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What is Taxi Driver about?

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Martin Scorsese smiling in a tuxedo and bow tie, holding an Oscar statuette at the Academy Awards, with a gold Oscar statue in the background. — Martin Scorsese American film director Martin Scorsese, 2008.

Taxi Driver (1976), directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Paul Schrader, is a seminal neo-noir film set in New York City. It follows Travis Bickle, a Vietnam War veteran and taxi driver suffering from chronic insomnia and deep alienation.12

As Bickle navigates the city, he becomes increasingly obsessed with what he perceives as the societal decay and moral "filth" of urban life. His descent into paranoia and rage culminates in a violent attempt to "save" a young sex worker named Iris from her pimp.12

The film is widely regarded as a haunting portrait of loneliness and a complex study of mental illness, crime, and morality. Featuring a chilling performance by Robert De Niro, it remains one of the most controversial and influential works in cinema history, sparking long-standing discussions regarding post-traumatic stress disorder, toxic masculinity, and urban indifference.13