Customer Reviews

Taxi Driver (Collector's Edition)

5 star:		(175)
4 star:		(29)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

After watching the classic 1976 film "Taxi Driver," viewers may be interested in their reaction. It can be depressing. Martin Scorsese directed this open-sore of a film and of his many classic works, this is the one most obsessively analyzed. "Taxi Driver" is such a raw, visceral experience that after viewing its nightmarish terrain one must decompress.

Seedy does not begin to describe the horror of "Taxi Driver," which details a world of pimps, prostitutes, drug addicts and a loner psycho brilliantly portrayed by Robert De Niro. This film established some of the great talents in motion picture history including De Niro, Scorsese, Albert Brooks and Jodie Foster. I wonder about disturbing epics like "Taxi Driver," "A Clockwork Orange," "Straw Dogs" and "Natural Born Killers." Whenever I visit the video store, I notice these films are usually checked out, empty boxes leaning against the shelf. Who's watching these films, and why so often? The films share a common thread in that they have likable actors (De Niro, Malcolm McDowell, Dustin Hoffman, Woody Harrelson) playing despicable men prone to violent rages. Alienated one and all, these characters have become anti-heroes for a world severely lacking in heroes. There are so many ways to view this film, with multiple levels serving as proof to its complicated brilliance. Urban alienation, cultural emptiness, veiled racism, Watergate analogy and Oswald repression are just a few of the metaphorical doors one can open in this nightmare.

De Niro's Bickle is a Vietnam veteran suffering from insomnia. He takes a job as a cab driver to work nights, driving through the most dangerous New York neighborhoods for fares. He becomes infatuated with a beautiful woman (Cybill Shepherd) who works at the campaign office of Palantine. Bickle takes the woman to a porno theater on their first date, and she dumps him immediately. To no one's surprise, Bickle soon begins to stalk her. He purchases a deadly arsenal of hand guns and intensely works out in preparation for his assassination of Palantine (and most likely the woman too). Along the way, Bickle stumbles across a 12-year old prostitute (Foster) whom he befriends. His attempted assassination fails and he walks over to the prostitute's home and kills her pimp (Harvey Keitel), landlord and an unlucky gangster. "Taxi Driver" unbelievably ends with the prostitute having been returned to her parents and Bickle becoming an inner-city folk hero. Shepherd's character tries to make a date with Bickle, but he's now at peace with the inferno around him and drives on disinterested.

This ending has been debated for years. It is so controversial that when the film first ran on television, stations posted warnings stating they did not consider Bickle a hero. They're right. Bickle's a whacked-out cultural icon, granted, but he's no hero. He wants to be a hero, and perhaps the final scene is Bickle at the moment of death dreaming of a happy ending. He's essentially saved the day and rescued a damsel in distress. Bickle was seriously wounded after the shootout, having been shot in the neck. So it could have been a dream sequence, though Scorsese purposefully made it too vague to be entirely sure.

It's clear Bickle wishes to be a cowboy hero in "Taxi Driver," as seen by the boots he wears and the guns he straps on like an inner-city John Wayne. His famously improvised "You talkin' to me?" speech is in fact a line of dialog lifted from the classic 1953 western "Shane." And the final showdown has Bickle taking on three men (outnumbered a la Cooper in "High Noon") in a bloody, ferocious battle that to this day is one of the most violent scenes in history. Bickle, adorned in Mohawk and Army jacket, fires at random. The violence is so sloppy one gets the feeling they are viewing an actual crime scene. There is no music, only the jagged noises of constant screaming and guns blasting within closed-in spaces. While we love the balletic violence of the final shootout in "The Wild Bunch," we turn away from the gore in "Taxi Driver." It's as repellant as reality.

Scorsese's masterpiece is not intended for the young or emotionally disturbed. Bickle is not a hero in a film populated by an army of non-heroes. Still, viewers just might get confused. I know Bickle is crazy, but I feel sorry for him. At times, I even identify with him. And that can be depressing.

Travis Bickle (Robert DeNiro) is a former Marine and a veteran of the Vietnam war. He frequently has trouble sleeping and is plagued by headaches. The pills he takes don't seem to help at all. Because he's likely to be awake all night anyway, Bickle takes a job driving a cab. He prefers the night shift.

Scorsese's version of New York is gritty and realistic. Most of the film is shot at night and we see just how crazy some of the people are. It's a crime-ridden world populated by junkies and prostitutes. Bickle hates how much scum exists in the city, and he's referring to the people more than the dirty streets.

Bickle is looking for something to brighten up his seedy existence and a woman catches his eye. Betsy (Cybill Shepherd) works in a local office for a senator who is hoping to become the next president. After pestering her for a while, she eventually agrees to go on a date with him. He talks to her in a very straightforward way. It's not clear whether he lacks intelligence, or if he doesn't see any point in hiding the truth about himself. His approach works and leads to one of the funniest scenes in the film when he takes her to see a movie.

Other things attract Bickle's attention. He's particularly drawn to Iris (Jodie Foster), who is a 12-year-old prostitute. As his frustration mounts at the disgusting state of the city, he begins to devise a plan to clean up one small part. An incident on the street gives him the idea of saving Iris from her situation and giving her the opportunity to escape from her pimp (Harvey Keitel).

It's interesting watching Bickle trying to escape his miserable existence. He figures out how to buy and use weapons and starts working out to strengthen his body. All the while, there's mounting tension, and we sense that Bickle is close to losing touch with reality completely.

The supporting cast is strong, with Shepherd, Foster and Keitel all playing their parts well. You'll also see Peter Boyle and Albert Brooks. One of the most surprising scenes involves a cameo from Scorsese. His character might even be the catalyst for the change which eventually occurs in Bickle.

I have to mention Scorsese's decision to shoot most of the scenes at night. It was an inspired choice and adds so much atmosphere to the film. Bernard Herrmann's saxophone-heavy score is also an important part of the mix and helps helps transport us into Bickle's troubled world.

De Niro has produced some incredible performances over the past 40 years and Travis Bickle is probably my favorite De Niro character. There's so much going on beneath the surface and De Niro portrays much of it with his body language.

The meaning of the conclusion is open to debate, but if you take it purely at face value, it's quite uplifting.

The Blu-ray presentation adds a lot to the experience and is a must-own for fans of the film.

To start this off, I'll just say this: Do yourself a favor and buy this fantastic film. If for nothing else, buy it for DeNiro's INCREDIBLE performance! I'm a movie buff myself, and I have never seen such amazing acting. It's a crime he didn't win the oscar. Secondly, it's directed by Martin Scorsese, one of the more brilliant filmmakers of our time, and written by Paul Schrader. This is the team that brought you Raging Bull. When these two geniuses get together, they make pure movie magic. And finally, Jodie Foster. She's only fourteen years old, and beautifully brings to life the child prostitute who is secretly hating the horrible city she lives in. One of the most brilliant touches of filmmaking was made here when Scorsese portrays NYC as hell, such as focusing on the smoke spewing out of the sewers, and making Betsy, Travis Bickle's love, seem like an angel among all the demons.

The story goes something like this: Travis Bickle (Robert DeNiro) Is a taxi driver who can't seem to sleep. He works at night, and the city around him fills him with paranoia, for the gangsters and the slime on the streets at night every day seem to be everywhere. Among all of these demons and devils, Travis sees an angel, a gorgeous woman named Betsy. He immediately falls in love with her, but his anti-social tendencies scare her off when he brings her to a pornographic movie on their second date, thinking it was just like all of the other movies. When she leaves him and won't return any of his phone calls, his depression rises until he meets a child prostitue named Iris (Jodie Foster) and her pimp named Sport (Harvey Keitel). Feeling the deepest sympathy for her, he tries to help her leave that terrible lifestyle, not believing her pleas that she loves her being a prostitute and loves her pimp.

To sum this whole review up, do yourself a favor and watch this great piece of work. See Scorsese's nightmarish vision of NYC, and Travis Bickle's slow descent into insanity.

BLU-RAY review / COLLECTOR'S EDITION

NB: Despite information given on BD-cover or by e.g. amazon or [...], this otherwise very fine BD edition presents the film in a cropped version (aspect ratio 1.78:1 = 16:9 full frame)

Film: 8/10
Picture Quality: 9/10
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1 (orig.: 1.85:1)
Run time 24 fps: 1 53'48"
Audio: GB; F; E; POR
ST: GB; F; E; POR; Chin.; Korean; Thai
Chpt.: 16
RC A;B;C
Bonus:
- Trailer
- Interactive Script to Screen
Audio commentaries by:
-- Martin Scorcese (Criterion Ed., 1986)
-- Robert Kolker ("Cinema of Loneliness")
-- Paul Schrader, writer
- Martin Scorcese on TAXI DRIVER, 16' HD
- Producing TAXI DRIVER, 10' HD
- God's Lonely Man, 21' HD
- Influence and Appreciation - A Tribute to M. Scorcese, 18' HD
- Taxi driver stories, 22' HD
- Making TAXI DRIVER, 71', SD
- Travis' New York, 6' HD
- Travis' New York Locations (9 comparisons 1975/2006)
- Introduction to storyboard by M. Scorcese
- Storyboard/Film comparison
- Galleries
- Lobby cards
ASIN: B004IFYMYI
Studio: Sony

Much has been said about this film and I cannot but concur with the positive reviews. It is not my favorite of Scorcese's films (Raging Bull and Goodfellas are better in my opinion) but this is one of his "grittiest" in many senses of the term. A nice edition if you want this in your film library.

Taxi Driver establishes atmosphere unlike any movie I've ever seen. I've tried to find other movies that have the same feel and depth from a first person perspective, but none come close. It's by far the best movie of its kind. The Hermann score evokes memories of Hitchcock at his best, De Niro gives what is arguably his best (and likely his most iconic) performance, and the editing and direction are perfect. Shraeder's story hits home for anyone watching. There have been times in all our lives when we've felt like Travis Bickle, and I remember when I watched this for the first time I was in a bit of an isolated phase myself. Since then, it's earned itself a permanent position in my top 10.

i can't believe i waited this long to finally watch this classic.this is one brilliant film.De Niro is excellent as the title character AKA Travis Bickel.Martin Scorsese directed this masterpiece.i don't wanna to oversell this film,but it's something else.i'm not gonna give any of the plot away,because i think any way who goes into this should view it without any preconceived notions.DE Niro is brilliant here,that much i'll say.i also loved the look of the film,the style,the colours.if you haven't seen it,i would highly recommend it.for me,Taxi Driver is a 5/5

Taxi Driver
Ce petit coffret offre beaucoup de suppléments très intéressants et bien documentés. Vous y trouverez, entre autres, une analyse psychologique du personnage principal, de même qu'une longue entrevue avec l'auteur du scénario.
Taxi Driver ne vieillit pas et offre encore un portrait tragique et malgré tout réaliste d'un homme qui n'arrive pas à s'insérer dans la normalité de son époque et qui s'en trouve enragé et aliéné. Une étude brillante qui peut encore jeter un éclairage pertinent sur d'autres cas de tueries qui sont, malheureusement contemporains.

Taxi Driver is Scorsese's second really great film; his first was Mean Streets, his third is Raging Bull and his fourth is Goodfellas. All these films differ greatly, but they all share Scorsese's brilliant direction and DeNiro's talent as an actor. I can honestly say that Taxi Driver is probably my favorite Scorsese picture.

The film centers around a man; Travis Bickle, who from past experiences (presumably Vietnam) has become isolated from other human beings and from society. He can't sleep, he can't think straight and all he wants is a direction. Travis needs something to make a living on, so he begins driving a cab at night; he sees that he might as well get paid for what he is doing.

The film deepens in meaning and though, and we begin to understand Travis more and more. He grows more isolated and hateful of the world as time progresses, and we are right there with him. DeNiro pulls of such a good performance that we are able to see him, not as an actor, but as a character. He becomes this man, and we become enthralled in this man's plight.

Taxi Driver is a truly stunning work of art; I have never seen a film detailing individual lonesomeness so well or realistically. The direction is brilliant, the acting is brilliant and the film itself is one of the greatest American films of all time. Taxi Driver is quite possibly the greatest film by Scorsese, and one of the crowning achievements of the 1970s.

In 1976, Martin Scorsese directed "Taxi Driver", starring Robert DeNiro. Calling this a "conservative" movie is a stretch, but it is a prescient look at New York attitudes that preceded the age of Giuliani. Paul Schrader wrote it. His story is a hoot in and of itself. He and his brother were raised in a strict Calvinist Pennsylvania family, emphasizing the strictest tenets of Scripture and absolutism. The Calvinists are big on pre-ordained destiny. Released from this environment, he came to Hollywood and tried everything. Naturally, he was a mess; a drug addict, an alcoholic and a heterosexual so confused he tried homosexuality just...to try it. Given the assignment to write a screenplay, he was holed up in a downtown L.A. hotel for weeks, then months. He had little social contact except occasional taxi rides to restaurants in and around L.A.'s skid row. He began to see the world from inside the taxi, and came up with a character and a plot revolving around the concept.
DeNiro's Travis Bickle is a Vietnam Marine vet, off kilter but moral, who is sickened by the crime, drugs and immorality of 1970s New York City, seen from the taxi he drives night and day. He has an ill-fated fling with a pretty campaign worker (Cybil Shephard), goes off the deep end and portrays himself as a possible assassination threat to a Presidential candidate, although this is never fleshed out. In the end, he commits an act of vigilantism to save the life of a teenage prostitute with potential (Jodie Foster), and like in "Death Wish" (Charles Bronson), is made a hero.
The message of "Taxi Driver" is that peace comes from strength. It was a popular theme in a number of flicks. Hollywood seemed to fail to grasp some important realities about its marketplace. Time after time, movies that veered away from "touchy feely" liberalism and gave teeth to conservative characters (Eastwood's "Dirty Harry", Bronson, DeNiro, and others) made boffo box office, yet the industry has never come to grips with itself. They return time after time to premises that insult conservative audiences, and wonder why the lines get shorter.

STEVEN TRAVERS
AUTHOR OF "BARRY BONDS: BASEBALL'S SUPERMAN"
STWRITES@AOL.COM