Taxi Driver (1976)
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A lonely veteran's mental state deteriorates as he navigates the urban decay of New York City as a night-shift taxi driver.
The story
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. He becomes increasingly disgusted with the crime and urban decay he witnesses while driving through the city. His internal monologue, revealed through diary entries, shows a man becoming increasingly alienated from society. The narrative follows his growing isolation and the escalating mental instability that leads him toward a desperate, radicalized state of mind as he seeks a way to confront the world around him.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Travis Bickle, a lonely Vietnam veteran, works as a night-shift taxi driver in New York City. He becomes obsessed with a campaign worker named Betsy, but after a failed romantic pursuit, his isolation deepens. He begins a rigorous physical training regimen and acquires several firearms from a black market dealer. He becomes fixated on a young prostitute named Iris, attempting to 'save' her from her pimp, Sport. Travis eventually attends a political rally where he intends to assassinate a presidential candidate, but is chased by security. He then tracks down and kills Sport and a mafioso in a violent confrontation. Though severely injured and initially attempting suicide, he is hailed as a hero for saving Iris. He survives and eventually encounters Betsy again, who tells him she followed his story in the news; he drives her home and smiles as he continues into the night.
- First release year
- 1976
- Runtime (minutes)
- 114
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Martin Scorsese
- Writers
- Paul Schrader · writer
- Cast and characters
- Robert De Niro · Travis Bickle; Jodie Foster · Iris; Cybill Shepherd · Betsy; Harvey Keitel · Wizard; Peter Boyle · Sport; Albert Brooks
- Genres
- neo-noir; psychological drama
- Themes
- urban decay; alienation; vigilantism
- Tone and mood
- bleak; tense
- Premise and plot tags
- psychological thriller; neo-noir; antihero
- Content notes
- violence
- Reception
- The film received universal critical acclaim and is considered one of the greatest films ever made, noted for its cultural significance and its impact on the genre of vigilante films.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 89% · scale: percentage · review count: 163; Metacritic · score: 94 · scale: 100 · review count: 23
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Picture · nomination; Academy Award · Best Actor · nomination; Academy Award · Best Supporting Actress · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film's score was Bernard Herrmann's final score.; The film was inducted into the National Film Registry in 1994.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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