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 in 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-