Taxi Driver (1976): A mentally unstable Vietnam war veteran works as a nighttime taxi driver in New York City where the perceived decadence and sleaze feeds his urge to violently lash out, attempting to save a teenage prostitute in the process. (8.5)
Director: Martin Scorsese
Writer: Paul Schrader
Stars: Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster and Cybill Shepherd
Boy, everybody looks so young. :-) Okay, I'm of two minds about this movie. On one hand, it is a look at the 70's New York City through the eyes of a returning Vietnam vet who only sees what he wants to see and who only feels the loneliness in the middle of the most populous city. On the other hand, I feel like this may have been a great movie back in the 70s but it isn't breakthrough movie-making for today. The realistic portrayal of the dark side of a city isn't all that magic any more. Some scenes, like the political rallies, aren't all that realistic anyway. Yes, if I keep in mind that this was made in '76 and at that time the techniques and this type of storytelling is refreshing and progressive, yeah, I'll buy that this is a great movie. I guess, in a way, like the character in the movie, I'm also very much conflicted and confused ... and, not just about this movie; not just in one way. Then again, who isn't ... watching how every man for himself in this dog eat dog society we live in? My Rating: 7.5
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