Taxi Driver

About the film

Taxi Driver is a 1976 American neo-noir psychological drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Paul Schrader. Set in a decaying New York City following the Vietnam War, it stars Robert De Niro as veteran Marine and taxi driver Travis Bickle, whose mental state deteriorates as he works nights in the city, eventually having a mental breakdown and becoming a vigilante. The film also features Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd, Harvey Keitel, Peter Boyle, Leonard Harris and Albert Brooks (in his first feature film role).

Filming began in summer 1975, with actors taking pay cuts to ensure that the project could be completed on its low budget of $1.9 million ($11.4 million in 2025). For the score, Bernard Herrmann composed what would be his final score. The music was finished mere hours before his death, and the film is dedicated to him.

Plot

In New York City, former Marine and Vietnam War veteran Travis Bickle takes a job as a night-shift taxi driver to cope with his chronic insomnia and loneliness, frequently visiting adult movie theaters on his breaks, and keeping a diary in which he consciously attempts to include aphorisms such as "you're only as healthy as you feel". He becomes disgusted with the crime and urban decay that he witnesses regularly in the city and dreams about getting "the scum off the streets", recording these dreams in his diary. His narration throughout the film is largely conveyed through voice-over excerpts from his diary, which reveal his deteriorating mental state and deepening alienation from society.

Travis becomes infatuated with Betsy, a campaign worker for Senator Charles Palantine, who is running for president. Travis enters the campaign office where she works and asks her to join him for coffee, to which she agrees. Betsy agrees to go on a second date with him, during which he takes her to an adult movie theater, which she leaves immediately. He attempts to reconcile with her, but fails. The rejection further deepens his isolation and contributes to his increasingly erratic behavior. Enraged, he storms into the campaign office where she works and berates her before being kicked out of the office.

Experiencing an existential crisis and seeing various acts of prostitution throughout the city, Travis confides in a fellow taxi driver, nicknamed Wizard, about his violent thoughts. However, Wizard dismisses them and assures him that he will be fine. Despite this reassurance, Travis remains emotionally unmoored, unable to articulate the depth of his psychological distress. To find an outlet for his rage, Travis follows an intense physical training regimen. He gets in contact with black market gun dealer Easy Andy and buys four handguns. At home, Travis practices drawing his new weapons, going as far as creating a quick-draw firearm hidden in one of the sleeves in his coat. He begins attending Palantine's rallies to scope out his security. He also writes a threatening letter to Palantine, further indicating his intent to act against him. One night, Travis shoots a man attempting to rob a convenience store run by his friend, leaving before the cops arrive as the convenience store owner proceeds to beat the non-responsive robber.

Production

Martin Scorsese has stated that it was Brian De Palma who introduced him to Paul Schrader, and Taxi Driver arose from Scorsese's feeling that movies are like dreams or drug-induced reveries. He attempted to evoke within the viewer the feeling of being in a limbo state between sleeping and waking.

Scorsese cites Alfred Hitchcock's The Wrong Man (1956) and Jack Hazan's A Bigger Splash (1973) as inspirations for his camerawork in the movie.

Scorsese also noted that Jef Costello (a solitary hitman), portrayed by Alain Delon in Le Samouraï, inspired the creation of Travis Bickle. The role was, in fact, offered to Alain Delon, among many others.

Music

Bernard Herrmann previously scored De Palma's Obsession, and De Palma introduced Herrmann to Scorsese. The music by Herrmann was his final score before his death on December 24, 1975, several hours after Herrmann completed the recording for the soundtrack, and the film is dedicated to his memory. Scorsese, a longtime admirer of Herrmann, had particularly wanted him to compose the score; Herrmann was his "first and only choice". Scorsese considered Herrmann's score of great importance to the success of the film: "It supplied the psychological basis throughout." The album The Silver Tongued Devil and I from Kris Kristofferson was used in the film, following Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974), in which Kristofferson played a supporting role. Jackson Browne's "Late for the Sky" is also featured.

Controversies

Some critics showed concern over 12-year-old Foster's presence during the climactic shoot-out. Foster said that she was present during the setup and staging of the special effects used during the scene; the entire process was explained and demonstrated for her, step by step. Moreover, Foster said that she was fascinated and entertained by the behind-the-scenes preparation that went into the scene.

In addition, before being given the part, Foster was subjected to psychological testing, attending sessions with a UCLA psychiatrist, to ensure that she would not be emotionally scarred by her role, in accordance with California Labor Board requirements monitoring children's welfare on film sets.

Key details