Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

Taxi Driver 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

"You talkin' to me?"

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown July 3, 2024

Audiences have held a fascination with cinematic sociopaths for decades. American audiences especially. Is it the imperviousness to emotion? The idea of being an alien or pariah among the masses? The ability to take control by whatever means? To act out, lash out or aggress against society with no concept of guilt, shame or real consequence? Or do we just love a good killer? Whatever the case, Taxi Driver offers a startlingly accurate portrait of the kind of simple-intelligence loner that finds their way to violent ends, with little grasp on the world or its inhabitants. Travis Bickle is scary and sympathetic at the same time; a well-intentioned everyman, minus the "every", plus the one-two punch of isolationism and mental instability. The film's climactic conclusion is all but inevitable, as is Bickle's fate, but it's the unraveling of a human being that lies at the heart of Taxi Driver and exactly what has kept it front and center in filmfans' minds since it first shocked audiences in 1976. It remains shocking. Frightening, unnerving and compelling too. And it's only grown in power as we've come to better understand the overlooked dangers among us who would choose violence over reason and brutality over civil engagement as if choosing chocolate over vanilla ice cream.

Suffering from insomnia and endless restlessness, disturbed loner Travis Bickle (a masterful Robert De Niro) takes a job as a New York City cabbie, driving and eventually prowling the streets nightly, growing increasingly detached from reality as he journals, frequents adult movie theaters, and dreams of cleaning up what he can only see as a filthy, crime-ridden city in need of a savior. When he meets a presidential campaign worker named Betsy (Cybill Shepherd), his delusions of grandeur deepen. But he only ends up scaring her away in one of the film's most memorable and cringe- inducing scenes. From there, he locks further and further into a plan to assassinate Senator Charles Palantine (Leonard Harris), while finding a more noble calling in his desire to rescue a 12-year-old prostitute named Iris (Jodie Foster) from her pimp (Harvey Keitel) and from a life that will destroy her. Directed by Martin Scorsese (who cameos as a passenger) and written by Paul Schrader, the classic film also stars Albert Brooks, Peter Boyle, Steven Prince, Harry Northup, Victor Argo and Joe Spinell.

Click here to read a full review of the film, which Martin Liebman calls, "an iconic picture that thrives on imbalance and uncertainty." Adding, "a challenging world, uncertain characters, and a general ambiguity blurs several lines to make Taxi Driver a memorable masterpiece of mood and vagueness. Martin Scorsese's visuals back up the picture's feel, and Robert De Niro delivers the performance of a lifetime by giving shape to a shapeless character without sacrificing the mystery of just who Travis Bickle is and what it is that drives him to act as he does throughout the film."

Taxi Driver 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Previously made available as part of Sony's 4K Columbia Classics Collection: Volume 2 box set, Taxi Driver has finally been issued a stand-alone 4K release. Much like the most recent Blu-ray edition before it, yet wholly and completely superior, the 2160p UltraHD version is, in a word, stunning. It's not only far better than I expected it to look, it's every bit the modern revitalization the film deserves. Sony hasn't altered the image's grainy disposition in the least, nor its darkness or evocative, starkly colored cinematography. Faithfulness to the original elements is the name of the game here, which means we get the gritty, grimy masterpiece Scorsese intended. The HDR-enhanced palette is awash with visceral reds and unsettling greens, and neither the restoration artists nor the filmmakers are afraid to allow shadow to consume the foreground. Delineation is excellent, despite a handful of shots in which some will confuse the limitations of natural lighting for black crush. Don't walk that path. If Scorsese shot it, and it exists on the negative, it's as visible as it's meant to be. If darkness was allowed to consume detail, you obviously won't find any to unearth. And oh the detail. The film fares especially well during daytime hours, with crisp edges (free of lazy artificial sharpening and other issues) and revealing fine textures. Nighttime scenes are just as exacting, so long as you're viewing the film with a precisely calibrated display and a proper viewing environment. (If you love a bright room and "dynamic" picture settings, you may find the image lacking, but that's on you.) Moreover, I didn't notice any blocking or banding, or anything that might suggest the encode is anything less than immaculate.

For additional impressions of the 4K transfer, click here.

Taxi Driver 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 4K Blu-ray release of Taxi Driver includes the same DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track that has graced its most recent 1080p releases, which isn't a negative by any means. Martin Liebman writes that the mix "captures the very essence of Taxi Driver's varied soundtrack with ease," adding that "clarity and definition are top-shelf as they are." Click here to read a full audio review.

Taxi Driver 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

For those of you who love a good SteelBook, you're in for a real treat. The front and rear cover art is minimalist but striking, capturing the film's tone and tenor in two shots. Inside, the 4K and 1080p discs overlap but are easy enough to remove (though I can't help but wish overlapping discs were a thing of the past). A digital copy code is included as well. Extras are comprehensive and extensive; just don't expect much in the way of new content that hasn't been made available before. The following is a breakdown of the special features you'll find:

• Making Taxi Driver (Disc 1, SD, 71 minutes) - A lengthy look at the production, release and enduring legacy of the film, complete with vintage interviews from a later anniversary release. The only downside? It's clearly a standard definition doc, making for a bit of a rough watch.

• Intro to Storyboards by Martin Scorsese (Disc 1, HD, 5 minutes) - Scorsese discusses the importance of storyboards.

• Storyboard to Film Comparison (Disc 1, HD, 8 minutes) - Storyboards appear alongside scenes from the film.

• Taxi Driver Photo Galleries (Disc 1, HD)

• 20th Anniversary Re-Release Trailer (Disc 1, HD, 2 minutes)

• Audio Commentaries (Disc 2) - Three commentary tracks are included, all of which are worth a listen. First, is a 1986 commentary with Scorsese and Schrader (recorded for The Criterion Collection), second is a commentary by film professor Robert Kolker, and finally there's a more recent track with Schrader going solo.

• Tribeca Film Festival 40th Anniversary Q&A (Disc 2, HD, 42 minutes) - This engaging Q&A at the Beacon Theatre features hosts Jane Rosenthal, Mara Webster and Kent Jones with Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd, Paul Schrader, Michael Phillips and Harvey Keitel.

• Producing Taxi Driver (Disc 2, HD, 10 minutes) - Producer Michael Phillips discusses his role in the film and the tug of war battles between the filmmakers and the studio, along with several interview bits from Schrader sprinkled in for good measure.

• God's Lonely Man (Disc 2, HD, 22 minutes) - A character featurette with a deep-dive on Travis Bickle.

• Influence And Appreciation: A Martin Scorsese Tribute (Disc 2, HD, 19 minutes) - Oliver Stone, Paul Schrader, Roger Corman, Robert De Niro, Robert Kolker, and others chat all things Scorsese... or at least as much as you could expect in under twenty minutes.

• Taxi Driver Stories (Disc 2, HD, 22 minutes) - Real cab drivers talk about running fares in the '70s.

• Martin Scorsese on Taxi Driver (Disc 2, HD, 17 minutes) - More recent thoughts from the director.

• Travis' New York (Disc 2, HD, 6 minutes) - Thoughts and reflections on New York City in the 1970s, courtesy of cinematographer Michael Chapman and former mayor Ed Koch.

• Travis' New York Locations (Disc 2, HD, 4 minutes)

• Taxi Driver Theatrical Trailer (SD, 2 minutes)

Taxi Driver 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There's no question: Taxi Driver is one of the best films to come out of the 1970s and arguably one of the best films of all time. Watching it in 4K is an experience unto itself, made that much more thrilling thanks to Sony's stunning 4K presentation, excellent DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, and massive assortment of supplements. This is, hands down, a must-own 4K release.