Review of Taxi Driver (1954) by Thomas L — 03 Jul 2014

After my first (and still ym only watch so far) I initially gave this movie 2 1/2 stars, saying it was dull and outdated. But as time has passed by, this movie has grown on me more than I would have expected. What I at first interpreted as a boring drive movie without action was actually a deep character study of one of cinema's most engaging anti-heroes. The movie skillfully manages to seamlessly portray Travis Bickle, a vietnam war veteran, who drives his taxi throughout the slums of New York. The movie is not rushed and resorts to action immediately, but instead takes its time to add depth to Bickle's descend into madness.

Robert de Nio is one of my all time favorite actors, and Taxi Driver is side by side with The Deer Hunter as his most impressive performance. His infamous and improvised scene where he talks to the mirror is one of the most memorable and quoteable monologues ever in film.