Taxi Driver
Overview
Taxi Driver is a 1976 psychological thriller film directed by Martin Scorsese, written by Paul Schrader. The film stars Robert De Niro as Travis Bickle, a lonely, alienated, and mentally unstable Vietnam War veteran who works as a nighttime taxi driver in New York City. The film is set in a gritty, decaying, and crime-ridden New York City in the 1970s. Travis is a insomniac, and he drives his taxi through the streets of the city at night. He is disgusted by what he sees: prostitutes, pimps, drug dealers, and criminals. He is a vigilante in waiting. He falls in love with Betsy (Cybill Shepherd), a beautiful, blonde woman who works for a presidential campaign. He takes her to a pornographic movie on their first date, and she is horrified. She rejects him, and he becomes obsessed with "cleaning up" the city. He buys guns, he trains himself, and he plans to assassinate the presidential candidate, Senator Palantine (Leonard Harris). He is stopped by Secret Service agents. He then decides to rescue a 12-year-old prostitute, Iris (Jodie Foster), from her pimp, Sport (Harvey Keitel). He kills Sport, Iris's pimp, and several others. He is hailed as a hero by the media. The film ends with Travis driving his taxi, and he sees Betsy in his rearview mirror. She looks at him, and she smiles. He drives away. Taxi Driver won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. It was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Robert De Niro, and Best Supporting Actress for Jodie Foster. The film is a masterpiece of American cinema, a dark, disturbing, and unforgettable portrait of a man on the edge.
