Fun fact: The scene with the guy in the back telling Travis how he’s going to kill his cheating wife with a .44 magnum pistol is actually the director himself Martin Scorsese
@@lara314 Yeah, that was intended to be his only appearance in the film but he ended up filling in when actor George Memmoli dropped out at the last minute
And Scorsese’s parents are Iris’ parents in the photo in the article on the wall at the end. Charles and Catherine Scorsese were in a lot of Martin’s films. They both have passed, may they R.I.P.
I wanted to throw out some kudos for your channel. There are a lot of movie reaction/review channels out there, but most of them focus on popcorn and other blockbuster movies. Very few are interested in tackling heavy dramas like this movie, and so you doing so is much appreciated from people like myself that really like those kinds of movies too.
This movie inspired an attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan because the shooter believed that the attack would impress Jodie Foster with whom he had become obsessed.
It was a bizarre cycle of life imitating art imitating life. The movie inspired John Hinckley Jr. to shoot Ronald Reagan and the character of Travis in the movie was (very) loosely based upon Arthur Bremmer, who shot George Wallace at a campaign event in the 1972 election.
If you notice, there are some creepy similarities between Betsy and Iris. Both of them are blonde girls with similar haircuts. Both of them are controlled by a man, who Travis hates because they have them and he doesn't. Travis fails in his "normal" relationship with Betsy, so he tries to murder her male figure (the corrupt politician), and again fails. So instead, he makes up for it with his "friendship" with Iris, and successfully killing her male figure (the degenerate pimp). Travis is sympathetic, but he's not necessarily a good guy. It could have gone the other way so so easily........ He's a prophet and a pusher, partly truth, partly fiction. A walking contradiction.
to me, it's very, very clear that Travis is not a good guy. he portrays everything we know to be violent and tragic about lonely, disturbed men: Obsession, a need for power and control, believing women need "saving" by HIM, egocentric worldview, PTSD and trauma (from his time as a Marine) in 2020, watching Taxi Driver, i cannot shake the parallels to real-world mass shooters and "vigilantes." it's deeply fucked up.
@@feastmode7931 I fully agree. It's crazy that many people seem to humanize the character as some sort of hero. They are missing the point of the movie itself.
I have a comment on here talking about how Travis is supposed to be racist, and one of the scenes I'm thinking of kind of plays on that, but it's also one of two scenes that works on another level that I get the sense nobody ever notices. There's a moment where Travis is walking away from his co-workers' table at the diner, and the black guy says "Bye, killer" and he does a finger gun at him. Later Harvey Keitel does the same thing only he makes this "Kch!" sound weirdly similar to the one Travis' spring-holster makes when he's testing it in the mirror. He seems taken aback in both instances, like he doesn't know exactly what to think. I think Travis is afraid that they're onto him, maybe even worried they can read his thoughts.
I love how the newspaper articles covering his "heroic story" become smaller and smaller. He got the recognition he's been seeking for the entire time and now that he's had it, he gets forgotten by everyone again. By the way, the pimp is Harvey Keitel. Mr. White from Reservoir Dogs and The Wolf from Pulp Fiction.
So many moments in this film are simultaneously mesmerizing and terrifying. The way Scorsese rendered New York, it feels almost apocalyptic...which makes sense thematically, as well as considering the conditions of the city in the 70s.
@@joshlobel8111 It was actually worse in the 80s and early 90s. I think its very interesting how something about the aesthetic of the 70s made everyone think it was the craziest time in NY.
@@themistoklestheodosopoulos6253 fair enough, was born in 1993, got to grow up in a cleaner and safer NY thanks to a great mayor and NYPD force at the time...
As the usal elitist asshole that I am, I thought the original Hong Kong film it was adapted from was better. It's called Infernal Affairs and it's shorter and to the point. Departed felt like 35mn too long just because they had famous great actors... and also Mark Whalberg. It's a good movie but definitely with less impact than the original one.
i watched infernal affairs years before the departed, so when i watched that , there was whole scenes exactly the same, which took a bit away from my enjoyment of it
@Christobanistan No, I don't even remember if the HK film was based on real events at all. I think Scorcese's writers did a lot of changes in the script to adapt it to the real life story of the Chicago Cops.
It’s so interesting hearing everyone’s thoughts on that last sequence of events. Love the open ended conclusion. I agree with what you said about his evolution as well. It was so organically done, yet so chaotic and real in every way which is scary haha..in a good way! Glad you got to watch this brother. Almost at 50K too man. That’s wild! 🙏🏽
Yeah it's been a great one to really think about and dissect! And it's crazy, I never imagined thered be that many people watching! I try not to think about it too much or I get overwhelmed haha
@@BrandonLikesMovies I watched a behind the scenes feature where they explained that it’s hinted that Travis may kill again, he’s still deranged. In the last moment of the movie he looks in the rear view mirror and there’s a sound effect, it’s the classic horror movie sound but Scorsese reversed it
@@BrandonLikesMovies how about "pusher trilogy " by Nicolas Winding Refn The Pusher films by Danish film director Nicolas Winding Refn illustrate and explore the criminal underworld of Copenhagen. Each of the three entries features a different character, with both sequels centered on a supporting character from the previous film. he most famous movies are Bronson and Drive but i think Pusher trilogy is really interesting Drive is also really good
I just love the scene in which Bickle is ringing Betsy to try and get her back, and the camera holds on him for a while before it moves away from Bickle on the phone even though he's still speaking on it. The camera almost forgets about him and the world moves on without him.
On comedy claasic SCTV they parodied that bit dozens of times, subbing Deniro with other celebrities impressions like Woody Allen, Bob Hope, Gregory Peck, etc.
Dude, watched it last year in the cinema for the first time. I somehow skipped it for like 30 years of my life, was quite impressed that the main characters some kind of Russian descendants, not a lot movies about them, really unique perspective.
Brandon Likes Movies another vote for The Deer Hunter. Don’t be one of those pinheads who think the wedding sequence is too long. The movie is a masterpiece.
One of the reasons why this is the best movie reaction channel is because of the awareness of Brandon -- he gets movies, he loves movies, and even when he's off, he's not that far off. Everything he said about Taxi Driver, my favorite movie of all time, was spot on.
A few fun facts: Scorsese said that De Niro gave him an acting lesson for the scene they shared in the taxi (Scorsese only played that part because the actor that was going to play that role had injured his back and couldn't do it). And he also said that De Niro showed how great his instict was as an actor in that scene, because when Scorsese's character asks Travis to put the meter back on, he wasn't supposed to hesitate, but De Niro felt that that would fit the character better in that situation, and Scorsese was very impressed with how well he had read the character (I personally think it's because Travis is self-absorbed, he lives in his head, in his own world). The famous "you talking to me?" scene was unscripted, it was all De Niro's improvisation. Also, he worked as an actual taxi driver in NY for some time to prepare himself for the role (a funny anecdote is that during that time one of the passengers he picked up was another actor who recognised him and commiserated with him that he had to work as a taxi driver to support himself even after winning an oscar for the godfather). Also, the mohawk haircut was because vietnam vets told the screenwriter that vietnam soldiers used to shave their heads that way when they were going on extremely dangerous or bloody missions, they said that other soldiers knew to avoid them as "dead men walking" (Travis is a vietnam vet).
Fun/Creepy fact: Jodie Foster was 12 in this movie. Which makes her relationship with Harvey Keitel extra creepy. Her whole role is extra creepy. She did a great job tho. When asked about it, she said, “I’m an actress. I had done more movies than anyone else on the set.”
@fnj006 Oh man, I didn't realize I was going to offend you with my joke, or I would have added "so does your mother". Want to call me names? I will gladly fire back. If I want to make a joke, I have every right to. I didn't attack you, so you remember that you drew first blood with me.
@@JJDBaca I have a new concept for talking with people on the internet that works wonders, maybe you should try it some time: If you dislike somebodies tone, just ignore them. They don't know whether you read what they wrote anyway. Works wonders for the general tone of social media. Getting in a pissing contest does not accomplish anything.
All the President's Men (movie about the reporters who broke the Watergate story) was also in 1976 and was a contender for Best Picture at the Oscars. Network is another classic from that year.
All the President's Men is the only one of those I haven't seen, but Network's definitely my favorite of the four, because it's never not been applicable to society as a whole.
Yeah, similar to the end of Joker. Was it all imagined?? Never really thought about the similarities. I think he was just thinking about a better time before all that happened when he first met her. I dunno.
That twitch just thew him into a Cuban drug lord, where he realized Ben Stiller was his in-law and it kinda all went downhill from there. EDIT: It was Pacino in Scar Face - I'm a dumb ass. Damn. Thank you csb73 - no joke
Scorsese and DeNiro have been commenting on it for years, both saying it's real. Personally i like the imaginary ending better, but that's just me. According to them, the point is about the glorification of "bad guys". Travis is derranged to the extreme, yet is treated like the hero in the end, because his debased fantasies manifested in a "noble" goal. Think about it like that: Nobody knows about the methods he employed other than Iris and she likely just kept repeating that he saved her or something along those lines. Even the Bodyguard dude was "just" suspicious of Travis, maybe he's just weird and skipped, because he didn't want to get into trouble. Also don't forget the anti-war sentiment at the time. The studio cut a good portion of racial commentary, which was supposed to give yet another dimension to Travis and the social commentary. There's a lot in this movie to unpack, especially when you see it under the lens of "is that what a real life hero looks like ?".
Hm, I've never heard that the twitch in the ending is evidence of imagination, but have heard many times that the twitch implies he is still just as mentally ill as he was when he wanted to murder that politician.
And I think it's significant that the director is playing a character in this world as scary and filled with hate as everyone else. It really reinforces the idea that, in this movie, the whole world is crazy.
Dude, I love that you aren't doing reactions all the 10 million other channels are doing,. They're all doing the same movies at the same time and I appreciate that you're digging deeper and finding some really good movies instead of just surfing trends. Bravo!
It isn't stated in the movie, but the timing of the story suggests that he was a Marine during the Vietnam War. This may explain some of his character traits. On the other hand, he may have been lying.
That explains the 'distractions' of Travis, like the scene when he stayed focused on his glass of water, or soda, or whatever it was... or when he kind of thinks he's seeing things in the rear mirror of his taxi. Travis suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder
@@chuckmcdaniel5828 One of my own takes on this movie is that Travis seems much more 'normal' at the end of the film, like the events sorta helped to fix his mental state a bit. My take on it is that he was not only suffering from PTSD, but also just frustrated at the fact that Vietnam was a pointless war where nothing was really accomplished. A lot of vets from that war came back frustrated and defeated and ashamed. So Travis, at the end of the film, got to do this one thing, save a girl and kill a bunch of scum. He got his victory and people proclaimed him a hero. He might not be mentally well at the end, but he sure does seem a lot more together and a lot less messed up. Like it was cathartic to finally win a little war of his own.
I think it's pretty clear he's supposed to be a Vietnam veteran. For example, you see a Viet Cong flag in his apartment (likely a trophy he captured), it explains the scars visible on his body, that style of mohawk was a common haircut among recon teams operating in Vietnam, he wears a USMC jacket when he plans to assassinate the candidate, and his instincts to use lethal violence (he shoots the robbery without hesitation and then feels concern for the consequences and maybe even remorse seconds later). Plus his whole training montage is basically Travis getting ready for war. He just needs to pick his enemy.
The long haired pimp was Harvey Keitel. He did another great one with DiNero in '73 called "Mean Streets". The 70's were great for gritty movies. Dog Day Afternoon with Pacino is another one. That actor he's talking to in the first scene, he was apparently everywhere in the 70's he was also the guy Rocky was collecting for, and he was working for the Corleone family in The Godfather.
Dog Day Afternoon is a must watch as well. People compare Pacino and DeNiro. I like more number of DeNiro films. But i think i like Pacino more. Dog Day Afternoon and Godfather makes me like a young Pacino more.
It was a big controversy at the time that Jodie was so young. It affected the industry, all over the tabloids. Same controversy came up in another Scorsese/De Niro film “Cape Fear “.
One thing that gave me the chills in this movie in a subtle way was the letter Travis receives from Iris' parents. They state they have gone to lengths that she never feels the need to run away again. Just my opinion, but perhaps there may have been some violence...if not in the past, definitely after she got home. Scorsese mentioned in the commentary (or another part of special features) that Travis does give Betsy a ride home, but that a new cycle of madness is beginning by the way he jerks his head around as if he's seen something. He's relaxed after the carnage, but it doesn't last. Peter Boyle was the guy who was kind of a father figure almost to him among the cabbies. Harvey Keitel and DeNiro were also in an early and excellent Scorsese film Mean Streets, also a good one to check out.
I have that in a double package with the original "Cape Fear" where it is Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck. It's so much fun to watch them back to back, because both are great yet totally different in their approach to the same story being told. And both use the exact same score by Bernhard Herrmann.
The scene where Travis is staring at the TV, I think, reflects his descent into loneliness; if you look closely, you'll see a pair of empty shoes on the dance floor. I think the empty shoes reflect Travis' place in society; a bunch of happy couples dancing around a pair of lonely shoes on the floor. The scene where he tips and breaks the TV; if you listen to the soap opera actress she says "No. Please don't do this to me." Its like the last bastion of what's left of his sanity crying out before he falls into madness. Very overlooked scenes imo.
@@BrandonLikesMovies Todd Phillips sighted Taxi Driver and King of Comedy (along with other New Hollywood era films) as primary influences for Joker. You can tell: Similar color palette and cinematography. Similar era. Similar characters and plot points as well as subject matter. I think this film came out couple of years after the Vietnam War ended; I think Scorsese and writer Paul Schrader wanted to explore the alienation and loneliness through the character of a Vietnam vet, because it was a topic that was just starting to be explored at this time; A lot of vets that saw action, and came back, dealt with PTSD, loneliness, feeling disconnected and alienated by a society that changed while they were away, feeling like the country was decaying, malaise, etc.
This film sparked controversy, Brendan, where an obsessed fan, John Hinkley, Jr, shot President Ronald Reagan in 1981 to make sure that he did it all for Jodie Foster. Reagan lived and remained Commander in Chief until 1989.
reminds me of when the media tried to act like video games are going to cause people to become school shooters. so funny to me how they blame something like a movie instead of obvious mental health and gun control issues in their country.
the last shot is the key, when he checks his mirror in the car, its like he saw something and it was frantic. it is to show that he is still a ticking time bomb and that the actions he took near the end only delayed his insanity, in the words of the writer of the film, 4 months after the film ends Travis would have killed himself. amazing ending
This should have been DeNiro's 2nd Oscar. He had already won for Godfather 2. He was nominated Best Actor for Taxi Driver and definitely should have won for this performance.
Really noticed the channel growing your input in movies are always an eye opener I could watch these movies 100 times and never notice what you notice in just one viewing
@@BrandonLikesMovies He had a long career and this was one of his last movies. He'd done a lot of music for Hitchcock movies - like Psycho, North By Northwest, The Man Who Knew Too Much...
@@BrandonLikesMovies Bernard Herrmann was the greatest film composer of all time (well, him an Ennio Morricone--it's close). Nobody unlocked the psychology of a film and captured its essence in the music like him--the slashing strings of "Psycho," the hypnotic circles of "Vertigo," the effervescent main title of "North by Northwest" with its rapid ups and downs... "Taxi Driver" was his very last movie, and the trademark low woodwinds are classic Herrmann (you can hear it too on "Vertigo," also the final note for his amazing opening title sequences music to Brian de Palma's "Sisters"). Watch the very final scene of de Palma's "Obsession" (his homage to Hitchcock's "Vertigo") with Herrmann's "Valse"--I can think of no better example of how music in a film can transport a scene from something simply cool into something that makes your hairs stand on end with its intensity...Re: "Taxi Driver," the film is actually dedicated to Herrmann's memory. He originally wasn't going to score the film, but changed his mind because he liked the scene with Travis pouring the hard liquor into his cereal. :D
The ending with his hair definitely just showed the passage of time and how long it probably took to fully recover. You can see I’m the first shot that shows him talking to the other cabbies that he has a thick scar on his neck where the bullet grazed him. The bullet didn’t actually go into his neck, it just took a big chunk out of it... that’s why he was able to keep on going after being hit in the neck.
your analysis of the ending is kinda similar to what scorcese says on the dvd commentary..great film with a masterful deniro... now really must see “the deer hunter” .. the quality of work he did in the 70’s is legendary...
Fun fact: Robert de Niro actually killed the pedophiles, the scene was improvised, but the director liked it so much that he decided to leave it in the final cut.
@@Justin1an what, you didn’t know? Yeah, DeNiro totally brought live ammo onto the set and killed all those actors. Needless to say Scorsese was greatly impressed with DeNiro’s commitment to the role and just had the whole thing covered up. It doesn’t make any sense, sure, but it’s all totally true.
@@Jellyvibewtf. I don't have any idea. I can't find any possible news about this. But if it true, the pedophiles deserve that. But still? What the actual fck!?
Film factoid: One of the girls that Jodi hangs out with ( the one that Travis almost hits with his taxi ) was a real working girl and heroin addict that the character "Iris" was based on. She died from AIDS in 1994. The other girl was an actress named Billie Perkins who is still living.
A little trivia bit - the "simp" guy trying to get between Travis and Betsy is played by Albert Brooks who is in a ton of great movies, and also the voice of Marlin in Finding Nemo!
Great reaction Brandon! The gun salesman’s name is Steven Prince. Scorsese did a documentary on him back in the late 70’s you should check it out on UA-cam. He has a lot of stories and one of them was used by Quentin Tarantino in Pulp Fiction. Uma Thurman and the syringe.
Along with De Niro, Jodie Foster was also nominated for the Oscar for her performance (Best Supporting Actress). This film plus 4 other movies from 1976 that she appeared in made her into a superstar. As someone mentioned before, this film inspired John Hinckley in his attempt to assassinate Ronald Reagan in 1981. But here are some additional "fun facts" that you probably don't know yet: Hinckley identified so strongly with the character Travis Bickle, himself being a disturbed loner. He was so obsessed with the film that he actually watched it in the theatre 17 times! He also developed an obsession with Jodie Foster's character Iris as a result and he felt a need to "protect" her as Travis did-- he also became romantically smitten with her as well because of this movie. Hinckley began collecting hundreds of magazines of Jodie and even stalked her at Yale University, where she attended college-- even so far as attending classes just to be near her. Hinckley contacted her by phone and slipped notes under her door at her college dorm. She rebuffed all his advances. So, Hinckley felt that the only way to get Jodie's attention and respect was to assassinate the President-- much like Travis Bickle attempting to assassinate Senator Palantine just so he could get Betsy's attention. Life imitating art. Reagan survived the shooting HOWEVER the attack inspired another stalker who was also obsessed with Jodie Foster-- a man by the name of Edward Michael Richardson from Drexel Hill, PA. Richardson also began stalking Jodie around the Yale campus. He had actually plotted to murder Foster on the campus grounds however he had changed his mind after seeing her act in a college play-- he watched her act in that play 3 nights in a row! Richardson had deemed Jodie "way too pretty to die". He then boarded a Greyhound bus to George Washington University Hospital in DC where Reagan was recuperating in order to "finish what Hinckley started" and to "bring to completion Hinckley's reality". However, he was apprehended by Secret Service agents en route. 18-year-old Jodie Foster was insanely pretty (not that she's ever not been pretty), I'll given him that: www.listal.com/viewimage/16772743 www.listal.com/viewimage/22507568 www.listal.com/viewimage/21776303 www.listal.com/viewimage/3762888 And yet even ANOTHER fun fact: This Edward Richardson incident inspired yet another would-be assassin by the name of Harry Thomas Smith who then plotted to assassinate EVERY SINGLE LIVING US PRESIDENT in Jodie's name. He too was thwarted by authorities. Now that is insane. Young Jodie Foster had quite an effect on many, many men. This whole Reagan fiasco also inspired the formation of the band "JFA" (Jodie Foster's Army) just a month or two after these incidents-- and also the song "Hinkley Had a Vision". Yea, this film has a fascinating history and had quite an impact on pop culture to say the least...
This film has one of the best shots in cinema. When Travis is calling Betty on the pay phone in the hall, the camera pans away and focuses on the wall, as if, even the camera is too embarrassed to watch.
The music score for Taxi Driver was the last score composed by Bernard Herrmann, one of Hollywood’s greatest. He did the score for Citizen Kane as well as many of Hitchcock’s films like Vertigo and Psycho.
Attention other movie reaction channels: This the kind of on the fly and thoughtful analysis that separates quality content from the vapid drivel so many of you think is passable. THIS is how you do it if you want to be taken seriously.
The actor who played Jodie Foster's pimp "Sport", was Harvey Keitel, and the actor who played the other cab driver with the bald head was Peter Boyle from the TV show "Everybody Love's Raymond". He was also John Lennon's best man at his wedding to Yoko Ono.
I love this movie! And a very young Jodie Foster who does her part so good despite being a minor role. De Niro obtained a taxi driver's license, and when on break from another movie he was filming at the time, would pick up a taxi and drive around New York for a couple of weeks.
The title just reminded me of the great comedy 'Let it Ride'........probably because it starts out with a short scene in a cab. Richard Dreyfuss stars, and without giving anything away......the cab driver ( Richard's friend ) happens to overhear a bit of conversation from two of his passengers....& passes it along to Richard. Jennifer Tilly, Alan Arkin, Robby Coltrane & Teri Garr also co-star.
The crinkled up money at 13:10 was the $20 bill the pimp threw in his cab when pulling out Iris (this is actually the first moment Jodie Foster showed up in the film). The $20 made him reflect back to that encounter and it stayed with him until he ultimately went to try and save her.
NOW YOUVE ENTERED THE DANGER ZONE. ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT FILM. ITS IN MY TOP 5. WERE DEFINITELY COOKING WITH GAS. ( FYI: SCORCESE WAS IN HIS CAB TALKING ABOUT KILLING THAT GIRL WITH A 44 MAG )
The score was the last Bernard Herman ever wrote. He scored Citizen Kane, and some Hitchcock movies like Psycho, North by Northwest and some others. He was one of the great movie composers. He's friends called him Bennie.
I've always viewed this film as the story of person who just doesn't fit in with society or really understand it's subtitles, who wants to do and be good, but whose good purpose gets twisted by the harsh realities of crime and corruption in society that are amplified by a major city. Travis wants to fit in, he wants to be with someone, to have that human connection, but he doesn't understand how and never will. So, he is driven by finding a way to "help", to "connect," but he doesn't understand what is good help and what is bad.
To be fair, Paul Schrader and Martin Scorsese have some very negative things to say about the character, and yet they still say all three of them (including DeNiro, now) made the movie because they could relate to him. To be even more fair the Secret Service came to interrogate Schrader after Hinkley shot Regan. Schrader by the way, was unconvinced that his movie would motivate the types of people that the movie was about, saying that they are just as easily set off by "advertisements about fashion" - something that _does_ seem evident when you think about how Charles Manson interpreted the Beatles' White Album.
Scorsese has actually come right out and said what was going on at the end. No, he wasn't intentionally making it seem like it could be a dream. The truly significant "end" (as far as he was concerned) was the last shot of Travis suddenly looking in his rear-view, like there was something _right_ behind him. That something was his insanity. It's still there. It didn't go anywhere, and there's just no telling what "ideas" he's gonna get in his head next, but it's only a matter of time before he does. Scorsese actually seemed a little frustrated that more people hadn't picked up on that one shot's significance. They just saw Travis getting a way happier ending than he seemed to deserve.
Brandon Likes Movies all movies mentioned are great in different moods. Apples to oranges but great at painting a picture of an outsider trying to understand what’s going on around them. A glimpse of alienation and the power that comes from it.
My favorite movie featuring Robert DeNiro is Sleepers. It came out in '96 and has a FANTASTIC ensemble cast, but DeNiro plays one of my favorite characters in it. It's DEFINITELY worth seeing and reacting to!!!
There's this pool of iconic directors, "Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Brian DePalma, Francis Ford Coppala, and Martin Scorsese" its said they were all friends together at the same time, a little while _before_ most of them started making movies. I've heard some people call them the "Brat Pack" Since they were friends "Senator Palpatine" was supposed to be a reference to Scorsese and his movie, and it's also why Palpatine draws his lightsaber from up his sleeve, but to be honest, it just makes me wonder if Lucas knew the name was different when he decided on it.
Here's a fun fact, Travis Bickle appears as a cameo in the comic Before Watchmen: Rorschach. Basically the story takes place in 1977 and Rorschach I believe gets into a fight and ends up escaping into a taxi cab driven by Travis whom he has a conversation with.
3:39 Every time I see this shot I'm reminded of the move Blue Valentine, for what ever reason. Early recommendation to start. 4:24 Sneaky shot of Martin Scorsese himself checking out his lead actress. 4:52 You pick: Finding Nemo or Drive. The man's a fantastic actor who, IMO, is underrated or at least underused. (Albert Brooks). 11:32 Martin Scorsese appearance number 2 (the original actor got cold feet at the very last second due to the character he was asked to portray). 14:23 Jodie appeared earlier, as the girl in distress entering Roberts taxi (and the pimp, Harvey Keitel, pulled her out and paid him off with the distinctive crinkled bill.) (I realized you realized, but I typed it out already so it's staying). :) 14:36 This was the first movie this actor was ever in. I can't remember if another actor also had cold feet or if the scene was written during the shoot. The same goes for the long shot of the street performer playing the drum with shoe polish black hair (I think we see him during the date, before the dirty movie). 17:13 No dialogue was written for this scene. 22:30 A convincing bald cap with stitched in hair. Ol' Bobby couldn't afford to cut his hair so dramatically. 24:12 Literally everything was falling apart, including the building they were shooting in (the final shot in the building, the bird eye view from the roof, basically demolished it. They cut through the roof in order to get that camera movement). Also in the shootout, since it was so low budget, everything was practical, the exploding hand was plastic, I think. The actor, who also wasn't an actor, was terrified to do the scene and rightfully so. The bullet holes (Robs neck wound) was just a fleshy bit of make up attached to string which is visible if you look closely.
Had to make sure no one else said this. The famous scene with the mirror was improvised by DeNiro. Well the dialogue was improvised, the script only said that he was talking to himself while pulling out his guns in front of a mirror.
Fun fact: The scene with the guy in the back telling Travis how he’s going to kill his cheating wife with a .44 magnum pistol is actually the director himself Martin Scorsese
He also cameos at 4:24 in this video, sitting outside the campaign office.
@@Cooplander That first cameo was very Hitchcock.
@@lara314 Yeah, that was intended to be his only appearance in the film but he ended up filling in when actor George Memmoli dropped out at the last minute
And Scorsese’s parents are Iris’ parents in the photo in the article on the wall at the end. Charles and Catherine Scorsese were in a lot of Martin’s films. They both have passed, may they R.I.P.
Also, the concession girl in the porno theater was De Niro's first wife in real life.
I wanted to throw out some kudos for your channel. There are a lot of movie reaction/review channels out there, but most of them focus on popcorn and other blockbuster movies. Very few are interested in tackling heavy dramas like this movie, and so you doing so is much appreciated from people like myself that really like those kinds of movies too.
Thanks so much! I really appreciate that!
A+ reactions and commentary. I've taken away a lot from re watching these classics with you. 👍
agree!
Exactly that’s why he’s my favorite reactor and one of my top 3 youtuber to watch in general
+1
This movie inspired an attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan because the shooter believed that the attack would impress Jodie Foster with whom he had become obsessed.
...and I was that boy!
Yikes!! Thats the last thing you'd want your movie to inspire
@@BrandonLikesMovies Supposedly, it made Scorsese want to quit the movie business for a while.
It was a bizarre cycle of life imitating art imitating life. The movie inspired John Hinckley Jr. to shoot Ronald Reagan and the character of Travis in the movie was (very) loosely based upon Arthur Bremmer, who shot George Wallace at a campaign event in the 1972 election.
@Jack Burton Um no. Not at all.
If you notice, there are some creepy similarities between Betsy and Iris. Both of them are blonde girls with similar haircuts. Both of them are controlled by a man, who Travis hates because they have them and he doesn't. Travis fails in his "normal" relationship with Betsy, so he tries to murder her male figure (the corrupt politician), and again fails. So instead, he makes up for it with his "friendship" with Iris, and successfully killing her male figure (the degenerate pimp).
Travis is sympathetic, but he's not necessarily a good guy. It could have gone the other way so so easily........ He's a prophet and a pusher, partly truth, partly fiction. A walking contradiction.
to me, it's very, very clear that Travis is not a good guy. he portrays everything we know to be violent and tragic about lonely, disturbed men: Obsession, a need for power and control, believing women need "saving" by HIM, egocentric worldview, PTSD and trauma (from his time as a Marine)
in 2020, watching Taxi Driver, i cannot shake the parallels to real-world mass shooters and "vigilantes." it's deeply fucked up.
@@feastmode7931 I fully agree. It's crazy that many people seem to humanize the character as some sort of hero. They are missing the point of the movie itself.
@@YourMom-qg1lq To me he is very human. Not a hero, though.
Lol all of y’all got it wrong.
@@romainlettuce118 which part
Travis: Mimics a gun shooting him in the head
Brandon: "This ending is kinda starting to blow my mind."
I actually didn't even make that connection haha
I have a comment on here talking about how Travis is supposed to be racist, and one of the scenes I'm thinking of kind of plays on that, but it's also one of two scenes that works on another level that I get the sense nobody ever notices. There's a moment where Travis is walking away from his co-workers' table at the diner, and the black guy says "Bye, killer" and he does a finger gun at him. Later Harvey Keitel does the same thing only he makes this "Kch!" sound weirdly similar to the one Travis' spring-holster makes when he's testing it in the mirror. He seems taken aback in both instances, like he doesn't know exactly what to think. I think Travis is afraid that they're onto him, maybe even worried they can read his thoughts.
Interesting that a similar move was in Joker: ua-cam.com/video/O21y7bDTiuo/v-deo.html
😆
I love how the newspaper articles covering his "heroic story" become smaller and smaller. He got the recognition he's been seeking for the entire time and now that he's had it, he gets forgotten by everyone again.
By the way, the pimp is Harvey Keitel. Mr. White from Reservoir Dogs and The Wolf from Pulp Fiction.
Another good movie that he stars in is Bad Lieutenant.
Yes, Bad Lieutenant's another 90's great. Best two decades of filmmaking imo are the 70s and 90s
I could be wrong, but I think Travis died in the final gunfight. Everything we see after that is in his mind (probably as he's dying).
@@Asher8328 Yeah, i've heard about the dream theory..problem is Scorsese and writer Paul Schrader said Travis survived the gun battle.
he's also amazing in The Piano, great movie with stunning visuals, soundtrack and performances.
So many moments in this film are simultaneously mesmerizing and terrifying. The way Scorsese rendered New York, it feels almost apocalyptic...which makes sense thematically, as well as considering the conditions of the city in the 70s.
Very well said!
Yes, just the ‘mood’ that is set. Like even the nicer parts in midtown where Cybil Shepard works even feels seedy.
Starting back up in NY now, but the 70s were truly depressing.
@@joshlobel8111 It was actually worse in the 80s and early 90s. I think its very interesting how something about the aesthetic of the 70s made everyone think it was the craziest time in NY.
@@themistoklestheodosopoulos6253 fair enough, was born in 1993, got to grow up in a cleaner and safer NY thanks to a great mayor and NYPD force at the time...
The departed is a must see scorsese film with leo, matt damon, mark wahlberg, jack nicholson, martin sheen and alec baldwin
please Brandon, go see that one!
As the usal elitist asshole that I am, I thought the original Hong Kong film it was adapted from was better. It's called Infernal Affairs and it's shorter and to the point. Departed felt like 35mn too long just because they had famous great actors... and also Mark Whalberg. It's a good movie but definitely with less impact than the original one.
i watched infernal affairs years before the departed, so when i watched that , there was whole scenes exactly the same, which took a bit away from my enjoyment of it
@Alan Yes, it's a good one. Have you seen A Dirty Carnival ? Another good korean movie about the friendship between a mobster and a cinema student.
@Christobanistan No, I don't even remember if the HK film was based on real events at all. I think Scorcese's writers did a lot of changes in the script to adapt it to the real life story of the Chicago Cops.
You need to check out Raging Bull - in my opinion it’s Scorsese’s best and one of the best movies ever made.
I definitely want to see that one!
@@BrandonLikesMovies Great recommendation, the best Scorsese movie to me as well, the only one that made me choke up.
Once you watch Raging Bull and all the Rockys', watch Grudge Match. It's basically Raging Bull vs Rocky.
Same I love that film
Definitely woah!
It’s so interesting hearing everyone’s thoughts on that last sequence of events. Love the open ended conclusion. I agree with what you said about his evolution as well. It was so organically done, yet so chaotic and real in every way which is scary haha..in a good way! Glad you got to watch this brother. Almost at 50K too man. That’s wild! 🙏🏽
Yeah it's been a great one to really think about and dissect! And it's crazy, I never imagined thered be that many people watching! I try not to think about it too much or I get overwhelmed haha
@@BrandonLikesMovies I watched a behind the scenes feature where they explained that it’s hinted that Travis may kill again, he’s still deranged. In the last moment of the movie he looks in the rear view mirror and there’s a sound effect, it’s the classic horror movie sound but Scorsese reversed it
I don't think Joker ripped this off, but there's NO WAY that Joker would ever have existed without it.
Agreed!
@@BrandonLikesMovies how about "pusher trilogy " by Nicolas Winding Refn
The Pusher films by Danish film director Nicolas Winding Refn illustrate and explore the criminal underworld of Copenhagen. Each of the three entries features a different character, with both sequels centered on a supporting character from the previous film.
he most famous movies are Bronson and Drive but i think Pusher trilogy is really interesting Drive is also really good
@@AA-ds9wq YES YES THIS! As someone from Denmark i love it when the Pusher trilogy gets som love! Great trilogy!
King of Comedy is a heavy influence, too.
@@AA-ds9wq Ah man, nice choice! I've got to watch those again.
I just love the scene in which Bickle is ringing Betsy to try and get her back, and the camera holds on him for a while before it moves away from Bickle on the phone even though he's still speaking on it. The camera almost forgets about him and the world moves on without him.
I loved that moment as well!
I'm sure you see this posted 100X here, but the, "You talking to me?" line was an improvisation by DeNiro.
Just watched an interview where Scorsese mentioned that, that's pretty awesome!!
On comedy claasic SCTV they parodied that bit dozens of times, subbing Deniro with other celebrities impressions like Woody Allen, Bob Hope, Gregory Peck, etc.
McFly did this line in BTTF3.
@@BrandonLikesMovies So was the line from Midnight Cowboy "I'm walking here!"
@@trevorlarsonn Cousin Nicky
If you want more 70’s DeNiro, “The Deer Hunter”
Dude, watched it last year in the cinema for the first time. I somehow skipped it for like 30 years of my life, was quite impressed that the main characters some kind of Russian descendants, not a lot movies about them, really unique perspective.
I'll definitely check that one out eventually!
@@BrandonLikesMovies yes bro
Brandon Likes Movies another vote for The Deer Hunter. Don’t be one of those pinheads who think the wedding sequence is too long. The movie is a masterpiece.
@@bradforddillman7671 exactly
One of the reasons why this is the best movie reaction channel is because of the awareness of Brandon -- he gets movies, he loves movies, and even when he's off, he's not that far off. Everything he said about Taxi Driver, my favorite movie of all time, was spot on.
"My whole life, I wondered if I even really existed. But I do".
Benefit quoted a bunch of lines
One of my favorite movies. Just the best possible character study I can think of.
Fantastic character study! So much to analyze from his story
A few fun facts: Scorsese said that De Niro gave him an acting lesson for the scene they shared in the taxi (Scorsese only played that part because the actor that was going to play that role had injured his back and couldn't do it). And he also said that De Niro showed how great his instict was as an actor in that scene, because when Scorsese's character asks Travis to put the meter back on, he wasn't supposed to hesitate, but De Niro felt that that would fit the character better in that situation, and Scorsese was very impressed with how well he had read the character (I personally think it's because Travis is self-absorbed, he lives in his head, in his own world).
The famous "you talking to me?" scene was unscripted, it was all De Niro's improvisation. Also, he worked as an actual taxi driver in NY for some time to prepare himself for the role (a funny anecdote is that during that time one of the passengers he picked up was another actor who recognised him and commiserated with him that he had to work as a taxi driver to support himself even after winning an oscar for the godfather). Also, the mohawk haircut was because vietnam vets told the screenwriter that vietnam soldiers used to shave their heads that way when they were going on extremely dangerous or bloody missions, they said that other soldiers knew to avoid them as "dead men walking" (Travis is a vietnam vet).
Epic comment.
Thank for sharing this.
Fun/Creepy fact: Jodie Foster was 12 in this movie. Which makes her relationship with Harvey Keitel extra creepy. Her whole role is extra creepy. She did a great job tho. When asked about it, she said, “I’m an actress. I had done more movies than anyone else on the set.”
Harvey Keitel's head didn't fit his body, when he was younger. He looked like a lollipop that works out.
I always thought he was kind of miscast in that part.
@@laurettelaliberte8864 He's perfect in the role
@fnj006 Dry up.
@fnj006 Oh man, I didn't realize I was going to offend you with my joke, or I would have added "so does your mother". Want to call me names? I will gladly fire back. If I want to make a joke, I have every right to. I didn't attack you, so you remember that you drew first blood with me.
@@JJDBaca I have a new concept for talking with people on the internet that works wonders, maybe you should try it some time:
If you dislike somebodies tone, just ignore them. They don't know whether you read what they wrote anyway. Works wonders for the general tone of social media.
Getting in a pissing contest does not accomplish anything.
Hoping 'Dog Day Afternoon' makes it to the poll one day. Pacino's best work imo
I for sure will check that one out eventually!
Agreed definitely Pacino’s best work.
"Attica!! Attica!!" 😉 Oh yes, great suggestion. Fantastic acting from Pacino in this movie.
@@francisalbert1799 It's practically a one man show !
Great suggestion
All the President's Men (movie about the reporters who broke the Watergate story) was also in 1976 and was a contender for Best Picture at the Oscars. Network is another classic from that year.
2 more I need to check out for sure!
Damn what a year for film that was. All the Presidents Men is one of my all time favorites.
All the President's Men is the only one of those I haven't seen, but Network's definitely my favorite of the four, because it's never not been applicable to society as a whole.
You have to see Network! It's sad how apt it still is.
I think Rocky won that year, no?
The last cab ride has been debated for years where some think it was all imagined. That twitch in editing was said to be part of that theory.
Yeah, similar to the end of Joker. Was it all imagined?? Never really thought about the similarities. I think he was just thinking about a better time before all that happened when he first met her. I dunno.
That twitch just thew him into a Cuban drug lord, where he realized Ben Stiller was his in-law and it kinda all went downhill from there.
EDIT: It was Pacino in Scar Face - I'm a dumb ass. Damn. Thank you csb73 - no joke
It's possible that Travis died and the final cab ride with Betsy is the last thing he dreams about from the blood loss
Scorsese and DeNiro have been commenting on it for years, both saying it's real. Personally i like the imaginary ending better, but that's just me. According to them, the point is about the glorification of "bad guys". Travis is derranged to the extreme, yet is treated like the hero in the end, because his debased fantasies manifested in a "noble" goal. Think about it like that: Nobody knows about the methods he employed other than Iris and she likely just kept repeating that he saved her or something along those lines. Even the Bodyguard dude was "just" suspicious of Travis, maybe he's just weird and skipped, because he didn't want to get into trouble. Also don't forget the anti-war sentiment at the time. The studio cut a good portion of racial commentary, which was supposed to give yet another dimension to Travis and the social commentary. There's a lot in this movie to unpack, especially when you see it under the lens of "is that what a real life hero looks like ?".
Hm, I've never heard that the twitch in the ending is evidence of imagination, but have heard many times that the twitch implies he is still just as mentally ill as he was when he wanted to murder that politician.
Not sure if anyone has said this yet but the guy at 11:34 in the back seat is the director Martin Scorsese
was just about to comment the same LOL
I totally missed that connection!! Thats awesome, he's a great actor as well haha
and 4:25 too
And I think it's significant that the director is playing a character in this world as scary and filled with hate as everyone else. It really reinforces the idea that, in this movie, the whole world is crazy.
@@victorsixtythree the world in general is like that
Dude, I love that you aren't doing reactions all the 10 million other channels are doing,. They're all doing the same movies at the same time and I appreciate that you're digging deeper and finding some really good movies instead of just surfing trends. Bravo!
It isn't stated in the movie, but the timing of the story suggests that he was a Marine during the Vietnam War. This may explain some of his character traits. On the other hand, he may have been lying.
That explains the 'distractions' of Travis, like the scene when he stayed focused on his glass of water, or soda, or whatever it was... or when he kind of thinks he's seeing things in the rear mirror of his taxi.
Travis suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder
@@chuckmcdaniel5828 One of my own takes on this movie is that Travis seems much more 'normal' at the end of the film, like the events sorta helped to fix his mental state a bit. My take on it is that he was not only suffering from PTSD, but also just frustrated at the fact that Vietnam was a pointless war where nothing was really accomplished. A lot of vets from that war came back frustrated and defeated and ashamed. So Travis, at the end of the film, got to do this one thing, save a girl and kill a bunch of scum. He got his victory and people proclaimed him a hero.
He might not be mentally well at the end, but he sure does seem a lot more together and a lot less messed up. Like it was cathartic to finally win a little war of his own.
I doubt it, everyone went into the military back then.
I think it's pretty clear he's supposed to be a Vietnam veteran.
For example, you see a Viet Cong flag in his apartment (likely a trophy he captured), it explains the scars visible on his body, that style of mohawk was a common haircut among recon teams operating in Vietnam, he wears a USMC jacket when he plans to assassinate the candidate, and his instincts to use lethal violence (he shoots the robbery without hesitation and then feels concern for the consequences and maybe even remorse seconds later).
Plus his whole training montage is basically Travis getting ready for war. He just needs to pick his enemy.
@@libertatemadvocatus1797 well said
The long haired pimp was Harvey Keitel. He did another great one with DiNero in '73 called "Mean Streets". The 70's were great for gritty movies. Dog Day Afternoon with Pacino is another one.
That actor he's talking to in the first scene, he was apparently everywhere in the 70's he was also the guy Rocky was collecting for, and he was working for the Corleone family in The Godfather.
Dog Day Afternoon is a must watch as well.
People compare Pacino and DeNiro. I like more number of DeNiro films. But i think i like Pacino more. Dog Day Afternoon and Godfather makes me like a young Pacino more.
Fun Fact,- Jodie Foster sister doubled for "Iris" in the "erotic" scenes, due to her age.
like that makes it ok? you know how old her sister was?
Ed So it’s just a movie
@@itubeutubewealltube1 19
@@itubeutubewealltube1 ua-cam.com/video/HDH2lbYu-hg/v-deo.html
It was a big controversy at the time that Jodie was so young. It affected the industry, all over the tabloids. Same controversy came up in another Scorsese/De Niro film “Cape Fear “.
another movie that has the same theme is Michael Douglas in "Falling Down"
Great movie drop in comparison
🖒🖒 got my vote #28
I didn’t realize there was a movie called Michael Douglas
Fantastic movie
You should watch king of comedy. Also a Scorsese movie with De Niro.
And also the other half of the inspiration for joker
I really want to see that one!
Brandon Likes Movies Joker is a mix of Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy. Once you see both you will see where Joker came from.
@@BrandonLikesMovies If you want to see another side of De Niro's acting chops check out Midnight Run, you'll enjoy it.
@@rmcgavock1 I came here to also recommend King of Comedy, but Midnight Run is also a great film.
One of the best illegal gun buying scenes in movie history.
Nope a Bronx tale. Also watch that movies and react
Or “The Friends of Eddie Coyle” with Robert Mitchum.
@@rickmoreno2702 bronx tale was ight not as good as what scorsese could achieve
One thing that gave me the chills in this movie in a subtle way was the letter Travis receives from Iris' parents. They state they have gone to lengths that she never feels the need to run away again. Just my opinion, but perhaps there may have been some violence...if not in the past, definitely after she got home. Scorsese mentioned in the commentary (or another part of special features) that Travis does give Betsy a ride home, but that a new cycle of madness is beginning by the way he jerks his head around as if he's seen something. He's relaxed after the carnage, but it doesn't last. Peter Boyle was the guy who was kind of a father figure almost to him among the cabbies. Harvey Keitel and DeNiro were also in an early and excellent Scorsese film Mean Streets, also a good one to check out.
Robert De Niro plays a creep/psycho in a good movie called "Cape Fear".
a "good movie" that is, in fact, a masterpiece
I have that in a double package with the original "Cape Fear" where it is Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck. It's so much fun to watch them back to back, because both are great yet totally different in their approach to the same story being told.
And both use the exact same score by Bernhard Herrmann.
just reread the book by john a macdonald-great read but the ending is very different
The scene where Travis is staring at the TV, I think, reflects his descent into loneliness; if you look closely, you'll see a pair of empty shoes on the dance floor. I think the empty shoes reflect Travis' place in society; a bunch of happy couples dancing around a pair of lonely shoes on the floor.
The scene where he tips and breaks the TV; if you listen to the soap opera actress she says "No. Please don't do this to me." Its like the last bastion of what's left of his sanity crying out before he falls into madness.
Very overlooked scenes imo.
Excellent points!! That definitely helps me to better understand the meaning of those moments
@@BrandonLikesMovies Todd Phillips sighted Taxi Driver and King of Comedy (along with other New Hollywood era films) as primary influences for Joker. You can tell: Similar color palette and cinematography. Similar era. Similar characters and plot points as well as subject matter.
I think this film came out couple of years after the Vietnam War ended; I think Scorsese and writer Paul Schrader wanted to explore the alienation and loneliness through the character of a Vietnam vet, because it was a topic that was just starting to be explored at this time; A lot of vets that saw action, and came back, dealt with PTSD, loneliness, feeling disconnected and alienated by a society that changed while they were away, feeling like the country was decaying, malaise, etc.
That guy with the long hair was Mr white from reservoir dogs - Harvey Keitel
Ah yes!! That's what it was 😁
Mr. White
Also The Wolf in Pulp Fiction.
@@laurettelaliberte8864 oh yeah I forgot about that!
This film sparked controversy, Brendan, where an obsessed fan, John Hinkley, Jr, shot President Ronald Reagan in 1981 to make sure that he did it all for Jodie Foster. Reagan lived and remained Commander in Chief until 1989.
Heard about that! That's terrible
If I remember correctly, Hinkley was found NGRI. He got out of the hospital a few years ago.
@@BrandonLikesMovies I gotta say, if I were Ronald Reagan, I would probably be reasonably angry, but also find it all kind of stupid funny.
Interestingly enough Reagan was said to have really enjoyed this film
reminds me of when the media tried to act like video games are going to cause people to become school shooters. so funny to me how they blame something like a movie instead of obvious mental health and gun control issues in their country.
the last shot is the key, when he checks his mirror in the car, its like he saw something and it was frantic. it is to show that he is still a ticking time bomb and that the actions he took near the end only delayed his insanity, in the words of the writer of the film, 4 months after the film ends Travis would have killed himself. amazing ending
This should have been DeNiro's 2nd Oscar. He had already won for Godfather 2. He was nominated Best Actor for Taxi Driver and definitely should have won for this performance.
Really noticed the channel growing your input in movies are always an eye opener I could watch these movies 100 times and never notice what you notice in just one viewing
Well thank you!
One of the greatest ever soundtracks by Bernard Herrmann.
Loved the music in this!
@@BrandonLikesMovies He had a long career and this was one of his last movies. He'd done a lot of music for Hitchcock movies - like Psycho, North By Northwest, The Man Who Knew Too Much...
And VERTIGO! Has Brandon done 12 Monkeys yet? That music was used in it, too.
@@BrandonLikesMovies Bernard Herrmann was the greatest film composer of all time (well, him an Ennio Morricone--it's close). Nobody unlocked the psychology of a film and captured its essence in the music like him--the slashing strings of "Psycho," the hypnotic circles of "Vertigo," the effervescent main title of "North by Northwest" with its rapid ups and downs... "Taxi Driver" was his very last movie, and the trademark low woodwinds are classic Herrmann (you can hear it too on "Vertigo," also the final note for his amazing opening title sequences music to Brian de Palma's "Sisters"). Watch the very final scene of de Palma's "Obsession" (his homage to Hitchcock's "Vertigo") with Herrmann's "Valse"--I can think of no better example of how music in a film can transport a scene from something simply cool into something that makes your hairs stand on end with its intensity...Re: "Taxi Driver," the film is actually dedicated to Herrmann's memory. He originally wasn't going to score the film, but changed his mind because he liked the scene with Travis pouring the hard liquor into his cereal. :D
@@victorsixtythree Herrmann's first film score: Citizen Kane. He had worked with Orson Welles on radio, and Welles brought him to Hollywood.
I love this movie
The acting, music, cinematography, the setting absolutely top notch
The ending with his hair definitely just showed the passage of time and how long it probably took to fully recover. You can see I’m the first shot that shows him talking to the other cabbies that he has a thick scar on his neck where the bullet grazed him. The bullet didn’t actually go into his neck, it just took a big chunk out of it... that’s why he was able to keep on going after being hit in the neck.
your analysis of the ending is kinda similar to what scorcese says on the dvd commentary..great film with a masterful deniro... now really must see “the deer hunter” .. the quality of work he did in the 70’s is legendary...
This is definitely one of those movies that gets better and better the more you rewatch and learn. And it already is an amazing movie on first viewing
Fun fact: Robert de Niro actually killed the pedophiles, the scene was improvised, but the director liked it so much that he decided to leave it in the final cut.
Wait what!? What u mean?
He didn't actually kill the people, the pimp is Harvey Keitel, who was in Reservoir Dogs which came out 16 years later so he obviously survived.
@@Justin1an what, you didn’t know? Yeah, DeNiro totally brought live ammo onto the set and killed all those actors. Needless to say Scorsese was greatly impressed with DeNiro’s commitment to the role and just had the whole thing covered up. It doesn’t make any sense, sure, but it’s all totally true.
@@Jellyvibewtf. I don't have any idea. I can't find any possible news about this. But if it true, the pedophiles deserve that. But still? What the actual fck!?
@@Justin1an yea he killed all of those pedophiles the director liked it a lot decided it was very great scene and would fit well in movie
Taxi driver is one of my favorite movies of all time this movie is awesome
Your Scorsese graduate degree is coming along nicely. Anxiously awaiting your reaction to The Departed.
Haha I'm glad I'm passing the classes so far 😄
Cape Fear should be on your list
Film factoid: One of the girls that Jodi hangs out with ( the one that Travis almost hits with his taxi ) was a real working girl and heroin addict that the character "Iris" was based on. She died from AIDS in 1994. The other girl was an actress named Billie Perkins who is still living.
A little trivia bit - the "simp" guy trying to get between Travis and Betsy is played by Albert Brooks who is in a ton of great movies, and also the voice of Marlin in Finding Nemo!
The pimp is played by Harvey Keitel who you saw last in Pulp Fiction and Resevoir Dogs
Great reaction Brandon! The gun salesman’s name is Steven Prince. Scorsese did a documentary on him back in the late 70’s you should check it out on UA-cam. He has a lot of stories and one of them was used by Quentin Tarantino in Pulp Fiction. Uma Thurman and the syringe.
One of the best thing about this movie is the music. Perfection. So melancholic.
Along with De Niro, Jodie Foster was also nominated for the Oscar for her performance (Best Supporting Actress). This film plus 4 other movies from 1976 that she appeared in made her into a superstar. As someone mentioned before, this film inspired John Hinckley in his attempt to assassinate Ronald Reagan in 1981. But here are some additional "fun facts" that you probably don't know yet:
Hinckley identified so strongly with the character Travis Bickle, himself being a disturbed loner. He was so obsessed with the film that he actually watched it in the theatre 17 times! He also developed an obsession with Jodie Foster's character Iris as a result and he felt a need to "protect" her as Travis did-- he also became romantically smitten with her as well because of this movie.
Hinckley began collecting hundreds of magazines of Jodie and even stalked her at Yale University, where she attended college-- even so far as attending classes just to be near her. Hinckley contacted her by phone and slipped notes under her door at her college dorm. She rebuffed all his advances. So, Hinckley felt that the only way to get Jodie's attention and respect was to assassinate the President-- much like Travis Bickle attempting to assassinate Senator Palantine just so he could get Betsy's attention. Life imitating art.
Reagan survived the shooting HOWEVER the attack inspired another stalker who was also obsessed with Jodie Foster-- a man by the name of Edward Michael Richardson from Drexel Hill, PA. Richardson also began stalking Jodie around the Yale campus. He had actually plotted to murder Foster on the campus grounds however he had changed his mind after seeing her act in a college play-- he watched her act in that play 3 nights in a row! Richardson had deemed Jodie "way too pretty to die". He then boarded a Greyhound bus to George Washington University Hospital in DC where Reagan was recuperating in order to "finish what Hinckley started" and to "bring to completion Hinckley's reality". However, he was apprehended by Secret Service agents en route.
18-year-old Jodie Foster was insanely pretty (not that she's ever not been pretty), I'll given him that:
www.listal.com/viewimage/16772743
www.listal.com/viewimage/22507568
www.listal.com/viewimage/21776303
www.listal.com/viewimage/3762888
And yet even ANOTHER fun fact:
This Edward Richardson incident inspired yet another would-be assassin by the name of Harry Thomas Smith who then plotted to assassinate EVERY SINGLE LIVING US PRESIDENT in Jodie's name. He too was thwarted by authorities. Now that is insane. Young Jodie Foster had quite an effect on many, many men. This whole Reagan fiasco also inspired the formation of the band "JFA" (Jodie Foster's Army) just a month or two after these incidents-- and also the song "Hinkley Had a Vision". Yea, this film has a fascinating history and had quite an impact on pop culture to say the least...
Poor woman, that’s awful to have such unwanted attention.
@@cremetangerine82 She didn't deserve it, no. But have you seen young Jodie in those photos? I don't blame those guys for obsessing over her.
@@rustincohle2135
I wouldn’t see the appeal of lusting after a 12-year-old, so no.
@@cremetangerine82 I'm not talking about Jodie at 12. She was 18 when Hinckley shot Reagan. Those pics are of her around that age.
@@rustincohle2135
Still, no one should be stalked, that’s traumatic.
Another terrific film and great DeNiro performance: Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in America from 1984. A truly EPIC film.
One of the most relatable movies I've seen. The lonely, sleepless nights.
The way he looked at Betsy, in the rear view mirror, said everything. Betsy is his next obsession, and he's about to repeat his past mistakes.
5:20, yeah, in fact, Joker is actually an homage to Taxi Driver.
"homage" aka plagarism.
Steven Benjamin it would be plagiarism if Todd Phillips said that he came up with it but he didn’t say it so plagiarism my foot
This film has one of the best shots in cinema. When Travis is calling Betty on the pay phone in the hall, the camera pans away and focuses on the wall, as if, even the camera is too embarrassed to watch.
The guy with the glasses that was talking to the blond girl (Cybill Shepherd) is Albert Brooks most recently known for voicing Marlin in Finding Nemo
No way! Thats awesome haha
Pretty good writer/director as well. "Lost in America" might be good one to react to, I think it's hilarious :)
The music score for Taxi Driver was the last score composed by Bernard Herrmann, one of Hollywood’s greatest. He did the score for Citizen Kane as well as many of Hitchcock’s films like Vertigo and Psycho.
17:16, the greatest scene in film history!
Attention other movie reaction channels: This the kind of on the fly and thoughtful analysis that separates quality content from the vapid drivel so many of you think is passable. THIS is how you do it if you want to be taken seriously.
Movie Recommendation
2001: A Space Odyssey
Seen that one!
The actor who played Jodie Foster's pimp "Sport", was Harvey Keitel, and the actor who played the other cab driver with the bald head was Peter Boyle from the TV show "Everybody Love's Raymond".
He was also John Lennon's best man at his wedding to Yoko Ono.
When Travis takes his date to the porn theatre. I've just got one thing to say......
HEY, STOP STEALING MY MOVES!
It's all PornHub & Chill these days.
voodoochile333 I know. I`m guessing you`re just a simple man who likes to lay on top of the ladies.
@@daddypalacios9117 Strikes me is the sort of guy that doesn't have a dog house.
It’s more of a comment, really
I can't imagine the HUGE list of movies you have that just keeps being added onto
The "Are you talkin' to me" scene was improvised.
Thats some great acting!
This is my favorite movie. Thanks for the great reaction!
Brandon: Dont get into a shootout with this guy for sure
Travis: yoy talkin to me?
I love this movie! And a very young Jodie Foster who does her part so good despite being a minor role. De Niro obtained a taxi driver's license, and when on break from another movie he was filming at the time, would pick up a taxi and drive around New York for a couple of weeks.
I highly recommend you to watch Chinatown 1974
The title just reminded me of the great comedy 'Let it Ride'........probably because it starts out with a short scene in a cab. Richard Dreyfuss stars, and without giving anything away......the cab driver ( Richard's friend ) happens to overhear a bit of conversation from two of his passengers....& passes it along to Richard. Jennifer Tilly, Alan Arkin, Robby Coltrane & Teri Garr also co-star.
Please react to Leon the Professional!
Seen that one! Great movie
@@BrandonLikesMovies Awwww damn it! Would've loved you to react to it for the first time....
*wipes memory with the force*
Honestly I'd still love if you rewatched it...
*places grenade ring in palm* "This is from... Mathilda..."
Great film.
Taxi Driver won The Palm D’Or in Cannes that year. Such a masterpiece!
I first saw taxi driver about a year ago and somehow didn’t realize that was di niro
The crinkled up money at 13:10 was the $20 bill the pimp threw in his cab when pulling out Iris (this is actually the first moment Jodie Foster showed up in the film). The $20 made him reflect back to that encounter and it stayed with him until he ultimately went to try and save her.
NOW YOUVE ENTERED THE DANGER ZONE. ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT FILM. ITS IN MY TOP 5. WERE DEFINITELY COOKING WITH GAS. ( FYI: SCORCESE WAS IN HIS CAB TALKING ABOUT KILLING THAT GIRL WITH A 44 MAG )
The score was the last Bernard Herman ever wrote. He scored Citizen Kane, and some Hitchcock movies like Psycho, North by Northwest and some others. He was one of the great movie composers. He's friends called him Bennie.
I've always viewed this film as the story of person who just doesn't fit in with society or really understand it's subtitles, who wants to do and be good, but whose good purpose gets twisted by the harsh realities of crime and corruption in society that are amplified by a major city. Travis wants to fit in, he wants to be with someone, to have that human connection, but he doesn't understand how and never will. So, he is driven by finding a way to "help", to "connect," but he doesn't understand what is good help and what is bad.
This guy must be quite intelligent, it's impressive how quickly he notices details and understands certain things almost immediately.
"I feel like I already have a pretty good idea of who this guy is"
You are now on the FBI watch list.
😂😂
To be fair, Paul Schrader and Martin Scorsese have some very negative things to say about the character, and yet they still say all three of them (including DeNiro, now) made the movie because they could relate to him.
To be even more fair the Secret Service came to interrogate Schrader after Hinkley shot Regan.
Schrader by the way, was unconvinced that his movie would motivate the types of people that the movie was about, saying that they are just as easily set off by "advertisements about fashion" - something that _does_ seem evident when you think about how Charles Manson interpreted the Beatles' White Album.
I saw Taxi Driver when it came out in 1976, and I never get tired of seeing it.
Scorsese has actually come right out and said what was going on at the end. No, he wasn't intentionally making it seem like it could be a dream. The truly significant "end" (as far as he was concerned) was the last shot of Travis suddenly looking in his rear-view, like there was something _right_ behind him. That something was his insanity. It's still there. It didn't go anywhere, and there's just no telling what "ideas" he's gonna get in his head next, but it's only a matter of time before he does. Scorsese actually seemed a little frustrated that more people hadn't picked up on that one shot's significance. They just saw Travis getting a way happier ending than he seemed to deserve.
TBF it is incredibly hard to pick that up, theres not much to pick that up
The way you incorporate reaction and movie review together makes the channels who only do one or the other seem lacking. I love it.
Sure, Joker ripped this movie off, but if there's a good movie to take ideas from, it'd be this one.
Also Falling Down with Michael Douglas. Such great movies to pull from.
While I thought there definitely were some similarities, I definitely feel they provide very different experiences, both experiences being great
Brandon Likes Movies all movies mentioned are great in different moods. Apples to oranges but great at painting a picture of an outsider trying to understand what’s going on around them. A glimpse of alienation and the power that comes from it.
@@BrandonLikesMovies My favorite Scorsese is The King of Comedy, which Joker takes from far moreso than Taxi Driver.
It's not ripping off
Does anyone knows the word "INSPIRATION" ? I don't think so
My favorite movie featuring Robert DeNiro is Sleepers. It came out in '96 and has a FANTASTIC ensemble cast, but DeNiro plays one of my favorite characters in it. It's DEFINITELY worth seeing and reacting to!!!
I always hear "Senator Palpatine" instead of Palantine.
There's this pool of iconic directors, "Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Brian DePalma, Francis Ford Coppala, and Martin Scorsese" its said they were all friends together at the same time, a little while _before_ most of them started making movies. I've heard some people call them the "Brat Pack"
Since they were friends "Senator Palpatine" was supposed to be a reference to Scorsese and his movie, and it's also why Palpatine draws his lightsaber from up his sleeve, but to be honest, it just makes me wonder if Lucas knew the name was different when he decided on it.
Here's a fun fact, Travis Bickle appears as a cameo in the comic Before Watchmen: Rorschach. Basically the story takes place in 1977 and Rorschach I believe gets into a fight and ends up escaping into a taxi cab driven by Travis whom he has a conversation with.
Jodie Foster was 13 when she made this movie
Jodie was 12 when she made this film, not 13. She was the same age as her character.
THANK YOU! Your analysis was great and to see your reaction brought back mine from 40 years ago!
This is way better then Joker in my opinion
This is Scorsese. It will naturally be better than most other movies.
Joker was an Oscar-beggy movie ie. methodical and planned to gain awards.
McLovin I prefer Taxi driver too but I wouldn’t say it’s “way better” each to their own though.
Even for me
I’m gonna need to rewatch them
One of my favorite movies. A true classic, fantastic acting from Robert De Niro
Once Upon a Time in the West
I love how Mancini's Horns in the main theme are like a reflection of the car horns in the city.
This movie makes me feel like I too can be a normal functioning member of society. Joker reminds me that it's just a pipe dream.
Explain...
3:39 Every time I see this shot I'm reminded of the move Blue Valentine, for what ever reason. Early recommendation to start.
4:24 Sneaky shot of Martin Scorsese himself checking out his lead actress.
4:52 You pick: Finding Nemo or Drive. The man's a fantastic actor who, IMO, is underrated or at least underused. (Albert Brooks).
11:32 Martin Scorsese appearance number 2 (the original actor got cold feet at the very last second due to the character he was asked to portray).
14:23 Jodie appeared earlier, as the girl in distress entering Roberts taxi (and the pimp, Harvey Keitel, pulled her out and paid him off with the distinctive crinkled bill.)
(I realized you realized, but I typed it out already so it's staying). :)
14:36 This was the first movie this actor was ever in. I can't remember if another actor also had cold feet or if the scene was written during the shoot. The same goes for the long shot of the street performer playing the drum with shoe polish black hair (I think we see him during the date, before the dirty movie).
17:13 No dialogue was written for this scene.
22:30 A convincing bald cap with stitched in hair. Ol' Bobby couldn't afford to cut his hair so dramatically.
24:12 Literally everything was falling apart, including the building they were shooting in (the final shot in the building, the bird eye view from the roof, basically demolished it. They cut through the roof in order to get that camera movement). Also in the shootout, since it was so low budget, everything was practical, the exploding hand was plastic, I think. The actor, who also wasn't an actor, was terrified to do the scene and rightfully so. The bullet holes (Robs neck wound) was just a fleshy bit of make up attached to string which is visible if you look closely.
Dang I never clicked so fast.
Had to make sure no one else said this.
The famous scene with the mirror was improvised by DeNiro. Well the dialogue was improvised, the script only said that he was talking to himself while pulling out his guns in front of a mirror.
Have you seen “One flew over the cuckoos nest” if not I’d love to see your reaction to it! Absolute classic.
It's currently winning a Patreon poll so a reaction to it might be coming soon!
@@BrandonLikesMovies If don't win I'll lose faith in humanity.
The cool thing that in the script, mirror scene was described as “Travis looks in the mirror.” Robert De Niro improvised that dialogue.