scorsese's ability to put us right in it.


I have to agree with the American Film Institute that this is one of the best 100 films ever made. I think it is De Niro's best work followed by Goodfellas (also directed by Scorsese).

I can definetely see why this movie is considered a classic. It is both powerful and disturbing. And completely memorable.
I havent made up my mind whether the ending is fantasy or reality and I do see a strong case for both, however I am leaning towards reality because I feel they wouldnt have panned the wall of his still oh-so-cheap apartment with the newspaper clippings and the letter. It would have been more dream-like. But who knows, lol. Perhaps it was left a bit ambiguous to produce discussion.

If someone did this in real-life the ending would be an institution for the criminally insane (probably for life), although many would regard the person as a hero IF the actual story came out accurately (thats a big if). And who says insane people dont ever become heroes :)

Im glad I watched it although I found it to be very hard to watch as I feel it was almost too real. With the meth and crack plague in America the portrayal of the young girl was a bit too close to home for me. Which is why this movie doesnt even feel as though it has aged a bit. In fact I am guessing it will remain relevant for many, many generations. It really is a classic.

I can see why people love this movie and why others hate it. Taxi Driver is a mixed bag for me, parts of the film I find interesting but there are some slow and boring sections for me as well. Robert De Niro is a fantastic actor, this is his defining role. Jodie Foster is also good as well, she plays a young streetwalker and De Niro's character tries to save her from a life on filth and suffering. The ending is pretty good but I still unsatisfied with the whole film, it's an unique flick but not a classic, I prefer Raging Bull instead.

When I first saw this film, I was literally shocked at the end. De Niro played a lonley, mentally disturb man extremely well. By the end of the film, we see the end result of Travis's mental prison. Travis worked as a taxi driver frequenting areas high in crimes, prostitution, sex, drug, and other oddities of our modern society. Throughout the film, we saw Travis transform from a lonely person who perhaps has communication issues to an obsession to end the life of a candidate. By the end of the film, Travis decides instead of killing a presidential candidate, he would save the life of a 12 years old girl imprisoned by her pimp to a life of prostitution. Armed with a 44 magnum and various other pistols, Travis went to the girl's pimp and ruthlessly, and violently, killed him and all those associated with the girl's imprisonment. At the end of the film, I was a bit confused. Travis is hailed as a hero by the news and everything was "back to normal" - Travis was back at his job as a taxi driver. The 12 years old girl apparently returned to her parents who thanked De Niro. I read over some theories about the ending and they are all plausible. As with all good endings to movies, it leaves the audience questioning what they saw rather than giving them a straight answer. I applaud the makers of the film for the ending that leaves you asking questions rather than finding answers.

Overall, Taxi Driver was a shockingly, scary movie about loneliness in a big city filled with crimes and other unpleasantness. After watching the film once, I couldn't get it out of my mind. At one point I sympathized with De Niro's character, then by the end, I was shocked at what he did.

I first saw Taxi Driver when it was released in the mid 1970s (over 30 years ago!), and was amazed then at DeNiro as an actor and the movie as a whole. The movie was so fascinating to me back then as a youngster that I remember dragging my girlfriend to the movie theatre at least 6-7 times to see it over and over. I just got the double DVD set and am re-amazed (is that a word?) at DeNiro's acting and again , with the movie as a movie. This is a film that you need to watch several times to take it all in. As for DeNiro - in my opinion, the best actor ever (forget the wasted performances in Meet the Parents, the Flockers, etc.), watch his facial expressions, catch his voice mannerisms, etc., and I think you'll agree he really nailed the part of a man who is a little off to start and whose life spirals downhill. Screenwriter Paul Schrader's commentary (on disc 2) on society's fixation with fame/media, and with making anybody a "hero", even a killer, is even more applicable today. This is a fascinating movie, really one of a kind. The 2 disc set also gives you a 2d DVD with over 2 hours of really enetertaining documentary/commentary on how the movie was made.

It was easy to see that Robert Deniro was going to be an amazing actor from this film. I caught most of his movies from the 80's and 90's so he was a seasoned actor by then. In Taxi Driver you could see the rawness and hunger in him. Loved it.

The movie was long and boring. I didn't absolutely hate it but I didn't like it all. I know it's supposed to be a drama flick but it could have had a little more action. I couldn't wait till it was over. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

1976 was a funny electoral year. One year after the full defeat in Vietnam and the evacuation of Saigon on the run. Two years after the resignation of Nixon, to avoid an impeachment that would have led to the very first conviction of the President. 1976 was the year when all had to changed, and nothing really changed because the establishment just looked for a way to save face and restore the everyday standard imperialistic power, and of course that will fail with Jimmy Carter, but Scorsese could not know it though everyone knew that success would be a miracle. What's more, success in that line was doomed in the long run. It was not yet possible to know what was going to happen in China, but we could know it was going to change, even if it was quite clear that the Soviet Union was not going to change at all, even if we could not know the industrialized feudal soviet system was going to fall down the chute, was going to be flushed down the drain. That was what Scorsese meant with his crossroads but he did not know how many roads there were in that crossroads nor where they led nor of course which one to take. But one thing was sure in those days: the US were going to take a road that did not lead to any confrontation with their real historical mission which is to create democracy through freedom in a system that had to improve itself all the time because it knew perfection did not exist in this world, be it only because perfection is divine and cannot be found in a non-divine world, in a human world, what's more in a human sinner's world. It was sure the US were not going to face their historical fate and their inner problems and their inner challenges like for example the racial problem, like for example the education of their young, like for example the control of violence, like for example a health care system that was more than necessary. The film is a vague echo of that particular challenge with the allusion to the welfare system, because that was where the US stood at the time: helping the poor. But Warhol had already exposed that problematic solution by showing in his films how vain, hypocritical and corrupted the welfare system was in the US, and that could not be an objective for the US, an objective they could put in their constitution in the form of a new amendment, the only way to really improve the system is by making it constitutional since then to repeal such an amendment is particularly difficult. But the film has aged tremendously since today the US have reached the end of that road, the bad road they chose in 1976. They are deep in the mud of a new war (the Buddhist have a nice saying about elephant getting caught in mud) that has been rejected by the world from the very start, they are confronted to the emerging of a world power they will have to share responsibilities with sooner or later so let it be now, the famous BRIC, Brazil, Russia, India and China, and that has to be done straight away since that BRIC is already the first economic power in the world and will be the first political power in the world within a few years. What's more the US is deeply agitated by the necessity to finally come to terms with the racial divide and the racial problem, by the obligation to provide all Americans with a full health care system, by the duty to provide every American with the possibility to educate themselves even if the government has to cut the military budget to do that. The good old three objectives of equality, good health and education in a system that would recapture freedom and democracy, both having been impaired and limited in the process of the US negating history in order to impose their own self centered epiphanic power. But what does Scorsese envisioned beyond 1976? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. The system was defeated in a way. That's why the film has aged since the US and Americans finally have the chance today to be able to choose the road that would lead to their finally getting to political adult age.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine, University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne & University Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines

There's no question in my mind that the most significant influence in the direction is Roman Polanski.

Scorsese's finest film explores the psyche of an unstable individual living in a self-imposed loneliness brought about by his schizophrenia. Travis Bickle is a taxi driver and a man plagued by his inability to integrate socially. Thus, the rejection he receives withdraws him further and further into his own delusions. He harbors nothing but contempt and loathing for the city of New York in which he lives; it is a city he sees filled with decay, crime, violence, and prostitution. Envisioning himself as "God's lonely man," Travis is surrounded by people he cannot approach nor relate to, people he consequently perceives as cold and distant. Scorsese places the viewer within this subjective schizoid experience with the cinematography and voice-over.

The plot takes Travis through his stages of rejection and follows him as his delusions evolve new releases for his frustrations. Because Travis considers his own shortcomings the result of other's actions, he extends this view to those around him and perceives others as suffering at the hands of external, corrupting figures also. Early in the film we are introduced to his muse and angel, Betsy, and we hear as he narrates from his diary, "they cannot touch her." This is a testament to both his delusional paranoia and his admiration for her. She is dressed in white and is captured walking slowly with a smile -- a symbol of the unspoilt purity Travis sees in her. He works up the courage to ask her on a date and she complies. They meet a few times, however, after Travis takes Betsy to a porno movie, she rejects him. There are a few theories as to why he brings her to the porno movie in the first place but the one I find most interesting (and the one which makes the most sense in the context of the rest of the film) is that Travis has what is known as the Madonna-whore complex meaning he cannot integrate his desires for love and sex -- there exists a dichotomy within his psychology which keeps the two separate. In his mind women who are sexually interested in him must be whores (for how else could they want ME?) and women who aren't sexually interested in him may remain desirable, but ultimately unlovable in the fullest sense. Nonetheless, following her rejection, Travis deludes himself into thinking she must be corrupted as well (she fails to return his phone calls so now he considers her cold and distant like all the rest, and therefore corrupted) and so begins the formulation of his master-plan to liberate the objects of his desire. This concludes the first stage of his rejection.

Travis finds his calling after crossing paths with a 12-year-old prostitute named Iris. Wanting to rescue her from her private hell, he offers to take her away from the pimp controlling her. Upon her refusal of his aid, he is now further troubled by this second rejection. (Getting back to the subject of the Madonna-whore complex, we can see that the woman Travis wants most, Betsy, he cannot have, and the one he doesn't want, Iris, he can have.) These events lead Travis to execute his grandiose plan to elevate himself to the level of a hero and free his objects of desire from their "own private hells." Seeking to remove the source of their corruption, Travis proceeds to assassinate a presidential candidate (whom he sees as the paternal figure to Betsy -- Betsy is a staunch supporter of his and a volunteer campaigner) and kill Iris' pimps. Although failing to assassinate the candidate, he does succeed in killing the pimps, albeit after taking a few shots to the neck and shoulder.

As the police arrive in the brothel after the carnage has taken place, we see Travis lift his gun up to his head and pull the trigger. Nothing, his ammunition is empty. Travis then draws his finger to his head and mimicks three gun shots. This symbolizes Travis' final rejection of himself following his previous two rejections.

In the final scene as he lays dying from his wounds, we see Travis' final vision/revelation. In this vision, the papers applaud him as the hero who rescued the young prostitute Iris and her parents even express their admiration for his actions. We even see Betsy come back to Travis, showing that his delusions are similar to the prototypical Hollywood ending wherein the main woman comes back to the hero at the end of the story. Although here Betsy appears open towards him, he remains cold and does not acknowledge her presence. He has accepted the theory of his fellow cabbie who tells him earlier that people tend to become their job. At the end, Travis accepts who he is as a taxi driver. Just preceding his implied physical death we witness his final spiritual affirmation as the film exits the way it entered, with Travis driving through the city in his taxi cab.

The motif here -- character receiving a vision of desired destiny, which he must reject before death -- is a recurring one throughout Scorsese's oeuvre. It is seen most strictly in The Last Temptation of Christ and Casino, for instance.

It's a great movie! De Niro at his finest.

"You talking to me?"

Cool packaging with side plastic cover that detaches. Fold out case. Two discs. One with good looking version of the film and the second with a ton of special features. Everything you could ask for - no complaints. Great movie

Martin Scorsese's seminal, defining film finally gets the Special Edition it has rightfully deserved for so very long. This Two-Disc Collector's Edition of Taxi Driver packs a bevy of special features that not only outline the film's history, but it's impact on American cinema, and the impact of Scorsese to boot. Featuring a new commentary track from writer Paul Schrader, featurettes and discussions with Scorsese, Schrader, Robert De Niro, Oliver Stone, and Roger Corman among others, retrospectives on Schrader's inspirations on writing the film, and comparisons between Travis Bickle's New York of 1975 to the New York of the present day. As for the film itself, well, chances are if you're reading this, you already know what to expect here, and you already know what a classic Taxi Driver is. Needless to say, even if you already own the original edition of Taxi Driver on DVD, this new Collector's Edition is a must own for longtime fans of one of the most influential and important films to come out of the 1970's.

"How long have I been sleeping
How long have I been drifting alone through the night
How long have I been dreaming I could make it right
If I closed my eyes and tried with all my might
To be the one you need." Jackson Browne, 'Late for the Sky'

The above song signifies the feeling Travis Bickle brings to this movie. This Jackson Brown song is played on American Bandstand as Travis Bickle sits watching. An emotionless face as he sits and contemplates his life. "How long have I been drifting alone through the night"

New York City known as the city of the anonymous and the souls that want and need to hide. NYC is a simile for the lost souls who inhabit, Robert DeNiro, Travis Bickle's world. He is a former Marine in Vietnam, he cannot sleep at night, so he starts working as a taxi driver from 6pm to 6am. This keeps him busy, but sleep still eludes him. His world is invaded by the likes of the denizens of 42nd street. This was in the 1970's, 42nd street has changed a bit. The hookers, the weirdos, the druggies are all part of the life that fascinates and disgusts him. He is drawn in the psychosis that invades their world and now his.

Into this world of Travis Bickle, comes Betsy, played by Cybil Shepard, a lovely blonde who works for a politician, she thinks Travis is strange and their short relationship serves as another rejection in a long line for Travis. And, then, he changes his focus to Iris, the young hooker, played by Jodie Foster. He wants to change her world and send her home to her folks. And, in this doing, Travis comes unraveled and the piper is paid.

"That Scorsese thinks Travis Bickle's rejection more painful than the murders is fascinating, because it helps to explain Travis Bickle, and perhaps it goes some way toward explaining one kind of urban violence. Travis has been shut out so systematically, so often, from a piece of the action that eventually he has to hit back somehow." Roger Ebert

Fascinating film that has so many fantastic performances. This film will be one for the ages. "Are You Talking To Me?"

Highly Recommended. prisrob 12-07-07

The Untouchables (Special Collector's Edition) [Blu-ray]

This movie is the most shocking movie I've ever seen, it totally left me with my mind blown,...

`Taxi Driver' is one of the greatest movies I've ever had the privilege to see and it sports the performance I hold on a pedestal as the greatest performance given by a leading actor, ever. Even if one does not understand what has become of Robert De Niro as of late they surely must agree that in his prime he was our finest working actor. His portrayal of Travis Bickle has got to be the finest character study he's ever undertook, and he delivers such a vivid and masterful presentation that I'm forced to label it the foundation or model for anyone seeking out that `masterclass' performance.

What is so brilliant about this performance, so memorable, is that when you walk away from viewing this film you're forced to find those pieces of Travis Bickle in yourself. I've always said this about this performance in particular because I think it's such an alarmingly scary realization, but when you watch De Niro on screen and really analyze his actions you begin to reason and rationalize with him. It takes a special kind of actor to elicit sympathy from a man like Travis Bickle, and it's only been done a handful of times (another performance like this one would be Edward Norton's haunting performance in `American History X'...getting sympathy and understanding out of a character we are trained to loathe). I'm not saying that we condone his actions, but I am saying that we begin to understand where he's coming from even if he's not going about things appropriately.

Travis Bickle is the definition of anti-hero. He's an ex-marine who finds his life has become something he's not particularly proud of yet he's hesitant to really change. He drives a cab at night because he cannot sleep. He pursues a woman who barely knows because he wants to feel something, wants to belong somewhere. He attempts to help a young woman deviate from the life of filth she's been reduced to because in a way it will validate his entire existence. If he can make a difference then he will understand why he wakes up in the morning. The problem falls, not in the `quote-unquote' noble aspirations of Bickle but in the harsh and selfish way he goes about fulfilling them.

Travis Bickle's viewpoint on the world in which he lives is broadcast front and center. His anger towards the scum of the earth, the disgusting place his home has become and all who contribute to its downfall is blunt and enveloping. He has no quarrels expressing his viewpoint to anyone, even if it is offensive and hurtful.

`Taxi Driver' is one of those films that demands your attention. It's so much more than just a movie; it's a revelation, a movement, a statement that cements itself deeply into the viewers psyche. You'll find yourself thinking about Travis long after the credits have rolled, contemplating his actions and the consequences of such actions. There has been much debate over the meaning of the conclusion of the film so I'm not going to go into that here. It's a major spoiler to anyone who has yet to see the film anyways so I feel it's unfair to address that so openly. Just know that it's deeply ambiguous yet resounding and straightforward when you take the time to break it down. Just be prepared to ponder it.

The acting across the board is fantastic here. I know that I've talked up De Niro quite a bit here but everyone else does great as well. Most notable would be Cybill Shepherd and Jodie Foster since their affect on Bickle's life are most obvious. I've never been a fan of Shepherd (although I loved her work with Willis on `Moonlighting') and so I was blown away by her performance that, while not commanding or necessarily strong, very well conveys the point she needed to make. Jodie Foster is a standout in what proves to be her breakout performance. As the young Iris she perfectly captures the frayed innocence of a child in her situation. The rest of the supporting cast, from Albert Brooks to Peter Boyle to Harvey Keitel, all deliver effectively no matter how limited their screen time. The most important and ultimately most effective performances though come from Robert De Niro and director Martin Scorsese who delivers such a powerful film here, such a moving and emotionally resonant masterpiece. Scorsese has always been a master of the lens and his direction here perfectly capture everything from mood to emotion to action from not only his cast but his audience as well.

*This DVD, chuck full of Documentaries, Featurettes and Commentaries begs to be owned and lauded. These features have been explained and listed by many reviewers already so I'll just say that it's well worth the upgrade, especially if you are a huge fan of the film. It's about time this masterpiece got the respect it deserved.*

`Taxi Driver' is the definition of controversy, and it has been hailed by many, loathed by some and feared by others. But, in the end there is really no denying that a film that can elicit such adamant reactions from its audience is worth the time to see and analyze. I recommend this film without any hesitation for even if you don't admire, respect and adore this film as I do it will certainly become a topic of long discussion and ultimately that's what any film buff wants to be able to do, discuss a film.

`Taxi Driver' is one of the greatest movies I've ever had the privilege to see and it sports the performance I hold on a pedestal as the greatest performance given by a leading actor, ever. Even if one does not understand what has become of Robert De Niro as of late they surely must agree that in his prime he was our finest working actor. His portrayal of Travis Bickle has got to be the finest character study he's ever undertook, and he delivers such a vivid and masterful presentation that I'm forced to label it the foundation or model for anyone seeking out that `masterclass' performance.

What is so brilliant about this performance, so memorable, is that when you walk away from viewing this film you're forced to find those pieces of Travis Bickle in yourself. I've always said this about this performance in particular because I think it's such an alarmingly scary realization, but when you watch De Niro on screen and really analyze his actions you begin to reason and rationalize with him. It takes a special kind of actor to elicit sympathy from a man like Travis Bickle, and it's only been done a handful of times (another performance like this one would be Edward Norton's haunting performance in `American History X'...getting sympathy and understanding out of a character we are trained to loathe). I'm not saying that we condone his actions, but I am saying that we begin to understand where he's coming from even if he's not going about things appropriately.

Travis Bickle is the definition of anti-hero. He's an ex-marine who finds his life has become something he's not particularly proud of yet he's hesitant to really change. He drives a cab at night because he cannot sleep. He pursues a woman who barely knows because he wants to feel something, wants to belong somewhere. He attempts to help a young woman deviate from the life of filth she's been reduced to because in a way it will validate his entire existence. If he can make a difference then he will understand why he wakes up in the morning. The problem falls, not in the `quote-unquote' noble aspirations of Bickle but in the harsh and selfish way he goes about fulfilling them.

Travis Bickle's viewpoint on the world in which he lives is broadcast front and center. His anger towards the scum of the earth, the disgusting place his home has become and all who contribute to its downfall is blunt and enveloping. He has no quarrels expressing his viewpoint to anyone, even if it is offensive and hurtful.

`Taxi Driver' is one of those films that demands your attention. It's so much more than just a movie; it's a revelation, a movement, a statement that cements itself deeply into the viewers psyche. You'll find yourself thinking about Travis long after the credits have rolled, contemplating his actions and the consequences of such actions. There has been much debate over the meaning of the conclusion of the film so I'm not going to go into that here. It's a major spoiler to anyone who has yet to see the film anyways so I feel it's unfair to address that so openly. Just know that it's deeply ambiguous yet resounding and straightforward when you take the time to break it down. Just be prepared to ponder it.

The acting across the board is fantastic here. I know that I've talked up De Niro quite a bit here but everyone else does great as well. Most notable would be Cybill Shepherd and Jodie Foster since their affect on Bickle's life are most obvious. I've never been a fan of Shepherd (although I loved her work with Willis on `Moonlighting') and so I was blown away by her performance that, while not commanding or necessarily strong, very well conveys the point she needed to make. Jodie Foster is a standout in what proves to be her breakout performance. As the young Iris she perfectly captures the frayed innocence of a child in her situation. The rest of the supporting cast, from Albert Brooks to Peter Boyle to Harvey Keitel, all deliver effectively no matter how limited their screen time. The most important and ultimately most effective performances though come from Robert De Niro and director Martin Scorsese who delivers such a powerful film here, such a moving and emotionally resonant masterpiece. Scorsese has always been a master of the lens and his direction here perfectly capture everything from mood to emotion to action from not only his cast but his audience as well.

`Taxi Driver' is the definition of controversy, and it has been hailed by many, loathed by some and feared by others. But, in the end there is really no denying that a film that can elicit such adamant reactions from its audience is worth the time to see and analyze. I recommend this film without any hesitation for even if you don't admire, respect and adore this film as I do it will certainly become a topic of long discussion and ultimately that's what any film buff wants to be able to do, discuss a film.

Taxi Driver gives us a gripping character study of Travis Bickle, a rather lonely man who takes a job as a nighttime taxi driver because he can't sleep at night. Unfortunately for Travis, he can't sleep in the day either; instead he goes to dirty movies and runs around the city. Travis is unable to make any real emotional connections with people, although he does try.

Travis's first interest in a young woman named Betsy (Cybill Shepherd) who is working to help a Senator get elected to the White House. Betsy soon rejects Travis, though, when on their first date he takes her to a dirty movie. After being rejected by Betsy, Travis soon develops an interest in guns--but in a most unhealthy way. Travis dreams of murder although he does still have enough of his sanity left to want to rescue a very young girl, Iris (Jodie Foster), from a group that uses her as a woman of the night. All of this happens as Travis descends deeper and deeper into a world of madness and psychosis.

The insight we gain into Travis's character could not have been done any better: we see Travis as the outsider who watches New York City and its people go by as people take rides in his taxi cab. He meets a good intentioned politician and many not so admirable characters as well. All along, we increasingly see that Travis is ever more on the outside looking in; and he's often remarkably disgusted and enraged about the not so happy quality of life issues in the city.

Will Travis rescue Iris from a life of being a woman of the night? Will Travis be able to control his urges to use his guns on real people instead of keeping his outrage in the realm of fantasy? What might happen if Betsy and Travis were to get together again--is it possible? No spoilers here, folks, you'll just have to watch the movie to find out!

The cinematography shows strong in the pans of the city at all hours as it is seen through Travis's eyes; and the choreography works well in the bloody fighting at the end of the movie, too.

A warning to parents: there is quite a bit of violence and mental illness in this film. This is not a Disney movie!

Overall, Taxi Driver takes hold of your attention from the very first scene and never lets it go. I marveled at the fine acting and the plot moves along at a good pace. I highly recommend this film for people who enjoy great character studies and the work of such greats as Robert DeNiro and Martin Scorsese.

The dark eyes and Mohawk of Robert De Niro say it all, starting with the great packaging this collector's edition attains. The face that a viewer will later learn belongs to a Marine veteran during the end of the Vietnam War and is a chronic insomniac who is dangerously treading into a possible territory of no return is but a sliver of information that one will learn about Travis Bickle. A second disc with a plethora of special features makes it top notch for a collector and fan of this classic urban drama by Martin Scorsese. Part of the special features includes important notes from Scorsese on the interpretation of the ending, which many question as to the true meaning of it.

Taxi Driver was nominated for Best Picture and Robert De Niro was also nominated that year (1976) for an Oscar; however the year was one full of great films and Rocky won the award, with De Niro ultimately losing out to roles filled in the film "Network". Despite falling short, make no mistake about it, Cab Driver is excellent filmmaking with a captivating story that tightly envelopes different themes that all connect well with De Niro's character. For the time it was made, Taxi Driver had to be cautiously viewed with contempt by some simply for the graphic violence and gritty, street life portrayal of New York City's night life in the lower end of the spectrum, which pulls no punches. By today's standards, it would seem normal, but the artistic elements as well as the realistic, to the point aura make this film flat out trump other films of its kind that would later be released for years to come.


De Niro plays an interesting character who is not only poignant for the time period the film represents, but practically perfect as a vehicle for someone who is walking a tightrope between understanding and anger, loneliness and compassion. Travis Bickle returned from serving in the United States Marine Corps to New York City, where he works as a cab driver on the night shift. As time goes on and Bickle drives his route, the viewer is introduced to someone who is really very alone in the world, and even more so, very detached from it. Bickle often tries to step through that portal, often saying "I don't know much about that, but I..." which is a sign of a man who is trying to be in the same space and time as the people around him, only to find himself falling further and further away from it. His job gives him a view with a dark, rainy background where the forefront is filled with the creatures of the night. His days are spent mostly in his bare bones of an apartment, and it is here where Bickle is seeing writing in his diary (narrated by De Niro during the film) and having pretend conversations with antagonists he creates while staring into a mirror dry firing a pistol. Bickle's road will lead him to two women who are also in very different worlds, one a campaign volunteer (Cybill Shepherd) for an upcoming candidate, the other a young girl (Jodie Foster) being pimped out by a street thug (Harvey Keitel) as a prostitute.

The theme of loneliness does not portray Bickle as a man who pouts around in a depressed state, but rather a philosophical look from the eyes of someone who is trying to make sense of the world around them without becoming lost in the process of comprehending, and ultimately acting out against it while still trying to do the right thing.

Taxi Driver (1976) is a classic, exploring human traits and relationships within Bickle's world of straining to understand and be accepted while crossing the line to show abrupt fury at things that he feels he can change no other way. The First part of the film is grand in the setup of the story and the characters involved, while the final part of it carefully puts together a chaos that has a surprise ending.

**SPOILERS INCLUDED**

I write this on the day after the release from prison of Arthur Bremer, would-be assasin of Democratic Presidential candidate and segregationist George Wallace was gunned down and paralyzed for life in a Maryland campaign stop. I was a grade schooler when this shooting took place and it was one of the more horrific events to see on TV at that age. Screenwriter Paul Scrader and directer Martin Scorcese based "Taxi Driver" on the events of Arthur Bremer's life and diary, a man with a pathetic and lonely existense who sought quick fame and acceptance by assasinating a political figure. FIrst he tried to blast Richard Nixon, and when that proved too difficult, he made Democratic front runner George Wallace his target.There was no political motivation in Bremer's actions, only a desire to rise above the emptyness of his existence.

Lead Travis Bickle (Robert DeNiro) is an insomniac Viet Nam veteran who turns to driving a cab at night to make a few extra bucks (he may have a disability check, but that's never clear) and to try to relax his spirit a little. In pre-Guiliani NYC circa 1975, it's not a good move. The city is crawling with hookers, pimps, dope addicts and general filth. As Bickle motors away his evenings, the atmosphere begins to rot his soul and exacberate his mental condition.

Attempts at normacly fail. Bickle, as many crazed people, seems to have honest perceptions and a nothing-to-lose attitude which impresses Cybill Shepard (a political campaign worker) enough to accompany him on a date. Bickel proves to be socially inept however and scares her away, further plunging him into first despair, then a desperate regiment of push-ups, calisthenics and target practice. Eventually, with no ideology or clear motive, Bickel makes a failed attempt at shooting Jack Pallandine, the Presidential candidate his romantic interest works for.
Still with bullets and blood on his mind, Bickle goes to the Lower East Side and instead blasts Harvey Keitel, the pimp of underage hooker Jody Foster as well as a brothel goon and a reputed Mafioso client. Taking bullets himself in the exchange, Bickel survives and is accepted briefly as a hero by a public who surely does not understand the depth of Bickles insanity or the fact he had attempted earlier to assasinate a politico.

It is unclear in the film if the shooting Bickle is involved in serves to normalize his life. He is seen driving a cab and back to work at the end, but one can only guess how stable he really is. Also unclear is whether the script intends to qualify victims, ie- it's OK to shoot child-pimps but a no-no to shoot politicians, and that the difference between being a hero and a kook is the choice of your target. Perhaps as myself you will come away from this realizing how misunderstood many people are and how easily the media and public can misinterperet an event. That said, it is very intense and scary to see how Bickles life descends to a point where he feels he will be immortalized by an action that takes several seconds. The time in which he is moving to shoot Pallandine and the methodical rampage within the trick pad are some of the tensest moments ever put to screen.
Scorcese does a fine job here. The isolation that is projected by the limited interaction of Bickles life and the "confined to a cab" metaphor work to show what insanity may be like. The street scenes and characters are first rate. Even in a city that was worse after crack cocaine hit the streets, Scorcese shows the decay that was so prevalent in the 70's and 80's. Also worth thought is a comparison to a later event of the "Subway Vigilante" Bernard Goetz and whether his acts were a similar cry for help or a legitimate defense of self and property.

A great film. Watched by many and probably interpreted in as many different ways.

Great extras here - love the commentaries which have subtitle options. They took time with the extra docs on the second disc, there's a nice one where they talk to cabbies and a great one that shows the locations then and now. (Although the documentary that has the most from DeNiro and the rest of the cast is clearly from some time ago and it would have been nice to know when.)

The film itself remains a raw, audacious classic. It's like an American Look Back in Anger, full of the bitterness and rage of its time. The outcast filmmakers seize the medium for expression of the culture's hostility, confusion and prejudice. It's the classic journey through Hell with an unreliable tour guide: Travis Bickle, the psychotic antithesis of the sensitive 70s male. He's the Vietnam veteran who wants to be Ethan Edwards rather than Kris Kristoferson. (He points his gun at the kids dancing to Jackson Browne on Bandstand.)

My take: the two scenes that don't feature Travis only happen in his head. The first is the scene in the campaign office where Albert Brooks acts out the actions of someone disfigured in the same manner as one of Travis' later victims. (Travis spends much of his date with Betsy talking about how "silly" this guy is, whom he's never met or heard.) The second scene is between Iris and Sport dancing in their apartment. When he turns on a record the music we here is Travis's theme - the sax melody that competes with the jarring street theme in the film's earlier scenes. (Also, everything that happens after the shoot-out is either a fantasy or Travis's coma dream.)

"Taxi Driver" is certainly one of the finest films in the American tradition; it stands out among films from a very strong decade. It's certainly one of Scorcese's best, and one of his earliest mature works- if "Mean Streets" works as a transitional stand-alone film between his early, genre pictures and his later, more varied works, "Taxi Driver" is only his second film of the period. It is a directoral masterwork; each decision that Scorcese made here was the right one. It's also one of the clearer examples of the extent to which the American 70s were in a thrall to the films of the Nouvelle Vague. But I digress. The movie has one clear thematic problem, and it's Shrader's. Why does Bickle take Betsy to a porno? If he idealizes her (and he does) he should separate her from the mass by which he is clearly disgusted. Thus, he should wish to protect her from the things he associates with the mass- namely pornography and prostitution. Bickle is clearly torn between including himself in the mass he envisions as damned and separating himself from them; he sees Betsy as a means of saving himself. He only goes to porn theatres to ritualistically purge himself of the tendencies which align him with the mass; Betsy is supposed to take him out of it altogether. Yet, he takes her to a porno. This doesn't make much sense and it's the only reason "Taxi Driver" isn't as good as "Raging Bull," "Goodfellas," and "Mean Streets." This doesn't mean that "Taxi Driver" isn't a great or important film. It's outstanding, and this new edition is much-needed.

Speaking of this new edition, it's long overdue. I own the 2001 Special Edition and watched it last week only to be horrified by the grainy, defect-ridden transfer. The 2001 print is a mess- the movie looks as bad as the grindhouse flicks it sometimes mirrors. The transfer in this set could be as bad as an average '01 release and still it would be an improvement. As I don't own the new set, I can't comment on the new features, but they look to be substantial. Therefore, this 2-disc set is absolutely essential for every person with a DVD player.

I am not a fan of the DVD companies releasing SPECIAL EDITIONS of their movies. Usually they'll put a couple of little features on the NEW ULTIMATE VERSION of the movie but really its not worth buying the thing if you already own the old version. Such is NOT the case with the new edition of TAXI DRIVER. It blows the old version away. If you are a fan of the movie TAXI DRIVER and you already own it on DVD, I will tell you that's its worth spending the money again to upgrade to this version. Lots of extras that you will ACTUALLY ENJOY. Get it.

this is a great set BUT there is an edit to the film which, for the life of me, I cannot understand on any level.

The funny thing is I watched it with the Paul Schrader commentary and you'd think he'd notice lines of his own dialogue which were now missing.

Anyway, the scene where Travis takes Iris up to her room -- the guy who rents the room (also featured in Scorsese's Mean Streets) tells Travis something like to "leave your gun cowboy" and then when Travis and Iris leave and guy says he will be timing them, you can clearly see the gun in the guy's hand even though the earlier the dialogue was missing.

Then when Travis returns, the guy is carrying Travis' gun up to him to return it but you can barely see it this time -- shot seems shorter and I had to freeze-frame it to even see the gun this time -- and his line about it is gone and suddenly Travis gives him the $20 and says "this is for you...spend it well" or something.

I watched this scene a few times and even checked the script (also on the disc) and the scene, or rather the lines and bits of the scene, are gone despite being referenced in the script.

This is one of my favorite films of all time and I've seen it on its original release at the drive-in, edited on TV, on cable, and on videotape and am sure those lines were in the film.

Please could someone out there explain this for me?

Is this some kind of retro-tinkering like Lucas did with Star Wars and Spielberg did with E.T.?

I am completely baffled and a bit annoyed. I hate films being tampered with, especially one of the best films ever made.

I have been waiting for years to get an authoritative version of Taxi Driver on DVD, with good special features. This is it. Transfer looks wonderful, "making-of" featurettes are very interesting.

There is no other way to describe this DVD than just saying flawless. I mean the features are fantasic, the transfer is next to perfect, and let's just say the package is absolutely different, original, and is a must for any collector. I'm glad I waited this long to finally buy this movie.

Travis Bickle - the "Taxi Driver" in the film - is not so much a psychopath but someone who is mentally ill. He struggles to relate and connect with other people, slowly becomes detached from reality, indulges in inappropriate behaviour, and has a naive sense of what is right and wrong.

The loneliness and disconnection of Bickle has echoes in the character of Holden Caulfield in "The Catcher in the Rye" who likewise drifts around New York City searching for some kind of meaning.

The ending always seemed a little strange until one accepts it as a fantasy of Bickles deranged mind.

"Taxi Driver" remains a powerful and disturbing film even after all these years despite far more graphic films because the characters are so believable.

A great film from the great Martin Scorsese.

The thing that haunts "Taxi Driver," even after all these years, is how connected a lot of the viewers feel with Travis Bickle, Vietnam veteran and burgeoning psychopath. Is he really as different as we want him to be, or is he closer to who "we" are than we like?

The '70s, for all the talk of it being a cultural wasteland, was a wonderful time if you're a fan of movies. The angst of Vietnam created a lot of worthy dramas and comedies. Most of them were very grim, bitter, angry, and disillusioned, but then these qualities make for some fine reflection on the human condition. As did the setting of the movie, which was New York. I was a boy at the time, but my parents let me watch the news, as well as the TV of the era, and New York was a schizoid wonderland of success, excess, and the multiblock whore-with-a-heart-of-gold known as Times Square. DeNiro's unraveling character is most at-home here, surrounded by people (the "scum" he hates so much, ironically) yet apart from them, without the first clue how to connect with him. Is there anything more scary, with all the examples in the movie of Travis' decent into madness, than his perfectly-reasoned decision to take his "angel" on a date to a porno theater?

Robert DeNiro, already a veteran or soon-to-be-star of many classics of the period, owns Bickles' troubled soul and is thoroughly believable of a failed "hero." Its not so strange that the only time someone else truly connects with him is when they both have a sense of violent helplessness of their own situations, namely the grocer Travis saves by blowing the would-be robber of his store's brains out.

Martin Scorcese is also able to showcase what would be his greatest directorial skill in the low-budget limitation of the movie. He is able to allow us to see the reality of Travis' world with the sensitive eye of a documentarian. The city, the streets, and all who walked them are seen at eye level, at once intimately close and ephermerally fleeting as the cab drives through early-morning Manhattan. He even gets to show up in the film in at least two cameos - once just as a passerby, the other as a passenger in Travis' taxi who himself is slowly unravelling mentally because his wife is cheating on him.

The unsettling tale of one man's collapse into psychosis is made human and connectable to the audience thanks to Paul Shrader's(sp?) wonderful script. None of the events in his life that inspired the story, mentioned extensively in the truly-worthy new and old DVD extras, make it into the movie, but the important issue - the lonliness we all feel and have to deal with - does. Travis may be losing his mind and heading for a nuclear-sized explosion, but we can relate to him by how alone he feels.

Shrader calls the cab in the movie "a rolling metal coffin." It's an appropriate metaphor. Because in the two-perspective ending, we have to wonder if Travis has found the misplaced justification he was looking for when he murders a bunch of lowlives to save a child prostitute - soon after a failed assassination attempt on presidential candidate Pallentine! - from society, or is he simply in his own personal Heaven; we don't see Travis' reflection in the rear-view mirror of his taxi when he adjusts it.

Leonard Maltin's video guide slams this film as excessive, overrated and violent. He needs to give it another look. "Taxi Driver" is truly a masterpiece of talent and craftsmenship.

************* Spoiler may hit you **********
I wonder if Martin is a psychologist. Mind-blowing acting by De Niro. Slow motion camera at its best. Travels deep into the mind of lonely man and his dangerous transition into sociopath. The camera and motifs are enough to do this job. Full of motifs - Empty hallway and 'You talking to me'. Depressing story of a lonely man who finds self-esteem in rescuing a underage teenager and by killing a aspiring political leader. However the movie doesn't tell why this young man becomes psychopath in the end. May his war past ? The violence in the end is disturbing ! The guy has Sczhiotypal personality traits and some type of paranoid delusions (other are out there to get others) possibly.
Hats of Martin scorsese for his amazing direction (and acting in his short role in the film. Maybe he triggers the malevolent side of Taxi driver in the movie !)


Don't miss this master piece

One of the best movies of all time. There's a short list of movies one needs to experience more than just watch and this is one of them. I'd throw The Godfather DVD Collection (The Godfather/ The Godfather - Part II/ The Godfather - Part III), Citizen Kane, and Vertigo (Collector's Edition) on that list.

A really effective movie that gets you to contemplate your own surroundings. Nothing is it at rest here and Scorsese and De Niro really bring this character to screen, especially De Niro. You can't even consider him a "character" after watching De Niro's brilliant performance as Travis Bickle.

The extras on this disc are amazing also. Two commentaries and plenty of featurettes. Finally, a fit version for this masterpiece of a movie.

One of the best character studies of all time. Highly recommend.

The first disc features an audio commentary by Professor Robert Kolker. He analyzes the film's style and themes but tends to describe what we are seeing making obvious statements. He talks about the influence of Alfred Hitchcock's movies on Taxi Driver but in mind-numbingly boring way.

The second commentary is by the film's screenwriter Paul Schrader. He points out Travis' contradictory nature - he talks about purifying his body yet he also takes speed. There are several lulls during this commentary but he more than makes up for it with some excellent observations about the film and the nature of screenwriting.

"Original Screenplay" allows you to read the original shooting script and then go to the corresponding scene in the film.

The second disc starts off with "Martin Scorsese on Taxi Driver." He talks about the genesis of the film and how hard it was to get a studio interested. Scorsese says that visually, everything is from Travis' point-of-view.

"Producing Taxi Driver" features Michael Phillips briefly discussing how he became a producer and how he got the script for Taxi Driver. When he saw Mean Streets, he knew that he wanted Scorsese to direct and Robert De Niro to star.

"God's Lonely Man" examines the theme of loneliness in the film and profiles Schrader, his background and it informed the script.

"Influence and Appreciation: Martin Scorsese Tribute" features fellow filmmakers Roger Corman and Oliver Stone along with actor Robert De Niro and others paying tribute to the man.

"Taxi Driver Stories" includes anecdotes told by actual New York cabbies who worked in the city during the `70s. Some of their stories are wilder than some that are in the film.

"Making Taxi Driver" is the excellent 70 minute retrospective documentary that was included on the previous edition. It takes a fascinating, in-depth look at how the film came together with most of the major cast and crew members returning, including De Niro, Harvey Keitel, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd and Albert Brooks. This is excellent doc. with loads of information.

"Travis' New York" reflects on New York City of the `70s. The film's director of photography Michael Chapman points out that now the film is a documentary of what the city looked like back then.

"Travis' New York Locations" is a very cool featurette that compares nine locations used in the movie then with what they look like now and not surprisingly most them look very different.

There is a "Storyboard to Film Comparison" with an optional introduction by Scorsese.

Finally, there are several galleries with stills taken on location, for publicity purposes, shots of composer Bernard Herrmann's sheets music for the score and posters.