Taxi Driver

Taxi Driver is the third best film made by Scorsese and De Niro after Raging Bull and Wise Guys. But of all the above, it has by far the best music - Herrmann's ending to his career is divine. How a few notes can capture not only the environment in which the film takes place, but also the mental turmoil of the main character... It's breathtaking. You see the opening credits (which Richard Donner pays homage to in Gibson's Ransom) and you know - this is going to be SOMETHING. And it is. (19/09/2007)

Scorsese's first major league feature and still one of his most famous. Once again, the master does what he does best, immersing the protagonist chin-deep in the seedy, prostitute- and small-time gangster-infested corners of New York, where no ethical laws apply. As always, the excellent De Niro is amazing in his role and his slow inner transformation is one of the best things of Taxi Driver and enhances its story. Scorsese manipulates the viewer very skilfully, for an hour and a half he just prepares them as they try to identify with the main character, which is very essential towards the final minutes and crucial for the overall impression. The atmosphere is also greatly enhanced by Herrmann's excellent and mysterious music, whose tones are heard at almost every turn. It's just a pity that the narrative wasn't given a smoother and rawer tone, because the bloody finale seems a bit contrasting and absurd in relation to the story as a whole. Taxi Driver is another impressive film from a directing legend, but I'll probably just pass on it again. 80% (08/02/2013)

Taxi Driver is the story of a man who couldn't stand how the whole of New York was gradually being flooded with all kinds of "filth", so he decides to sort it all out on his own. This film is mainly based on the outstanding performances of Robert De Niro and partly of the then young Jodie Foster, who were perfect for their roles. Then there's the strong musical score and the well-situated cinematography (especially in the final scene as it passes from Iris's room through the stairwell to the door). In short, a very fine piece of filmmaking, but one that I can't give full marks to because there was just something else missing. (06/11/2011)

I wouldn't be afraid to call those moments in which Robert De Niro drives through New York City at night as a taxi driver something magical. I've known about this movie for a long time, of course, but with such an iconic thing it's almost mandatory to see it on a proper screen with proper sound, so I just waited. The magic is in the sensual atmospherics, the excellent cinematography, and the perfectly fitting Herrmann soundtrack. Plus, the way Martin Scorsese "manages" it all is fantastic – there are a thousand other movies being made in New York, but Taxi Driver captures the Big Apple vibe in just the right way. All the nooks and crannies, the dirty streets, the creatures you would prefer never to meet, and the contrast with its pomposity – the beautiful buildings, the charming lights, just the spirit of the big city with all that goes with it. I don't think it's a film with extraordinary overtones or even deep philosophical undertones.) The whole film can be summed up as a dirty, gritty, and unadorned portrait of New York, one of the many excellent collaborations of the Scorsese-De Niro duo. (03/09/2011)

Quite shabby and very much “about nothing”. I don’t see anything exceptional about Taxi Driver. De Niro acts like in every film – almost all his roles are the same to me – and I still can’t bring myself to like Scorsese. It’s a shame, but I’ve already come to terms with the fact that the best works of these two gentlemen will never say much to me. (10/08/2009)