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Martin Scorsese cemented himself as a legend when he made the psychological noir dramaTaxi Driver. The film starring Robert De Niro saw him play Travis Bickle, a Vietnam War veteran who struggles to assimilate into society after he returns and starts working as a taxi driver in New York.
Scorsese, a major film buff, has often mentioned that his influences for the film were Alfred Hitchcock’sThe Wrong Manand the documentaryA Bigger Splash. Recently, Scorsese revealed on his Letterboxd account that the Irving Lerner filmMurder By Contractwas something he derived from while making his classic film.
Also read:“See it with people you feel safe with”: Lily Gladstone Sends Trigger Warning to Watch Killers of the Flower Moon After Co-Star Attacks With Insults
What Is Martin Scorsese’sTaxi DriverAbout?
The legendaryMartin Scorsesehas many classic films to his name now, but it all started when he made the profound neo-noir dramaTaxi Driver. The film starred Robert De Niro as Travis Bickle, in his second collaboration with the director. The film was written by Paul Schrader, who reportedly based parts of it on his own experiences with loneliness in New York.
Scorsese mentioned that he wanted to make a film that felt like a dream andTaxi Driverwas the perfect choice for the feeling. The film follows the internal monologue of a Vietnam War veteran turned taxi driver who cruises the streets of New York, struggling to find the good in the society he risked his life for.
The film was reportedly made on a shoestring budget of $1.9 million, with many taking pay cuts to ensure the film got made. While Scorsese initially approached actors like Dustin Hoffman and Jeff Bridges to play the role, he ultimately cast De Niro, who prepared intensively.
De Niro reportedly lost 35 pounds and also registered himself as a taxi driver to delve into the character. For his haunting performance, he was nominated for Best Actor at the Academy Awards. The film was nominated for Best Picture, and co-star Jodie Foster was nominated for Best Supporting Actress.
Also read:“He might kill me”: Martin Scorsese’s Hatred For Marvel Terrified His Own Daughter Who Stood By Him Despite Watching MCU Films
Martin Scorsese’s Influences While MakingTaxi Driver
More than anything, Martin Scorsese is a huge fan of cinema. He recently took the internet by storm when he joined the popular movie cataloging website Letterboxd, while promoting his filmKillers of the Flower Moon. He has since been writing about all the yesteryear classics that he was exposed to as a child.
In an article titled ‘Companion Film’, Scorsese spoke about the various films that would act as companion pieces to his own, being influenced by them in some form. While he has often revealed that his influences forTaxi Driverhave been the filmsThe Wrong ManandA Bigger Splash, he revealed that a particularly haunting film came to his aid when making his neo-noir drama.
Also read:Martin Scorsese Wanted Nothing To Do With Leonardo DiCaprio’s Spanking Scene, Left His 2 Best Actors To “Take Care of That Themselves
The filmmaker references the Irving Lerner filmMurder By Contractas the companion piece to hisTaxi Driver, saying,
“I saw this low-budget independent picture about a hired killer on a double bill with The Journey by Anatole Litvak…The spareness, the single-mindedness of the killer (played by Vince Edwards), the ritualized quality of his preparation and his actions… it haunted me and came directly to mind when I made Taxi Driver.”
He also mentioned that he was particularly enthralled by the score that had a guitar as its main instrument. Scorsese revealed that the musical score ofMurder By Contractinfluenced Howard Shore’s score for his 2006 crime dramaThe Departed, for which the director finally won his Oscar.
Also read:“Should have won at least 7”: Themla Schoonmaker Blasts Oscars for Unfairly Treating Martin Scorsese After His Only Win With Matt Damon’s Departed
Nishanth A
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2419
Nishanth A is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows with over 2,000 articles published. He has been an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a scriptwriter at various corporations before that, working on educational content. With a Communications, English Literature, and Psychology triple major, Nishanth usually covers news and analyses on Star Trek, particularly Strange New Worlds and The Next Generation; Doctor Who, the DCU, and more.A Nolan fan, Nishanth spends his time exploring the filmographies of various directors with an auteurial style or can be found making short movies of his own. He has also contributed as a feature writer for Film Companion, focusing on the South division.
