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Why was Taxi Driver added to the National Film Registry?
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Martin Scorsese
American film director Martin Scorsese, 2008.
In 1994, Taxi Driver was added to the National Film Registry because it was deemed to be of cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance to American film heritage.1
The registry, a film preservation program established by the U.S. Library of Congress, selects works that have made a lasting impact on cinema. Taxi Driver is widely recognized as one of the greatest and most controversial films in history, noted for its powerful performances, harrowing script, and neon-lit cinematography. By exploring complex themes such as mental illness, urbanization, and morality, the film provided a haunting, influential portrait of loneliness and societal decay that continues to spark critical discussion.123