Plot Summary: Suffering from insomnia, disturbed loner Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) takes a job as a New York City cabbie, haunting the streets nightly, growing increasingly detached from reality as he dreams of cleaning up the filthy city. When Travis meets pretty campaign worker Betsy (Cybill Shepherd), he becomes obsessed with the idea of saving the world, first plotting to assassinate a presidential candidate, then directing his attentions toward rescuing 12-year-old prostitute Iris (Jodie Foster).
*Recognition: Nominated for Best Picture, Actor (De Niro), Supporting Actress (Jodie Foster), and Original Score; AFI #47/#52; National Film Registry
What this movie is about?: The fine line between vigilantism and psychopathic, and how a normal seeming guy can suddenly become a lone wolf with no direction beyond comprehension.
Best Performance: Robert De Niro (Travis Bickle)
Best Minor Performance: Martin Scorsese (cab passenger)/Harvey Keitel (Sport)
Most Charismatic Award: Cybill Shepherd (Betsy)/Jodie Foster (Iris)
Best Scene: Epilogue
Favorite Scene: Cab Passenger Watching his Wife Cheat on him/Walking into Palantine's Office for the first time
Most Indelible Moment: "You talking to me?"
Best Line: Travis: “Loneliness has followed me my whole life. Everywhere. In bars, in cars, sidewalks, stores, everywhere. There’s no escape. I’m God’s lonely man.”
Honorable Mention: Travis: “You talkin’ to me? You talkin’ to me? You talkin’ to me? Well, then who the hell else are you talking – You talking to me? Well, I’m the only one here. Who the f**k do you think you’re talking to?”
Funniest Line: None (*it's not that kind of movie)
The Stanley Rubric:
Legacy: 9.25
Impact/Significance: 9.75
Novelty: 9.5
Classic-ness: 8.5
Rewatchability: 4
Audience Score: 9.3
Total: 50.3
Remaining Questions:
Was it a dream sequence?
How does Travis get out of all of the trouble?
What does he see in the last image of the film?