Taxi Driver.
Going to say now that I like it. Then prepare for the 'overrated crap' responses to kick in.
OK, the Vue is doing monthly 4K screenings. Soon as I heard this was lined up I nearly came in my trousers. Hyperbole perhaps but I do genuinely love this film. DeNiro plays Travis Bickle, a Vietnam veteran with a few issues. To keep himself occupied while battling rampant insomnia, chronic depression and loneliness he takes up driving a cab, doing 12 hour shifts 7 days a week. Being that this is 70's New York, the dark depravities he experiences nightly take an added toll. When he falls for Betsy, played by Cybil Sheperd at her most gorgeous it seems things might turn around until low self esteem and depression causes him to sabotage things. At this point he spirals completely out of control and decides to kill prospective presidential candidate Charles Palantine the senator whose campaign Betsy works for. Foiled at the last minute he instead turns his murderous intentions towards a child prostitution ring peddling out 12 year old Iris played by Jodie Foster.
Taxi driver is a masterclass of show not tell. Through his marine core jacket and conversations we learn Travis was in the Marines. Given the era most likely Vietnam. In a scene of him training we see a nasty scar on his back suggesting he was injured in the line of duty. His constant pill popping, insomnia and need to bury himself in work suggests strongly of a case of un-diagnosed PTSD. His clothing and cowboy boots and naivete to the harsh realities suggest he's not a native New Yorker and the card he sends his parents bares this out. It's very possible then that he's someone who is trying to lose himself in the city in some way. His fixation on porno perhaps indicating a lack of experience with women, or that his situation has warped his attitudes to sex in some way. He's certainly a racist, which adds to the discomfort at spending some time in his head. where his racism comes from is not explicit but possibly from his time working the streets of New York or possibly a small town upbringing. Certainly he must have served alongside a lot of African Americans in Nam.
The new 4K scan looks marvelous on the big screen. If you ever get the chance to see this theatrically do so. It really adds to the experience. Scorsese really delivers with possibly one of the darkest films to come from a major studio. The general scuzziness of places like 42nd street and times square come to life in the film and we really get drawn into Travis's world whether we want to or not.
Also feel free to correct me if i'm wrong but with this new scan i'm almost certain in the final scenes when Travis looks into his rear view mirror we see Scorsese. It would make sense. We see him twice previously. The first we see him on the street when we are first introduced to Betsy with Travis's monologue. we see Betsy catch Scorsese's eye and his gaze specifically follows her. The next time we see him is in the back of Travis Cab as he gives a misogynistic rant about what a 44 magnum will do to a woman's pussy. If its him in that final scene it lends weight to the notion that the character(s) he's playing are part of Travis subconscious. His second scene comes almost immediately after Betsy dumps Travis and he explodes with rage at her in her office. Almost immediately after he decides to by guns and the first one he asks for is a 44 magnum. If its Scorsese at the end it would suggest Travis's demons are returning after speaking to Betsy.