“Taxi Driver” ~ I really didn’t get ‘Taxi Driver’ the first time I saw it – I think I was too young to understand the crux of it at the time. I knew everyone loved it and that “You talkin’ to me?”was one of the most recognisable movie quotes of all time. It was certainly violent+

and adult but my expectations were not met. So, I came back a little bit older and a little bit more experienced in life and suddenly I saw it. I saw it all. It spoke to me on such a profound level,so viciously real and so unrepentantly relatable – that it had gone completely +

over my head the first time. When I came back and saw it again, I felt like it was made just for me. At some point in our lives, we all feel like Travis Bickle. Scorsese knew it, Schrader knew it and De Niro knew it, which is why we have an uncompromising, raw and feverish look+

at hell by way of New York City, IMO.
This is my favorite movie of all time. It is more rewatchable for me than any other movie because instead of focusing on plot, it focuses more on showcasing a human emotion that we can all relate to: Loneliness. And the danger of it.+

The Travis in the latter half of the movie was unrecognizable to the one I connected with at the beginning. But then I realized that this movie is supposed to act as a cautionary tale. This is what can happen if you choose to submerge yourself in the feeling of loneliness. +

It shows the danger of romanticizing loneliness and immersing yourself in it. And this is made no more obvious than in the soundtrack. The soundtrack starts out smooth and therapeutic. Almost hypnotic. It confuses Travis’s feeling of loneliness with a nicer feeling of bliss. +

But then, before you know that you’re too far deep into the trap, the music jolts and switches suddenly to violent clashes, revealing the monster that has silently been growing inside of Travis since years!
growing inside of Travis.
I think loneliness is caused by reoccurring+

rejection. But I also think that after a certain point, it becomes self-inflicted. Even though the rejection is painful, you have to keep trying or you’ll be stuck in the feeling of loneliness.
Travis is alienated in a very deep sense from others, which is a common experience of+

people returning with PTSD from wars, a part of his problem is he thinks that being accepted by having a girlfriend or 'fixing' a problem with the world is the 'solution' (the real solution being that he overcomes his mental health problems). It is easier for people to deal with+

society alienating them by fighting authority rather than deal with themselves.
It's perfect in most every way, especially technically/artistically and never seems to lose intensity on repeated viewings.
Scorsese's "Masterpiece" and De Niro's "Magnum Opus" performance, IMO!!+

I was watching an interview in which Scorsese was specifically talking about how they shot the film. He wanted to show how lonely Travis was,he always shot De Niro in a single frame and when other ppl were in the frame,he is out of focus, somewhat muzzy or lost in the background!

I would highly recommend anyone to watch this movie. Very good insights and it speaks on so many levels. I definitely felt like I didn't "get" the film when I first watched it,
cus it's kinda grows on you with each viewing!
Do watch it! You won't regret it a bit :)