1976 Scorsese Masterpiece on dvd.
Added 11/17/2009
This film stunned audiences when it came out in theatres, with it's dark subject matter, stark realism, and graphic use of violence. Not to mention a powerful and compelling performance from De Niro.
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Like Good Literature
Added 11/11/2009
I'd heard Taxi Driver was a great movie, and with Scorcese at the helm and all kinds of famous actors in it to boot, I was expecting good things. Nor was I disappointed. Taxi Driver is a special movie. It's a character study on one hand, a philisophical treatise on the other. It simultaneously entertains with it's sultry shots of 1975 NYC, lots of good dialogue between the characters, and a story line that unfolds naturally - people who appreciate photography will especially like Taxi Driver - it's a joy to watch Scorcese tell this tale.
The movie is accessible on many levels, the acting is fantastic and the story itself, subtle, violent, occasionally funny - and finally, something to think about for those that are paying attention.
SPOILERS
The thing to notice is when he's trying to decide if he should 'do a bad thing' and he's talking to one of the other taxi drivers asking for advice. One of the things the guy says as he tries to talk him down is that we are what we do.. like you do a job, and that becomes who you are. This movie is never very 'in your face' about it's message if it could be said to have one at all. But what does happen? Either way, Travis is kind of a sick puppy with the desire to kill. When that desire is aimed at the politician, he's a wacko (he wants to whack him because the girl he loves and who rejected him, is working on his campaign - this would be a kind of revenge, showing who 'has the power' - in his twisted mind).
On the other hand, he meets the underage prostitute (Jodie Foster), devolops a protective streak towards her and ultimately ends up offing her pimp and other would-be enablers of her profession. This happens somewhat by accident. His first mission was to off the politicician. He takes up Jody Foster's mission as kind of a side inspiration and does the deed before he gets a chance to kill the politician. When the smoke clears he's a hero. An accidental hero. Again, the words of the older taxi driver are fulfilled: 'You are what you do'.
The IRONY is that it could so easily have gone the other way. What would he have been if he'd managed to hit the politician? Had it gone as he'd originally planned, he'd certainly have been nothing less than the 'trash' he despised - from any rational person's point of view. How much of what we do is up to chance, luck, or as fate would have it? The movie seems to unconsciously ask this question. Travis is a 'walking contradiction'. He hates the scum, the sickos, the perverts, but finally, it's only a stroke of fate that distinguishes him from them.
Taxi Driver is a great ride, and there are many reasons to see it.
Loved the mohawk. This movie is hard as nails.
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Taxi Driver
Added 10/26/2009
I've wanted to see this movie for years, so I finally bought it. It was awful. The acting is great, but the plot line meanders all over the place. Jodie Foster is saved from a life of prostitution by a whack cab driver in an all too bloody shootout. I have nothing against sex and violence when it serves the storyline, but everything here was gratuitous, and the storyline seemed to wander all over the place. There were endless of DeNiro driving his cab, as if we needed to be reminded he was a cab driver. In the end, Jody goes back to her conservative family, and the wacko is hailed as a hero. Better she should have stayed on the street. The world doesn't need more yuppies. I was really disappointed with this story. If you thought Pulp Fiction was art, you might like it. I prefer a plot line that wasn't thrown together on the run.
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Another Boring Exploitation Movie
Added 10/25/2009
A man applies for a job as a taxi driver because he can't sleep nights. [Remember `Checker' cabs?] He comments on the people who come out at night. Travis visits a theater and eats junk food. He can't sleep. We see a campaign office at work. [Does the film drag here?] The cab drivers gossip. The conversation drags, and so does the film. [Is this a parody of campaign workers?] Do they have anything in common? "You need to clean up this city." "It's not going to be easy." A young woman meets his cab. Travis and Betsy go to a movie. Does it have a plot? [Is this meant as a joke?] Another strange bearded passenger talks to Travis. Is he sick? [Is this Martin Scorsese?] Does Travis make sense? The film drags on.
There is a near accident. Travis meets a salesman who makes house calls to display his wares. Are the prices reasonable? [Is this a parody?] Is Travis stalking somebody? Was that ZIP code correct? Is Travis going insane because of a lack of sleep? Does anyone notice? There is an attempted robbery of a small store. [Believable?] The film drags on. "No rough stuff." There is a failure to communicate. Is this a parody? Iris has a new friend. Is the conversation pointless? And the film drags on. There is a political rally at Columbus Circle. Does somebody stand out like an odd haircut? Travis runs off to do what he has to do. There is a violent shoot-out that should wake up those who dozed off. And so it ends, a tale full of sound and fury signifying nothing.
The last scene seems tacked on for the happy ending needed for commercial success. Is it believable? It just goes to show that a good plot is needed for a good story.
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Excellent Film
Added 10/21/2009
This film is incredible. DeNiro gives an outstanding performance and the supporting actors do very well. The cinematography is great, and it really enhances the feel of the movie. Worth watching by anyone who wants to see a well-thought, well-planned, phenomenal movie.
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1976 Scorsese Masterpiece on dvd.
Added 11/17/2009
This film stunned audiences when it came out in theatres, with it's dark subject matter, stark realism, and graphic use of violence. Not to mention a powerful and compelling performance from De Niro.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
Like Good Literature
Added 11/11/2009
I'd heard Taxi Driver was a great movie, and with Scorcese at the helm and all kinds of famous actors in it to boot, I was expecting good things. Nor was I disappointed. Taxi Driver is a special movie. It's a character study on one hand, a philisophical treatise on the other. It simultaneously entertains with it's sultry shots of 1975 NYC, lots of good dialogue between the characters, and a story line that unfolds naturally - people who appreciate photography will especially like Taxi Driver - it's a joy to watch Scorcese tell this tale.
The movie is accessible on many levels, the acting is fantastic and the story itself, subtle, violent, occasionally funny - and finally, something to think about for those that are paying attention.
SPOILERS
The thing to notice is when he's trying to decide if he should 'do a bad thing' and he's talking to one of the other taxi drivers asking for advice. One of the things the guy says as he tries to talk him down is that we are what we do.. like you do a job, and that becomes who you are. This movie is never very 'in your face' about it's message if it could be said to have one at all. But what does happen? Either way, Travis is kind of a sick puppy with the desire to kill. When that desire is aimed at the politician, he's a wacko (he wants to whack him because the girl he loves and who rejected him, is working on his campaign - this would be a kind of revenge, showing who 'has the power' - in his twisted mind).
On the other hand, he meets the underage prostitute (Jodie Foster), devolops a protective streak towards her and ultimately ends up offing her pimp and other would-be enablers of her profession. This happens somewhat by accident. His first mission was to off the politicician. He takes up Jody Foster's mission as kind of a side inspiration and does the deed before he gets a chance to kill the politician. When the smoke clears he's a hero. An accidental hero. Again, the words of the older taxi driver are fulfilled: 'You are what you do'.
The IRONY is that it could so easily have gone the other way. What would he have been if he'd managed to hit the politician? Had it gone as he'd originally planned, he'd certainly have been nothing less than the 'trash' he despised - from any rational person's point of view. How much of what we do is up to chance, luck, or as fate would have it? The movie seems to unconsciously ask this question. Travis is a 'walking contradiction'. He hates the scum, the sickos, the perverts, but finally, it's only a stroke of fate that distinguishes him from them.
Taxi Driver is a great ride, and there are many reasons to see it.
Loved the mohawk. This movie is hard as nails.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
Taxi Driver
Added 10/26/2009
I've wanted to see this movie for years, so I finally bought it. It was awful. The acting is great, but the plot line meanders all over the place. Jodie Foster is saved from a life of prostitution by a whack cab driver in an all too bloody shootout. I have nothing against sex and violence when it serves the storyline, but everything here was gratuitous, and the storyline seemed to wander all over the place. There were endless of DeNiro driving his cab, as if we needed to be reminded he was a cab driver. In the end, Jody goes back to her conservative family, and the wacko is hailed as a hero. Better she should have stayed on the street. The world doesn't need more yuppies. I was really disappointed with this story. If you thought Pulp Fiction was art, you might like it. I prefer a plot line that wasn't thrown together on the run.
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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