The Film Reporter

When I look back at films that are timeless - films that in my opinion have been revolutionary and inspiring, I think of Taxi Driver. Paul Schrader the scriptwriter was in fact at the time experiencing isolation form society himself after he suffered a nervous breakdown while living in Los Angeles. He was fired from the AFI, basically friendless, in the midst of a divorce and was rejected by a girlfriend. Squatting in his ex-girlfriend’s apartment while she was away for a couple of months, Schrader literally didn’t talk to anyone for many weeks, went to porno theaters and developed an obsession with guns. 

If you haven’t watched Taxi Driver, the rough story is, Travis Bickle - (DeNiro) is a vietnam veteran who has returned to the scummy streets of downtown New York where he is disgusted with “the beggers, the whores, the niggas, the shooters” throughout the film he attempts to connect with society, only to be knocked back every time. He takes a taxi job as he suffers from insomnia - some say this is his attempt to connect with society as he is constantly mingling with it. However at the same time Travis attempts to save Iris (Jodie Foster) a 12 year old prostitute and also himself.