The Making Of Taxi Driver

by Geoffrey MacNab

In Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro), the Vietnam vet turned New York taxi driver, Scorsese created a character who summed up perfectly the seething discontents of an American still traumatised by Vietnam and Watergate. In the context of director Martin Scorsese's many influences that led to "Taxi Driver", from Dostoevsky novels to John Ford westerns and film noir thrillers, and the film's subsequent impact on the work of countless later directors, "The Making Of Taxi Driver" explores how this modern classic came together. And, looking at some of the myths surrounding the movie, asks why, 30 years on it still has such resonance with contemporary audiences.

Genres: Film, Nonfiction

214 pages, Paperback

First published March 9, 2006

Reviews

[Mark]

Part 2 of the Film Frontiers series (I read the others, about “Scarface” and “Raging Bull”, a few years ago), this looks at the making of “Taxi Driver” during 1975 but puts in so much around it that focus on the film sometimes seems to drift. With no interviews undertaken by Macnab, the cut-and-paste nature of the quotes means some bits are repeated and others fade without much discussion. Fitting in the potential inspirations (in great detail), the films inspirations and legacy and reviews of it, the actual making of takes up 30 pages of the 195 page book and the appendixes, key figure filmographies, completely ignore Paul Schrader. Written in workman-like prose, there is some good information in here but it takes a while to root it out. A wasted opportunity.

[David Ross]

A great filmmaking discussion and analysis of Scorcese's masterpiece of a raging anarchist. This is not an expose, oh look how crazy it was behind the scenes sort of book. This is a book for people looking to analyse why it worked, how it was received in the world, its influences and those who it influenced etc etc. I really enjoyed the dissection of Travis, the era of disillusionment, the decay of New York at that time. A more than capable companion to watch the film with if you're a fellow artist looking for inspiration. Why are these characters so compelling? What makes Travis so iconic?

[Jack Stoker]

Stretches the comparisons but some interesting insights

[P]

The filming of Taxi Driver took place in a sweltering summer during a garbage strike, when the director was in the throes of a massive cocaine addiction. You'd think a book about the making of would be more interesting.

It's more like a collection of essays, mostly worth your time.