Taxi Driver
Director: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Robert DeNiro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd
My education in Scorsese continues with what is widely heralded as a classic. This movie was definitely well made, but didn't quite wow me.
Here we have the story of Travis, a man who feels alone and alienated in a dirty city full of prostitution and dirty movies. He tries to reach out to a woman who works as a political activist, but his sheltered lifestyle ends up scaring her away. This leads to a rapid downward spiral to find purpose in his life through violence and helping a young prostitute get away from her sad world.
Scorsese is, as always, a master of visuals. The cityscapes, rainy cap rides, and facial expressions are all captured perfectly. He really builds an authentic atmosphere of a corrupt city filled in which Travis sees the evil and feels isolated.
DeNiro is just as strong here as in Raging Bull. His transformation from a well meaning taxi driver to a sociopathic anti-hero. He plays it all with subtle intensity. Foster is also great here as the child prostitute.
I found most of the movie very interesting, but really sort of dull. This is a slow burner. When the film explodes with violence, I got very interested. There was some really great buildup for his character to reach this moment. The violence is gritty and real (which is fitting for this movie). The ultimate outcome of this vigilante justice ended up being surprising and satisfying.
This was a very interesting character study. This could be the origin story for a Punisher type of hero. I probably wouldn't watch this again, but found it worth a viewing.
Lesson learned: Don't take girls to see dirty movies on a first date.
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