Hello Everyone! Hope you all are doing great.
I've been going through older movies recently and this time I finally watched Taxi Driver (1976) which is one of those movies I have heard about for years. It is always mentioned. People talk about the greatest movies ever made. It is tied to Martin Scorsese. It is tied to Robert De Niro. It is tied to cinema in general.
So I went into it with pretty high expectations.
And honestly, Taxi Driver is a very different kind of movie than I expected.
It isn't a movie that keeps trying to entertain you every second. It is slow, uncomfortable, dark and sometimes it gets really strange. I couldn't look away. This movie pulls you into its space. You sit with the main character. You might not agree with him.
I'm going to keep this review completely spoiler free, because I think Taxi Driver is one of those movies where knowing too much beforehand can take away from the experience.
Travis Bickle, played by Robert De Niro, is a lonely and troubled man. He works as a taxi driver in New York City.
Travis spends his nights driving through the city seeing people and situations but he doesn't feel connected to anyone. Instead, he appears to be watching the field from the outside.
Also this is probably the biggest theme I took away from the movie: loneliness.
Travis is surrounded by people almost all the time, but he is still completely alone.
That is kind of something I found relatable about the movie, even if it is not to the extreme level of Travis, where you can be around people, go to work, talk to people, walk through busy streets, and still feel completely cut off from everyone.
The movie captures that feeling well.
.png)
Robert De Niro is absolutely incredible in this movie.
I knew he was a great actor, but this performance showed me why people talk about it.
Travis isn't a character who explains how he feels, and a lot of his emotions show through his facial expressions, his body language and how he observes people, you know.
He sits there for long moments, thinking.
Those moments can show you more about a character than a long conversation.
De Niro plays Travis in a way that makes you uncomfortable because you never completely know what is going on inside his head.
Sometimes you feel sorry for him.
Sometimes you feel frustrated with him.
Sometimes you're just sitting there thinking, "This guy really needs help.".
But the movie never makes things simple.
That makes the character interesting.
.png)
The atmosphere of Taxi Driver is likely my favorite aspect of the movie.
New York appears ordinary here.
It looks dirty, crowded, dangerous, and, exhausting.
The movie takes place mostly at night, and the city is constantly covered in artificial lights, smoke, rain and, darkness, there is something almost dreamlike about it, yeah.
The taxi becomes Travis's bubble.
He's inside the car, driving around while the rest of the city moves around him.
You sit in the taxi with him.
The cinematography makes the city seem like another character in the movie you can almost smell the dirty streets and feel the humidity.
It isn't the pretty version of New York.
But it sticks with you.
.png)
Another thing I really liked was the pacing.
This might be a problem for some people.
Taxi Driver is slow.
There aren't a lot of fast action scenes or big events happening all the time. The movie just takes its time and shows Travis's daily routine.
I believe this was needed.
A slower pace helps us understand Travis.
We are supposed to feel his boredom.
We are supposed to feel the repetition of his nights.
We need to feel how isolated he is.
There were moments when the movie felt slow, but overall the pacing works.
It is a psychological character study rather than a traditional thriller.
And once I understood that, I enjoyed it more.
The supporting cast is also strong.
Jodie Foster gives a notable performance, especially considering how young she was when the movie was made.
Cybill Shepherd stands out. Harvey Keitel brings a different energy to his role.
But even with all these talented actors, the movie always feels like it belongs to Travis.
His perspective is central.
We are seeing the city through his eyes.
We're hearing his thoughts.
His frustrations increase.
Also because of that, the movie can sometimes feel less like we are watching a normal story, more like we are reading someone's private diary.
That feeling makes the whole thing more intimate.
And, also a little disturbing.
.png)
The movie provides no simple explanation for Travis.
It would have been simple to say, "This is why he is like this.".
We observe him and make our own considering all this.
He is angry because of the city.
He is lonely because he pushes people away.
He hates in our present reality, or he hates himself.
It is a combination of all of these things.
The movie doesn't give you an answer.
I like that.
It makes you think about Travis after the movie ends.
.png)
The music also deserves a mention.
Bernard Herrmann's score is fantastic.
There is something almost beautiful about the music, which creates an interesting contrast with the dark the domain of we're watching.
The soundtrack can make the city feel mysterious and romantic, then deeply uncomfortable.
It makes us feel like we are inside Travis's head.
In addition to considering this was Bernard Herrmann's final film score, it feels like a pretty incredible way to finish a career.
Taxi Driver is not a movie I would recommend to everyone.
It's not comfortable.
It is dark.
There are some disturbing themes and, scenes.
Because the movie spends so much time inside the mind of a troubled character, it can be difficult to watch at times.
That's what makes it memorable.
It does not try to make everything comfortable for the viewer.
It asks you to sit with an unpleasant character and, understand his perspective without necessarily agreeing with him.
That's a difficult thing for a movie to pull off.
And Scorsese does it very well.
One thing that surprised me after the movie was how modern some of its themes still feel.
Loneliness.
Isolation.
Anger.
Feeling disconnected from society.
Trying to find some kind of purpose.
These are things people still struggle with today.
The movie clearly reflects 1970s New York, but its main ideas don't seem limited to that era.
That is a primary reason it has survived for a long time.
It's not simply a movie about a taxi driver.
It's a movie about a person who feels disconnected from in our present reality around him.
And honestly, that is much more interesting.
.png)
After watching Taxi Driver, I understand why it's considered an important film.
It's not perfect and, I wouldn't say I loved every moment since the slow pacing requires patience and, the subject matter isn't light entertainment.
But as a piece of filmmaking, it is incredible.
Robert De Niro gives one of the most memorable performances I've seen from him.
Martin Scorsese creates a version of New York.
The cinematography looks good in a dark and, dirty way.
The music is brilliant.
The story gives you much to think about without explaining everything.
Taxi Driver is the kind of movie that you appreciate more after thinking about it than while you are watching it.
When the credits rolled, I didn't immediately think, "Wow, that was fun.".
I was thinking about Travis.
About the city.
About loneliness.
This discusses how a person can become disconnected from the area of while still being surrounded by millions of people.
So if you are getting into classic movies and have not watched Taxi Driver yet I recommend giving it a chance but do not expect an action movie because it is not an action movie.
Watch it when you want something slow and atmospheric.
And, if you have already watched it, I would love to know what you thought about Travis Bickle and the movie in general.
Anyway thats it for this post. Please do give your reviews in the comments section below. I would really appreciate it :)
I'll be back with another one soon. So do follow me if you want to stay updated. Till then, Stay Happy and Stay Hydrated.
Rating: 80/100