The 1970s produced some of my favorite movies. The French Connection. Godfather. American Graffiti. Apocalypse Now. Chinatown. A Clockwork Orange. The Deer Hunter. The list goes on. It was the golden age of classic American cinema.
Maybe it was something about the look of the films; slightly washed out with lots of bleak color tones. The story-lines were not typically full of feel good moments, or much hope. I guess an energy crisis can do that to you.
One of my favorites, that seems to get better with age, is Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver (1976). Who can forget the score by Bernard Herrmann (finished just hours before he died), pulsating to the wet, dark, gritty streets of New York?
But the star of course is Robery De Niro, who would creepify and electrify in his performance as a disillusioned taxi driver.
My favorite scene is a classic. You can find film schools and other art-related classes analyzing the material in-depth. For me, I just love the line and the way De Niro delivers it. Is he really acting, or is this how he auditions in general?
Warning: adult content (need I even remind you… this is Taxi Driver… not Taxi!). Enjoy this bit of cinematic brilliance.