When Taxi Driver first hit theaters on February 8th, 1976, it was nothing short of shocking. The screenplay didn’t shy away from ‘heavy’ themes such as violence, loneliness, and societal decay. Enhanced by Robert DeNiro’s chilling performance as Travis Bickle, the film has become the stuff of legend. Today, it’s regarded as a modern masterpiece. Even more important, it was a major career milestone for director Martin Scorsese.
Five decades after its release, both Taxi Driver and its creator are still held in high regard. Scorsese, even at 83 years old, remains one of the greatest working directors in Hollywood. In honor of this historic 50th anniversary, where does Taxi Driver rank among Marty’s greatest works?
Honorable Mentions
- Shutter Island
- Bringing Out the Dead
- The Age of Innocence
- Silence
- Cape Fear
10. The Aviator
We’ll kick things off with a somewhat slept-on early aughts pick. The Aviator tells the real-life story of Howard Hughes, the famed mid-century aviator, director and businessman. There’s a ton of intriguing filmmaking going on from Scorsese, including a non-linear timeline and period-accurate lighting and coloring. For that reason alone, it’s an important part of his filmography.
This is Scorsese’s Citizen Kane, enhanced by a masterful performance from Leonardo DiCaprio. Hughes is both charismatic and pathetic, a man truly paralyzed by his own personal demons. The result is a fascinating, three-hour American epic. It’s not an iconic Scorsese picture, but it’s worth a watch if you’ve never seen it.
9. After Hours
Another lesser-known film, albeit one that has grown into something of a cult classic. 1985’s After Hours is a real oddity for Scorsese on a number of levels. For starters, it’s the only one of his films that can accurately be called a comedy. The story of Paul Hackett, a Wall Street yuppie trapped downtown, takes plenty of screwball twists and turns.
After Hours might be the most New York-centric of Marty’s films, which is saying a lot. The Big Apple takes on a life of its own, churning out an endless array of eccentric characters. At just 97 minutes, this one flies by as well. For a lighter, sillier side of Scorsese, this is a damn good film.
8. The Departed
This might be the most controversial placement on this list. Depending on who you ask, The Departed is either a top three selection or out of the top ten entirely. In terms of historical significance, this is still Scorsese’s only Academy Award winner in Best Picture and Best Director. Armed with a stacked cast and engaging plot, it’s easy to see why this resonated with voters in 2006.
A tale of betrayal inside the Boston Police Department, The Departed is a remake of the South Korean film Infernal Affairs. To some critics, it’s the inferior of the two. Regardless, seeing DiCaprio and Jack Nicholson share the screen is worth the price of admission alone. Supporting turns from Matt Damon, Martin Sheen, and Mark Wahlberg are all excellent, as well. It may not hold up like other Scorsese mob flicks, but The Departed still packs a punch 20 years later.
7. The King of Comedy
Before The Joker, there was The King of Comedy. This slept-on 1982 masterpiece is a bit of an oddball in the Scorsese canon. What could have been a disturbing tale of celebrity obsession turns into a fascinating dark comedy. Much of the credit goes towards DeNiro, who perfectly embodies aspiring comedian and hopeless loser Rupert Pupkin.
In many ways, this feels like a spiritual successor to Taxi Driver. However, where the former reverts into bloody action, The King of Comedy strikes a somber, more realistic tone. A study of a man desperate to be admired, this is Scorsese’s take on the true cost of ambition. It may not have made major headlines upon release, but this film has only grown more influential 40 years later.
6. Casino
‘Theres a lot of holes in the desert‘ says Nicky Santoro at the start of Casino. Over the next three hours, we see plenty of them get filled. In 1995, this one was incorrectly criticized as ‘Goodfellas II’. To be fair, the duo of DeNiro and Joe Pesci headline both films. After that is where most of the comparisons end.
Where its predecessor examined ‘the life’ of the mob, Casino breaks down the business. Set during the 1970s and 80s, this picture breaks down the mafia’s stranglehold over Las Vegas. It’s another sweeping, powerful look at the insidious nature of greed. Complete with an excellent supporting turn from Sharon Stone, Casino holds up with repeat viewings.
5. The Irishman
A frequent (and foolish) knock on Scorsese’s career is that he directs too many gangster movies. More specifically, those centering around the Italian-American mafia. As a result, Scorsese decided to make The Irishman, a bleak, 209-minute film that doesn’t shy away from the ugliness and brutality of mob life.
Spanning decades, this 2019 epic was given mixed reviews by the general public. Complaints over its runtime, especially for those streaming on Netflix, were frequent. Don’t listed to the haters; The Irishman is a film that will stick with you long after its over. Al Pacino’s portrayal of labor union leader Jimmy Hoffa is especially powerful. In addition, Pesci is nothing short of chilling in his return to the silver screen. After a lifetime of murder and deceit, The Irishman asks “was it all worth it?”
4. Raging Bull
If you thought The Irishman was a somber watch, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Raging Bull is, in many ways, the film that saved Scorsese’s career. Following the failure of 1977’s New York, New York, the director’s future in Hollywood was murky at best. Then, DeNiro shared the autobiography of former middleweight boxing champion Jake LaMotta, and the rest is history.
For Scorsese, someone who was never a big sports fan, this isn’t the most obvious fit. However, he manages to deliver an unflinching portrayal of LaMotta, a jealous, brutal man consumed by perpetual violence. Shot entirely in black and white, this is not an easy film to sit through. Still, that doesn’t make it any less powerful. A career-best showing from DeNiro certainly helped; the actor earned Best Actor at the 1981 Academy Awards. As one of the best dramas and sports movies of all time, this is essential viewing.
3. The Wolf of Wall Street
The Wolf of Wall Street is the best Scorsese flick of the 21st century, and I don’t think it’s very close. This is the perfect blend of what’s made Marty such a hit among audiences and critics alike. An engaging plot, despicable characters, and constantly hilarious, it’s aged like a fine wine. There’s a reason Wolf is still plastered all over the internet; there’s not a second of this film that doesn’t land.
At its heart, this movie is all about excess. DiCaprio’s Jordan Belfort embodies sleaze, constantly looking to defraud and bamboozle any sucker that he comes into contact with. As a look at white collar criminals, this is a different take on the classic rise and fall gangster film. That doesn’t make it any less entertaining. Seeing Belfort weasel his way out of (and back into) trouble never gets old. It may sound bold, but The Wolf of Wall Street is in elite company.
2. Taxi Driver
At last, we get to the inspiration behind this list. As previously mentioned, Taxi Driver is a product of its era. During a time of extreme social strife in America, the picture made waves with audiences. DeNiro’s Travis Bickle is one of the greatest characters in the history of cinema. The homicidal, perpetually angered taxi driver is a pressure cooker, just waiting to go off. That all culminates in an explosive, unforgettable final scene.
Scorsese had done good work prior to 1976. Smaller-scale flicks such as Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore and Mean Streets garnered plenty of praise. With that being said, Taxi Driver turned the director into a household name. In addition, it kick-started the director’s partnership with writer Paul Schrader. It’s difficult to overstate how ingrained this one is in terms of pop culture. Just rewatch DeNiro’s iconic “You talking to me?” scene and you’ll understand what I’m talking about (no pun intended). Long-term relevance, excellent acting, and a shocking ending? What could possibly beat Taxi Driver…
1. Goodfellas
Sometimes, you gotta go with the general public. With respect to a varied and prolific career, number one on this list was an easy choice. Goodfellas is one of the greatest films ever made, something that film snobs and novices alike love. What puts this one above the rest? Breakneck editing? An iconic soundtrack? How about career-best performances from DeNiro, Pesci, Ray Liotta and Lorraine Bracco?
The truth is, there’s too much to like about this 1990 classic. It starts out as something like a fairytale, with young Henry Hill ingratiating himself with the mob. Over time, it turns into a living hell, revealing the insidious nature of a sprawling criminal organization. That balance between light-hearted and devastating is difficult to capture, and Scorsese does so with flying colors. When it’s all said and done, Goodfellas stands above the rest.
