While perhaps not as widely referenced as Casablanca, Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver (1976) is a classic in its own right. Certainly, this is a different era of filmmaking altogether. A lot of time has passed; new techniques, technologies, and styles have developed, flourished, and sometimes faded; this is a new generation of directors.

Most notably, this marks a generation of filmmakers who have been constantly submerged and aware of cinema their entire lives. I recall seeing an interview with Scorsese, which I unfortunately was not able to dig up, in which he spoke about growing up watching films noir at a very young age. It’s not surprising, then, that this genre (or is it a movement? I haven’t defined this for myself yet) would later influence his works.

Arguably, Taxi Driver is his best known and most noir work. It’s also one of the greatest and most quintessential films to feature Robert DeNiro, who stars as the film’s bizarre lead, Travis Bickle.

The film is undeniably all about Travis, whose real life idolizers never cease to amaze me. While I would certainly call Travis an interesting and surprisingly likeable character, one worthy of praise he isn’t. Simply put, the case of Travis Bickle is a view into the mind of an antisocial. Keep in mind that I’m using that word scientifically—not the “shy kid,” but rather the one who blows frogs apart with firecrackers and seems to lack any sense of remorse for hurting his fellow man. Antisocial disorder is defined in the APA’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual as being “a pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others.” Perhaps he’s not a lost case in this regard, but he definitely exhibits some of the signs.

What makes the film and the character so interesting is something with which fans of film noir should be familiar—the subjective voice. For those who don’t understand this term, let me quickly clarify. The subjective voice refers to the idea of who is “narrating” the story. In film, this may not be readily obvious, even with voice-over narration, which Taxi Driver includes through letters and diary entries by Travis. What it means is, whose point of view are we seeing in the film? Is it a general, omniscient narrator who seems impartial to the events overall, merely presenting them to us, or are the images comingled with the bias of the character or characters?

Here, we see the bias of Travis, who like many noir males is almost constantly present on the screen. In general, we as the audience receive information only as Travis learns it himself. Also, the films noir-esque visuals of dark city streets and dim interiors begins to not only act as a nod to that older style, but also to help us see things through Travis’s eyes. Like the world of those post-war classics, Travis sees New York City as disgusting, filthy, and depraved. Ten years before Rorschach’s words, “The streets are extended gutters and the gutters are full of blood and when the drains finally scab over, all the vermin will drown,” were even written, and 33 years before they were made icon through a gruff voice, Travis uttered, “All the animals come out at night—whores, skunk pussies, buggers, queens, fairies, dopers, junkies, sick, venal. Someday a real rain will come and wash all this scum off the streets.” And in 1949, Harry Lime of The Third Man posited, “Would you really feel any pity if one of those dots [people below] stopped moving forever? If I offered you twenty thousand pounds for every dot that stopped, would you really, old man, tell me to keep my money? Or would you calculate how many dots you could afford to spare?” After 60+ years, we’re still dealing with the dark side of the world, and in the process we just keep coming back to that noir flare.

Speaking of quotes, if you’ve ever wondered where “You talking to me? Well I’m the only one here,” comes from, this is it.

Of course, Taxi Driver is not a straight neo-noir (though come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a straight neo-noir). For one, Travis isn’t a detective, he’s a taxi driver. Furthermore, as in many neo-noir, the femme fatale has been altered or removed. That character archetype seems to be mostly contained within the original films noir. The plot is notably different. Really, this film is more of an aesthetic homage than an attempt to revive the genre, but in that way it is able to succeed as both something classically influenced but also new and unique.

The movie is, honestly, pure genius, though quite dark and perhaps offensive to more prudish senses. Let’s admit it, noir was a bit lewd for its time, and this has certainly updated that to a new era. Still, while I said earlier that when asked what the most quintessentially American movies were, I cited Citizen Kane and Casablanca, I’ll admit this places things in a highly “classical” light. If you want a modern film to add to the list, try Taxi Driver. I doubt you’ll be disappointed.

Coming up next, before I turn back to the international world of cinema with some essential Bergman, I plan to write a review of the Blu-Ray edition of The Third Man to round these posts out. Also, if you want some up to date info on what I’m watching and what I’m working on for Cinema is Cinema, I’ve started a less formal blog over yonder called Cinema is Cinema, Companion Edition. So if you find yourself in need of more of my writing, feel free to head on over, but don’t worry, I won’t take it personally if you don’t.