Verdict:
I am honestly not trying to be a contrarian here. Maybe the problem is in the overly high expectations for movies that are considered must-see classics. But if I am bored, I cannot pretend that I am not, just out of respect to Scorsese and De Niro, and I have rarely been as bored and as disinterested as while watching Taxi Driver. And at the same time, I find the handling of the subject matter to be in questionable taste rather than something to be stared at with interest.
The problem is one of two things: either the first half of the film is meant to be a setup for the 2nd half, in which case that setup is way too long, or the first half of the film is meant to be an active participant, showcasing a character study, in which case it fails to be interesting. The movie technically has a cohesive structure, events, characters and a music score. But what is the point of it all? A drab meandering 2-hour-long character study?
The film consists of a series of events in the life of a cab driver named Travis, played by De Niro. Unfortunately, a lot of these events are not interesting, even when on paper they should be. Scenes with little content last a good long while and then end in some awkward situation because the main character is supposed to be mentally and socially unstable. Those scenes are reminiscent of movies like Midnight Cowboy, an Oscar-awarded movie I would rather go to a dentist than watch again.
There are definitely a few situations that are interesting, but every time they are followed up by a long puff of nothingness. If the long pauses are meant to create tension or portray Travis’ descent into madness, they fail, creating only awkwardness instead. It would appear that the director asks the viewer to do the work and fill in a lot of the blanks instead of putting in the effort in himself.
The film portrays the dirty underbelly of the city at night, but if you were alive at that time, you could just as well go and see those streets for yourself or watch a documentary. We don’t need a movie with De Niro for that, do we? Unless the viewer or the maker never visits that part of town. Unless this is all a zoo for them.
And this is the other thing that bothers me about this movie (probably more than it should, for personal reasons): the thought and intention behind it all. Taxi Driver feels like some sort of zoo for people with good jobs and houses, with Scorsese being the zookeeper and exclaiming, “Look at this world, this dirty city. Scary eh? Bet you’re glad you’re not part of this filthy world, he?”
And the heart of it all is the main character Travis and the way he’s handled. The film showcases his poor mental state and his loneliness. While the handling of this subject is done far better than in other movies from the era, this movie still feels fearmongering, like a “normal person” pointing at a strange guy on the street and saying, “That guy is the problem. I am not like that guy. I am normal. I bet he’s got a knife on him and is up to no good.” You’re pointing a finger at him, but to me, you’re only succeeding in pointing 3 fingers back at yourself. We are all mentally unstable to one degree or another. Stop pretending like Travis is the boogie monster in the night, who might be driving your cab when you step into it tomorrow to get back to your suburbia. The underlying causes of his mental troubles are glossed over. The film is more interested in showing how unstable this guy is than in explaining why or showing the system that failed him.
Am I bored with this film, because what I see is just part of humanity I’m used to seeing and I don’t consider it to be that unusual? Does the movie manage to shock and interest the audiences because they are so f*cking out of touch with themselves?
Well, at least, when Taxi Driver enters its 2nd half, the cerebral content and the tension start seeping in and the film gets more and more interesting, but you must wait almost an hour to arrive at this point. It takes TWO THIRDS of the movie before Jodie Foster’s famous character shows up. The pay-off in the 2nd half of the film feels worth it, but it requires a ton of patience from the viewer. It is like if a good joke took an hour to get to the punch line.
The acting is good, as you would expect from Robbert De Niro, but it is also appropriate for the role, which means it is subdued and realistic to the point of boredom. Again, as with the story, there are good moments with this character and most of them are in the second half.
Bottom line is: even if we judge this movie by the standards of the time and ignore the crude handling of Travis and New York, there is still the problem that this film is just bloody slow and boring in its first half and is one of lesser Scorsese’s works. There is quality to be found here but you need to have a lot of patience.