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All rights reserved.Taxi Driver (DVD 1999)
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| Description Martin Scorsese's intense film, a hallmark of 1970s filmmaking, graphically depicts the tragic consequences of urban alienation when a New York City taxi driver goes on a murderous rampage against the pitiable denizens inhabiting the city's underbelly. For psychotic, pistol-packing Vietnam vet Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro), New York City seems like a circle of hell. Driving his cab each night through the bleak Manhattan streets, Bickle observes with fanatical loathing the sleazy lowlifes who comprise most of his fares. By day he haunts the porno theaters of 42nd Street, taking his cues from the violent vision of life portrayed in these movies. As badly as Travis wants to connect with the people around him including Betsy (Cybill Shepherd), a lovely blonde campaign worker, and Iris (Jodie Foster), a prepubescent prostitute he tries to save his attempts are thwarted and his pent-up rage grows, turning him into a Mohawk-wearing walking time bomb. Paul Schrader's screenplay is filmed with a tragic realism by Scorsese, which brilliantly captures the muck and grime of New York City. De Niro, playing the fragile hero, steps inside his role so far that the results are deeply frightening. Bernard Herrmann's haunting score which turned out to be his last completes the urban nightmare.
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Top Reviews  One of the best films of all time 6 of 7 people found this review helpful. Travis Bickle (De Niro) is an ex-Marine with a problem, he cannot sleep. So, he gets a job driving a taxi in the New York night. He is a man without fear so he will go anywhere anytime and of course, this means that he always sees the worst of the city. Travis is almost totally lacking in social skills and this leads to a disastrous date with Betsy (Shepherd) and an ever increasing sense of alienation from and disgust with the world around him. A chance encounter with Iris (Foster) a child prostitute, increases Travis' sense that he must do something about the city. He wavers between taking action against the man in control of Betsy, politician Charles Palantine for whom Betsy is a campaign worker and the man in control of Iris, Sport (Keitel) her pimp. A close brush with secret service men who spot him in a crowd makes his decision and Travis decides to free Iris in a bloody shootout. It's not a bad plot but the movie is really about the alienation of one man from the city around him. In this, De Niro is totally convincing he is in the city but not of the city. He has a hard job too. A social misfit cannot be given a sharp snappy script. Instead, such a person will at times be an embarrassment to those around him and De Niro portrays this perfectly. This definitely a "must see" film. It is well paced and keeps the audience's attention throughout. The settings and the atmosphere of the dark side of the city are convincing. My only reservation is the ending. I cannot see how Travis' action would have been viewed in the way that the film showed. Review ID: 10000000001243310 Was this review helpful? Report this review Reviews Top 100Review created: 29/07/08 by: 1 of 1 people found this review helpful. Taxi Driver is one of the most absorbing, bleak, and wrenching films I have ever seen. Even after many viewings, I still get sucked into Travis’s lonely and isolated world. Robert De Niro (The Deer Hunter, Raging Bull, Awakenings) gives an amazing performance, completely immersing himself in the twisted soul of Travis Bickle. Jodie Foster (Contact, Silence of the Lambs) plays Iris and she is surprisingly good for her age. Bernard Herrmann (Psycho, Citizen Kane, North by Northwest) finished his score for Taxi Driver just hours before he died. It’s an unusual and haunting score that adds much to the mood of the film. I've read that Scorcese (Raging Bull, The Last Temptation of Christ) was forced to tone down the colors of the blood in the final scene to avoid an X rating. Another interesting note is that Taxi Driver was shown repeatedly during the John Hinkley trial to establish that the media had warped the assassins mind. 1976 was the year of Network and Rocky, preventing Taxi Driver from winning any Academy Awards. The film was nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor (DeNiro), Best Supporting Actress (Foster) and Best Score. This truly is a landmark film in the history of the cinema. Review ID: 10000000008107859 Was this review helpful? Report this review  amazing for the older movie lover - taxi driver1 of 1 people found this review helpful. to be honest i would rate taxi driver as excellent - as oppose to good - if i was an older viewer taxi driver is an excellent film a realistic story line in a city that corresponds with the cooruption mentioned there is a lot of controversy over the child actress - as she is about 14 and playing the role of a prostitute i think this though adds to its realism the main problem is that in this film, for the younger viwer it is hard to establish understanding with some of the feelings and thoughts that the actors are having, especially with the changing english language however i do think this is one of the excellent films - as documented by many film agencies as being one of the top 100 films to see before you buy - at contasting society now and then, and the problems that existed them {unruly teenagers, drug use, prostitution} {particularly with the upcoming elecotoral campaign} and society's response to such problems and such acts of heroism the film challenges the mind to think about aspects such as war, the outkasts within society, and the problems that aristocracy brings A MUST SEE Review ID: 10000000007484877 Was this review helpful? Report this review Taxi Driver -de Niro1 of 1 people found this review helpful. Absolutley jaw dropping! The film follows ex vet Travis Bickles a night shift taxicab driver and his attempts to mingle into a society of which he feels alienated from. As society rejects him for one reason or another, we see him start to feel more and more repelled by what he sees and inevitably becomes more and more isolated leading to his subsequent rebellion. A moody, poignant philosophical film, well directed....And as we've come to expect from De Niro, superbly acted! This is a timeless classic.....if you've never seen the movie...watch it! Review ID: 10000000007140284 Was this review helpful? Report this review Taxi Driver (robert deniro)Review created: 13/04/08 by: 0 of 1 people found this review helpful. A great deniro classic about an ordinary guy with an ordinary life who one day turns on society as we know it and releases his agression/fustration. comical at times but mostly typical deniro acting. a great film to be watched again and again!! Review ID: 10000000006689679 Was this review helpful? Report this review |
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