Roger Ebertwas not a movie critic who was easily impressed. The Pulitzer Prize winner did not dole out praise recklessly, so when he calledMartin Scorsese’sdramaTaxi Drivera “masterpiece” and a “brilliant nightmare,” he meant it. And those words came fromhis 1976 review of the film, not a retrospective quote influenced by decades of praise from film fans. He also recognizedRobert De Niro’sgenerational performance from the first watch, and beginning November 1, you can appreciateTaxi Driveronce more when it arrives on Paramount+.
Nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Supporting Actress (Jodie Foster),Taxi Driverwas a critical and box office hit, perfectly capturing the moral ambiguity that marked the social turmoil of the 1970s, set against a gritty New York City backdrop. The film is still controversial, with its stark depiction of violence, and storyline that features Foster’s character, a twelve-year-old prostitute whom De Niro’s character befriends. In his review of the film, Ebert praised the film’s emotional nuance:
The film’s a masterpiece of suggestive characterization; Scorsese’s style selects details that evoke emotions, and that’s the effect he wants. The performances are odd and compelling: He goes for moments from his actors, rather than slowly developed characters. It’s as if the required emotions were written in the margins of their scripts: Give me anger, fear, dread.
The film tells the story of a Vietnam veteran Travis Bickle (De Niro), who struggles to maintain healthy relationships with anyone, and finds himself increasingly isolated and paranoid. After failing to win over a beautiful campaign worker (Cybill Shepherd), Bickle finds himself on a dark, violent path that ends in tragedy. Ebert praisedDe Niro’s performance,saying it is “as good as Brando at suggesting emotions even while veiling them from us.”
De Niro and Scorsese Films, and Where to Find Them
Amazingly,Taxi Driverisn’t even the best film from the collaboration of Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese. That title goes toRaging Bull, butall ten feature films the duo have made together are worth watching.Here are the ten films, and where they can be streamed (all correct at the time of writing).
You Probably Never Saw Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio’s First Collaboration
These two Hollywood legends first shared the screen in 1993, though most audiences completely missed out on the film.
Taxi Driver
