Taxi Driver [DVD] [1976] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

This is not a film for the weak-of-heart! Robert DeNiro plays the role of the “crazy cabbie”, Travis Bickle, to a T. His psychological deterioration into a primitive, paranoid personality is, to say the least, unsettling. The finale seems inevitable and unavoidable. Not necessarily an “enjoyable” film (no happy-endings-for-all here) but still it does force one to explore a “darkness” which seems uniquely human. Worth the watch; but, perhaps, not TOO often…

Great movie

Another great movie to my collection of movies. Have not seen this since it was at the theater in the 1970's and forgot most of the movie. Worth owning and watching more than once and why I buy my movies.

Martin Scorsese points out in the documentary on the 1999 "Collector's Edition" DVD of 1976's "Taxi Driver" that he didn't feel the movie would necessarily speak to a large audience, and yet that it was a film that he really had to do, and I say more power to him. "Taxi Driver" is more than just a great movie, it's frighteningly real and incredibly powerful. Anyone who tells you that this movie is boring or that it meanders is horrendously missing the point. This is an incredibly well-realized movie, masterfully paced, and evocative. There is some great black humor in "Taxi Driver", but its primary impact is psychological, and in turn, emotional. The movie tends to be very low-key, but in a continuously arrestingly and usually creepy way. A ton of the credit for this of course goes to Robert De Niro for his incredible lead performance as the crippingly lonely cabbie Travis Bickle, a man of contrasts who's disturbed to the very core of his being. Seeing Iris, a 12-year-old prostitute remarkably portrayed by Jodie Foster, ultimately pushes Bickle to the very brink. The movie's post-shootout finale, which I agree is clearly a fantasy from Bickle's mind, is a hauntingly powerful stroke of genius. The casting is amazing all around. Harvey Keitel is right in his element, with a terrific performance as Sport, aka "the pimp". Peter Boyle is great as the so-called "Wizard", Albert Brooks adds some lighthearted humor to the proceedings where appropriate, and the wonderful Cybill Shepherd is as mesmerizing as ever. Even Martin Scorsese is absolutely brilliant filling in a bit part as a homicidal passenger in Travis' cab. "Taxi Driver" additionally hints at Scorsese's excellent musical taste by using Jackson Browne's "Late For The Sky" in the soundtrack. The song's appearance in the film is a little jarring, but quite fitting, and it IS one of the best songs ever written. The making-of documentary featured in the 1999 "Collector's Edition" is highly worthwhile, containing interview segments from Scorsese, De Niro, Shepherd, Boyle, Foster, Keitel, Brooks, Schrader, etc., providing fascinating insight. It becomes apparent that the essence of Paul Schrader's screenplay was at once captured while also being appropriately flashed out thanks to Scorsese and the incredibly talented actors. The movie itself has been remastered, and the sound and picture quality are pristine. If you don't have it already, this "Collector's Edition" is the way to go. "Taxi Driver" deserves to be hailed as one of the very best movies ever, and any serious viewer should appreciate it.

Great find and price for collectors find.