Martin Scorcese is one accomplished director, have no doubts about it. His movies have always been awaited with bated breath, and though never having won an Oscar, is by far among one of the most respected and talented men in his field. Having created waves with his movies like Raging Bull, Goodfellas, The Last Temptation of Christ, Mean Streets and most recently, The Aviator, Scorcese movies are in a genre of their own and are cherished by movie connosieurs everywhere.
Taxi Driver comes as no exception to the Scorcese tradition of thought-provoking movies. No, you cant simply watch this movie with the kind of anticipation associated with its somewhat dire title and its not a movie to be watched on the big screen. It is dark, intense, brooding, disturbing and everything else that can be used to describe the melancholy life of an emotionally unstable character. Robert De Niro plays the role of Travis Bickle, an ex- US Army Marine discharged from the Vietnam War, and presently employed as a night-time taxi driver in New York City. Suffering from occasional bouts of insomnia inflicted by the war, he gets disgusted with the venal nightlife on the streets that he gets to witness every night around him. After a chance encounter with Iris (Jodie Foster), a child prostitute, he decides to take it on himself to clean the city from the filth of whores, junkies, pimps and the lot. How he achieves this is what Taxi Driver is all about.
Credit goes to Paul Schrader for a terrificly taut script, and Martin Scorcese for giving such a vivid insight into a single character throughout the movie. During the entire length, you get to see everything from Travis Bickle’s perspective and nobody elses; you slowly evolve with the character as the movie proceeds- you become Travis Bickle. Even though characters like Betsy (Cybill Shepherd) who plays Travis’ love interest, intercede once in a while, its Robert De Niro’s show all the way. You cant help but admire the panaché with which he enlivens the life of an insomniac cab driver, particularly during the work-out scenes in his apartment when he mouths the words, "You talkin’ to me?" looking in a mirror. The moody score adds to the total sombre effect, as does the cinematography which stands apart because about 85 percent of the movie is shot at night, and most of that in a grim cab, the darkness a character by itself.
Even if you dont watch Taxi Driver for its finesse, you cant miss the trademark scenes that has been shamelessly lifted by many later movies. I especially enjoyed the scene when De Niro blows away the hand of a pimp with a .44 Magnum gun, and another one in which the camera concentrates on a paracetamol tablet dissolving in a glass of water. Its movies like Taxi Driver, directors like Martin Scorcese and actors like De Niro that will always make Hollywood a class apart from other contemporary film industries and the final frontier for all would-be film makers. Definitely worth a watch.