No one can argue the importance of martin scorseses taxi driver 1976. He barely flinches and shoots keitel and two other people. Set in a decaying and morally bankrupt new york city following the vietnam war, the film tells the. Whats more, his character doesnt just dominate the entire filmhes dominated the cinematic landscape and more than a few dorm room walls. Travis served in vietnam as a marine until 1973, and two years later, he is a taxi driver in new york city. I had written the character of the pimp that harvey keitel plays as black, and. The direction by martin scorsese is very stylish and gives taxi driver a unforgettable look. Everett collectionrex feature the violent conclusion to taxi driver was shocking in its day. The film is set in new york city, soon after the vietnam war. Many of them are often ranked among the greatest films of all time. Though the world around him is teeming with life, travis is unable to connect with anyone.
His date with betsy cybill shepherd, a beautiful campaign aide, fails when he takes her to. Taxi driver provoked fierce controversy when it was released, running into censorship problems in america as some of the scenes of violence were described to be as gory as clockwork orange and straw dogs evening news 76. A mentally unstable veteran works as a nighttime taxi driver in new york city, where the perceived decadence and sleaze fuels his urge for violent action by attempting to liberate a presidential campaign worker and an underage prostitute. Nov 10, 2010 this is my favourite scene from taxi driver. The other two stock barrel lengths at the time were the 4 barrel and the 6. The movie was an acclaimed cultural touchstone of the 1970s and was nominated for four academy awards. Jan 14, 2014 all the animals come out at night and one of them is a cabby about to snap. Taxi driver internet movie firearms database guns in. Taxi driver is a 1976 american drama film directed by martin scorsese and written by paul schrader.
Travis can hardly believe how repulsive and vile this guy is, he is literally lost for words. Hes the taxi driver of the title, for one thing, and the movie dives into his life in a completely focused, intimate, and yes, totally upsetting way. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and. It won best picture at the 1976 cannes film festival and received academ. I was a lad when i first heard about the film, the hinckley movie that inspired obsessions about jodie foster and assassination attempts. Hinckley watched the films hundreds of times and used that as part of his insanity defense.
Harvey keitel rehearsed with pimps to prepare for his role. For taxi driver scorsese wanted keitel to play the role of a. In addition, there was outcry at a year old schoolgirl actress co starring as a prostitute. Everything joker steals from taxi driver screen rant. Taxi driver 1976 a mentally unstable veteran works as a nighttime taxi driver in new york city, where the perceived decadence and sleaze fuels his urge for violent action by attempting to liberate a presidential campaign worker and an underage prostitute. The vigilante justice in taxi driver is among the most brutal violence in scorseses filmography. His date with betsy cybill shepherd, a beautiful campaign aide, fails when he takes her to a porno movie. Travis can hardly believe how repulsive and vile this guy is. Although it won none of the four oscars it was nominated for at the time, the film about an obsessed, lonely vietnam veteran with insomnia. Harvey keitel worked with a pimp to prepare for taxi driver page six. All the animals come out at night and one of them is a cabby about to snap. Harvey keitel worked with a pimp to prepare for taxi driver.
Taxi driver is martin scorseses frighteningly plausible case history of such a person. They talked about everything from how they came up with bickles mohawk to fosters fear of hot pants and keitels improvisations with a pimp. It is regularly cited by critics and audiences alike as one of the greatest films of all time including. Enraged by new yorks moral rot and urban decay, an unhinged cab driver goes mad, plotting an assassination and saving a teen sex worker. Region 4 this version of the dvd will probably not be viewable in other countries. Harvey keitel and paul schrader, screenwriterart byguy peelleart 1934200841 x 27 in. Originally, he comes from an unspecified rural area. Another character shoots him twice in the arm where the. When travis bickle takes the law into his own hands, scorsese doesnt indulge in a glorious, theatrical display of bloodshed. Its a film that stays in the bloodstream, says peter bradshaw.