Taxi Driver

So I've decided to tell you why an old movie is great instead of a new one this time. Taxi Driver is an awesome movie for a few reasons.

One is the setting, 1970's New York. The way Scorsese shows how the people of this city act and react to some of the most atrocious conditions of living paints a stunning picture. Children prostitutes, blood on the back seat of his cab, gangs dealing drugs in broad daylight...

Two is Robert De Niro, in his prime, young as hell, and exactly perfect for the movie. He plays Travis, a Vietnam vet without much going on in his life. He can't sleep and figures he might as well get a job at night. He becomes a Taxi Driver without any trouble and works his nights away. He slowly sinks into despair however with the aid of "junk food and pills". He see's the horrible filth that fills the streets each night and see's how unhappy the people of New York truly are. He meets a 12 year old prostitute one night and is struck speechless when she is pulled from his cab by her pimp (Harvey Keitel). This is a turning point for Travis.

Around the same time he becomes enamoured with Betsy. She works for a local politician running for office. He sees her as the future. Free of the filth around her. She is pure above all else. Though he hasn't even met her yet. While Betsy is is good in the world, Travis is constantly reminded of the evil in this world by way of multiple run-in's with the young prostitute, Iris. After finally becoming fed up with the world after discovering that even Betsy isn't perfect, Travis takes drastic measures.

This early Scorsese masterpiece about urban decay and a little bit about how we percieve the people around us. The cinematography is excellent, writing is top notch, and the music lends itself to the story. Some people say it is boring but they MUST sit and watch it. It is a very important movie for any film buff to see.

I won't ruin the ending for you but it's evident that the only thing separating saints and sinners is sometimes one decision. I would recommend Taxi Driver to everyone.

IMDB here