You looking at me? (Taxi Driver (DVD))

Member Name: nakedchoke

Product:	Taxi Driver (DVD)
Date:	07/11/01 (694 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: great acting, brill story, well directed

Disadvantages: graphic violence, swearing, sexually explicit

This is the harrowing tale of one mans journey into an urban decay of a city and his crumbling life. Robert De Niro gives probably one of his most chilling performances as the taxi driver of the films title Travis Bickle. Travis is back endlessly wandering the streets of New York after serving his time in the marines and finding it difficult to fit back into society. He is indeed a lonely and tortured man as you can imagine. What he comes back to is the place he fought so hard for and he doesn’t like what he sees. He is a victim of Insomnia and plays his nocturnal activities to his advantage and gets himself a job as a taxi driver allowing him to ply his trade during the dark hours of the night. Throughout the film he becomes more mentally unstable and you get to watch his brilliantly played out decline into madness.

Travis is a very depressed man and has no one to turn to and there is no one to love in his life. All he can find is the endless amount of scum on the streets. He continues to drift but eventually he spots a beautiful lady (Cybil Shephard) that finally gives him the chance to find something to care about and to bring some normality back to his life. He begins hanging around her workplace trying to pluck up the courage to meet and greet her. Eventually he strides in and gets himself a date after talking with her and not giving in to her declines. The date doesn't go well as you can imagine from a man in his state of mind and after watching a porno movie they depart.

Travis continues his rounds on the filthy neon lit streets; this is where the atmosphere really stands out. Steam bursts from the drain covers and prostitutes, pimps and drug dealers line the streets and bring home the disgusting nature of the place Travis works in. He picks up the films co producer Martin Scorsesse and doesn't bat an eyelid as the enraged man talks about killing his wife. You begin to feel for Travis and you have a kind of car crash mentality
as you continue watching just knowing he's about to crack and let loose. On a busy street he picks up a very young prostitute played by Jodie Foster who is frantic to get away from something and jumps into his cab. Before Travis has chance to drive she is dragged from her seat by her pimp Sport (Harvey Keitel). Once he manages to drag her from the car Sport then throws some money at Travis, Travis knows where this filthy note came from and gives Sport a menacing look indicating a possible dislike that you know could well lead to some spilt blood.

The story goes on as the repulsing streets take their toll on Travis and his underlying attraction to them continues. You feel as though he is the victim of this hell on Earth and you take pity on him. It's no surprise when Travis flips and finally gets that red mist. Now comes the scene in which he buys some guns to help him to exact his vigilante assault. He creates a unique rail that he hides up his arm allowing him to quickly draw his guns from their concealed position. Eventually Travis vents his frustration and anger in a bloody climax to the film. This is extremely graphic as is the whole film and gore fans will love all the action. The disturbing thing is you feel as though Travis is totally just in what he does after experiencing what he has gone through.

The cast are excellent throughout. You get the feeling it's more of a documentary, as De Niro seems so real. The character development is excellent and the near flawless acting help to make this film utterly absorbing. The setting is perfect as is the all round imagery and the film successfully portrays Travis's demise into the vigilante character he becomes. It is utterly compelling and well paced and you will love the way it unfolds. The way Travis is affected and how it is done gives you a great idea of what he his thinking and it's easy to see why he turns like he does. This film is gruelling to say the least, it's g
raphic as far as sex, violence and bodily fluids are concerned and some may not stomach it. It is a true classic however and it's easy to understand why. This is a true cinematic masterpiece.

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