Frequently Bought Together
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Product details
|
Reviews
Amazon.co.uk Review
Taxi Driver is the definitive cinematic portrait of loneliness and alienation manifested as violence. It is as if director Martin Scorsese and screenwriter Paul Schrader had tapped into precisely the same source of psychological inspiration ("I just knew I had to make this film", Scorsese would later say), combined with a perfectly timed post-Watergate expression of personal, political and societal anxiety. Robert De Niro, as the tortured, ex-Marine cab driver Travis Bickle, made movie history with his chilling performance as one of the most memorably intense and vividly realised characters ever committed to film. Bickle is a self-appointed vigilante who views his urban beat as an intolerable cesspool of blighted humanity. He plays guardian angel for a young prostitute (Jodie Foster), but not without violently devastating consequences. This masterpiece, which is not for all tastes, is sure to horrify some viewers, but few could deny the film's lasting power and importance. --Jeff Shannon
Amazon.co.uk
Taxi Driver is the definitive cinematic portrait of loneliness and alienation manifested as violence. It is as if director Martin Scorsese and screenwriter Paul Schrader had tapped into precisely the same source of psychological inspiration ("I just knew I had to make this film," Scorsese would later say), combined with a perfectly timed post-Watergate expression of personal, political, and societal anxiety. Robert De Niro, as the tortured, ex-Marine cab driver Travis Bickle, made movie history with his chilling performance as one of the most memorably intense and vividly realized characters ever committed to film. Bickle is a self-appointed vigilante who views his urban beat as an intolerable cesspool of blighted humanity. He plays guardian angel for a young prostitute (Jodie Foster), but not without violently devastating consequences. This masterpiece, which is not for all tastes, is sure to horrify some viewers, but few could deny the film's lasting power and importance. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
31 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fine film about alienation.,
By
This review is from: Taxi Driver [DVD] [1999] (DVD)
Travis Bickle (De Niro) is an ex-Marine with a problem, he cannot sleep. So, he gets a job driving a taxi in the New York night. He is a man without fear so he will go anywhere anytime and of course, this means that he always sees the worst of the city.Travis is almost totally lacking in social skills and this leads to a disastrous date with Betsy (Shepherd) and an ever increasing sense of alienation from and disgust with the world around him. A chance encounter with Iris (Foster) a child prostitute, increases Travis' sense that he must do something about the city. He wavers between taking action against the man in control of Betsy, politician Charles Palantine for whom Betsy is a campaign worker and the man in control of Iris, Sport (Keitel) her pimp. A close brush with secret service men who spot him in a crowd makes his decision and Travis decides to free Iris in a bloody shootout. It's not a bad plot but the movie is really about the alienation of one man from the city around him. In this, De Niro is totally convincing he is in the city but not of the city. He has a hard job too. A social misfit cannot be given a sharp snappy script. Instead, such a person will at times be an embarrassment to those around him and De Niro portrays this perfectly. This definitely a "must see" film. It is well paced and keeps the audience's attention throughout. The settings and the atmosphere of the dark side of the city are convincing. My only reservation is the ending. I cannot see how Travis' action would have been viewed in the way that the film showed.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the greatest films ever. 5 Stars.,
By J. Pike "J.Pike" (Guernsey, Channel Islands) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE) (TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Taxi Driver (2 Disc Special Edition) [1976] [DVD] [2007] (DVD)
A truly great film deserving of the maximum 5 stars.
Controversy surrounded this film upon it's release and it's easy to see why upon watching. They just don't make films like this today. I can't think of a bad thing to say about any part of the film. Keep an eye out for Scorsese's 2 cameo appearances during the film. If you want to see what New York was like in the 1970's grime and all, buy this film.
36 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
THE 70's Film,
By
This review is from: Taxi Driver (2 Disc Special Edition) [1976] [DVD] [2007] (DVD)
This searing movie from Martin Scorcese is one of the great films of the 1970's. It features Robert DeNiro in the role of a lifetime, as ex-Vietnam vet Travis Bickle, who can't sleep and drives a Cab at night as a form of therapy. Travis also has trouble relating to people and it is this that gives him difficulties when he meets Betsy (played wonderfully by Cybill Shepherd) and things go from bad to worse when he then meets Iris (Jodie Foster) a teenage prostitute.... The supporting cast includes Peter Boyle and Harvey Keitel.
Scorcese works his magic in this film. A number of scenes from this film are unforgettable and some have become iconic. Obviously the "Are you talking to me..." mirror scene is the most well known but there are a number of others. Travis winds up a Secret Service agent, suggesting he would like to join - this is marvellously played. You will notice in a later scene that Travis has made some slight adjustments to his hair! In another classic scene, which certainly influenced Quentin Tarantino for a scene in 'Reservoir Dogs', Travis goes to buy some guns. The dialog is marvellous. Full credit to Paul Schrader for the brilliant script, without his contribution the film would not have as good. This edition has the following extras: Introduction to DVD - Martin Scorsese - this was recorded in 2006 and lasts about 15 minutes during which Scorsese talks about the influences that created Taxi Driver (Jean Luc Goddard etc). Introduction to DVD - Paul Schrader Commentary - Paul Schrader Commentary Robert Kolker (Author) Loneliness and Inspiration - Documentary Cabbie Confessional - Documentary Producing a Cult Classic Appreciation and Influence - this is an interesting series of intereviews about Martin Scorsese with many famous directors and actors. Taxi Driver Locations - Then and Now Animated Photo Gallery Storyboard to Film Comparisons Behind the Scenes Documentary Theatrical Trailer Filmographies The film also contains the last ever film score from Bernard Hermann who had previously done Citizen Kane and Psycho to name but two. This score is really excellent. A Jazzy saxophone with a haunting melody, but that changes menacingly without warning. Quite brilliant. This is, particularly at the end, a very violent film and one with an ending that may leave you perplexed. Despite this it has a haunting quality because of its running themes of alienation and loneliness. It isn't easy watching but does reward you with repeated viewings. An essential DVD for any film collection.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews |
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
![[Start the discussion]](http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/02/x-locale/communities/discussion_boards/start-new-discussion-sec._V192198663_.gif){kind=small}
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
