Written and directed by Paul Schrader, Hardcore is the story of a conservative businessman who goes on a search for his daughter as it is believed that she has taken part in the culture of pornography. The film is a study of a man who enters into a subculture of sadomasochism and pornography to find his daughter believing she has descended into a world of decadence and exploitation. Starring George C. Scott, Season Hubley, Peter Boyle, and Dick Sargent. Hardcore is a haunting yet rapturous film from Paul Schrader.
The film is set in the subculture of pornography, prostitution, and other forms of adult entertainment where the daughter of a Calvinist businessman from Grand Rapids, Michigan has disappeared into that world during a trip to Los Angeles as she never returned prompting her father to go into the world to find her. It’s a film that has a man with strong conservative values as he is a single father trying to run various businesses he owns in this small town of Grand Rapids while raising his daughter the right way with the help of his sister and her husband who have a family of their own. Paul Schrader’s screenplay has a straightforward narrative yet it’s more about a man venturing into a dark underworld of sex as it is far removed from everything he knows about as he seeks the help of a private investigator who is warning him about what he’s about to enter and maybe not want to have his daughter return home.
For Jake Van Dorn (George C. Scott), his journey to find his daughter and return her home forces him to enter this dark world and learn about its culture of sadomasochism, 8mm porno films, peep shows, prostitution and such that he has never been in contact with despite the fact that there is a porno theater in his home town where he would see his daughter Kristen (Ilah Davis) in a 8mm porno film. Kristen was part of a Calvinist-sponsored trip to California with her cousin only to not return as Van Dorn and his brother-in-law Wes (Dick Sargent) go to Los Angeles where they try to get help from the police as they turn to an unconventional private detective in Andy Mast (Peter Boyle) who doesn’t do things by the book as he also visits porno shoots and such to find out what happened to Kristen. Yet, Van Dorn is forced to do things himself as well as dress sleazier to be part of the world where he meets a young prostitute/porn actress in Niki (Season Hubley) who knows the men that was in the film that Kristen was in. Niki would take him closer to this world as she would finally find someone she can talk to other than just be used for sex.
Schrader’s direction is largely straightforward though he doesn’t go too far into showcasing the dark world of pornography as there’s nothing explicit shown as it is more about Van Dorn’s reaction of what he is seeing and the world his daughter has ventured into. Shot on locations in and near Grand Rapids, Michigan as well as parts of Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco, Schrader uses Grand Rapids as a place of peace, decency, and ty of people that know and respect each other. It’s sort of disconnected by what is going on in society yet there are places that not even Van Dorn is aware of. Schrader’s usage of the medium and wide shots help play into that world as well as a sense of intimacy that is prevalent into Van Dorn’s home and the home of his sister. Schrader’s usage of close-ups would play into the emotional turmoil that Van Dorn would endure as his portrayal of California’s pornography scene is raw and uncompromising despite the lack of male full-frontal nudity.
Schrader’s direction also play into this fish out of water mentality that Van Dorn would feel as he would change his clothes from straight-laced suits to a look that is reminiscent of pimps and producers. Notably as he would pretend to be a porn producer and try to find the actors who appeared in the porno his daughter was in. The film’s third act that has Van Dorn traveling to San Diego and San Francisco to find an actor who might know Kristen’s whereabouts does show Schrader easing up the drama as Van Dorn is accompanied by Niki as it play into Van Dorn’s own faults as a man as well as the fact that he just tries to provide Kristen with a good life while he also shows concern for Niki, who is stuck in the world of porn and prostitution, as he offers a chance to leave this world. Still, there is that air of reality and cynicism that Van Dorn has to endure as well as revelations about his daughter and what she went through. Overall, Schrader crafts a visceral yet intense film about a father going into the dark world of pornography to find his daughter.
Cinematographer Michael Chapman does excellent work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of stylish lights for the scenes set at night that also include some naturalistic lighting for some of the daytime exterior scenes. Editor Tom Rolf does terrific work with the editing as it is largely straightforward as it play into the drama with a few stylish cuts that play into Van Dorn’s confrontations with a few individuals involved with Kristen’s disappearance. Production designer Paul Sylbert, with set decorator Bruce Weintraub and art director Edwin O’Donovan, does fantastic work with the look of some of the seedy brothels, strip clubs, and other porno places in California including the theater in Grand Rapids.
Sound mixer Bud Maffett does superb work for the sound in capturing the mood of the locations as well as some effects that occur in some of intense moments of action. The film’s music by Jack Nitzsche is wonderful for its mixture of blues and country to play into some of the sleaziness that Van Dorn encounters while the soundtrack also features original electronic music pieces by Jill Fraser and Rob Miller that play into the dark night life of California while the rest of the soundtrack feature a mixture of blues, country, and rock as it feature pieces by Mink Deville, Susan Raye, Byron Berline, and Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young.
The casting by Vic Ramos is great as it feature some notable small roles from Tracey Walters as a porno store teller, Bibi Besch as a designer for Van Dorn’s company, Bobby Kosser as a porn director, Ed Begley Jr. as an actor playing a soldier for a porn film, Hal Williams as an African-American porn actor that auditions for a fake film Van Dorn is producing who spouts some hilarious lines, Marc Alaimo as a controversial porn figure in Ratan, Leonard Gaines as the sleazy porn producer Bill Ramada, Gary Graham and Will Walker as a couple of porn actors who appeared in the film that Kristen was in, and Ilah Davis as Van Dorn’s daughter Kristen as a young woman who disappears and then reappears in an 8mm porno film. Dick Sargent is superb as Van Dorn’s brother-in-law Wes DeJong as a man who becomes concerned with Van Dorn’s well-being as well as going to the police and later Mast for help.
Peter Boyle is brilliant as Andy Mast as an unconventional yet pessimistic detective who makes some chilling discoveries about Kristen while warning Van Dorn to not go any further as he is a flawed man that likes young girls and can be cruel but he is also someone who doesn’t bullshit when it comes to the dark realities of the world. Season Hubley is amazing as Niki as a porn actress/prostitute whom Van Dorn meets as she knows one of the actors in Kristen’s film as she helps Van Dorn while trying to understand his values as she sees a father figure in him as it play into her own troubled life and need for salvation. Finally, there’s George C. Scott in a phenomenal performance as Jake Van Dorn as a devoted Calvinist who is also a successful businessman in Grand Rapids who is given a rude awakening about what happened to his daughter as he copes with the world she’s in and the denial he might be carrying as it is an eerie and tormented performance from Scott who definitely provides some intense emotional moments as a man just dealing with things he might not be ready to cope with.
Hardcore is an incredible film from Paul Schrader that features a great performance from George C. Scott. Along with strong supporting work from Peter Boyle and Season Hubley as well as its study of a man entering into the decadent world of pornography to find his daughter. It is an unsettling yet engrossing film that explores a man being tested as well as be forced to examine his own faults as a man and as a father. In the end, Hardcore is a phenomenal film from Paul Schrader.
Paul Schrader Films: Blue Collar - American Gigolo - Cat People (1982 film) - Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters - (Light of Day) – (Patty Hearst) – (The Comfort of Strangers) – (Light Sleeper) – (Witch Hunt) – (Touch) – Affliction - (Forever Mine) – (Auto Focus) – (Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist) – (The Walker) – (Adam Resurrected) – (The Canyons) – Dying of the Light - (Dog Eat Dog) – First Reformed - (The Card Counter)
© thevoid99 2020
Written, directed, and shot by Haskell Wexler, Medium Cool is the story of a TV news cameraman who goes right into the center of the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago as he deals with what to film making him question about what to tell where news media becomes more scripted. The film is a dramatic interpretation of the events of 1968 in Chicago as it showcases a world that is unraveling as it’s told in an in-your-face cinematic style to comment about what is shown and what isn’t shown. Starring Robert Forster, Verna Bloom, Peter Bonerz, Marianna Hill, and Harold Blankenship. Medium Cool is a gripping and evocative film from Haskell Wexler.
The film follows a cameraman trying to get some good stories to tell in Chicago just months before the Democratic National Convention where he deals with the chaos of the year including assassinations, the Vietnam War, race riots, and all sorts of shit. It’s a film that play into the world of media coverage where a cameraman is trying to find some meaning through what he sees yet he finds himself being told what to shoot and create an angle just as the world is going into disarray. Haskell Wexler’s script is loose in its presentation as it blurs the line between fantasy and reality where the main narrative revolves around the cameraman John Catselas (Robert Forster) as a man just trying to find some idea of what is really going on as he’s joined by his soundman Gus (Peter Bonerz).
During this time to search for compelling stories including one about a cab driver who found an envelope with $10,000, Catselas finds himself at odds with bosses over what to tell as they’re interested in gathering footage and sources for the FBI. It adds to Catselas’ own emotional turmoil as his relationships with some people falter just as he’s befriend a woman named Eileen (Verna Bloom) who had just moved from West Virginia to Chicago with her son Harold (Harold Blankenship) while her husband is away at Vietnam. Eileen represents someone who had lived in a part of the world that is sort of disconnected from the chaos of what is happening right now as she has trouble adjusting to her new environment.
Wexler’s direction is engaging and confrontational in its blur of reality and fiction where it aims for this hand-held documentary style in capturing real events that are unfolding throughout the film but also with the dramatic narrative. Shot on location in Chicago, Wexler who serves as the film’s cinematographer and one of many camera operators aims for this realistic approach to this story of a man trying to find meaning in the news just as the news itself is becoming compromised and scripted. While there’s some wide shots in the film, much of the direction is intimate with its usage of close-ups and medium shots as it play into the action that is going on while Wexler also use audio and video clips of the events that are unfolding in 1968 playing into this air of chaos that is on the rise. The direction also has this loose tone where Wexler showcases the life that Catselas had before meeting Eileen and questioning his role as a cameraman as the film opens with him and Gus on a highway where they find a wounded woman lying out of her car following an accident.
Wexler’s direction and photography maintains an air of realism in the visuals including scenes at a night club where Catselas and Eileen watch a band play as well as dance to the music. It would culminate with the real-life events in and out of the Democratic National Convention where Wexler and his team of camera operators just film what is going on while Eileen is walking around trying to find her son. The sense of chaos, violence, and danger add to this air of realism where reality and fiction would blur as it play into these events where some news outlets refuse to report this riot but others realize there is something important happening as it relates to what Catselas is trying to do as a news cameraman. Overall, Wexler crafts a riveting and haunting film about a news cameraman trying to find a story for the world to know in a media that’s been compromised.
Editor Verna Fields does excellent work with the editing in its usage of jump-cuts and some montages to capture the action and chaos that occur throughout the film. Art director Leon Erickson does nice work with the look of the apartment that Eileen lives that is a total contrast to the more spacious apartment loft that Catselas lives in. Sound editor Kay Rose does fantastic work with the sound in capturing all of the sound clips from news reports as well as the chaos that is happening outside of the Democratic National Convention. The film’s music by Mike Bloomfield is amazing for its mixture of folk and rock that play into some of the dark humor of the film with some instrumental pieces by the Mothers of Invention and Love.
The film’s superb cast feature some notable small roles from Peter Boyle as a gun clinic manager, Christine Bergstrom as a news staff member/lover of Catselas in Dede, and Charles Geary as Harold’s father in flashback scenes. Marianna Hill is wonderful as Catselas’ lover Ruth who spends time at his loft while questioning about his ideals towards the news. Harold Blankenship is fantastic as Harold as Eileen’s son who is dealing with his dreary situation as well as wondering when his dad is going to come back home. Peter Bonerz is terrific as Gus as Catselas’ sound man who accompany him to the assignment as he is also concerned about where the news media is going. Verna Bloom is brilliant as Eileen as a former schoolteacher from West Virginia who has moved to Chicago as she deals with her new surroundings while befriending Catselas as she ponders about her husband who is in Vietnam. Finally, there’s Robert Forster in an amazing performance as John Catselas as a news cameraman who is dealing with the growing turmoil in the news media as he wants to capture real stories that mean something as it starts to affect his personal life as he finds solace in Eileen.
Medium Cool is a sensational film from Haskell Wexler. Featuring a great cast, a commentary about news media in the late 1960s, haunting visuals, and a riveting music soundtrack. It’s a film that explore a moment in time that would prove to be not just a turning point in American history but also its exploration of a man wanting to capture the truth and be part of it despite the compromise he has to endure in his line of work. In the end, Medium Cool is a spectacular film from Haskell Wexler.
© thevoid99 2019
Directed by Mel Damski and written by Graham Chapman, Peter Cook, and David McKenna with additional work by David Sherlock, Yellowbeard is about a pirate who goes on the search for his lost treasure while trying to avoid the Royal Navy who want to increase his 20 year tax evasion sentence by 140 years. The film is an offbeat comedy that has Graham Chapman in the titular role as he copes with changing times and other rivals trying to vie for the treasure. Also starring Peter Boyle, Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong, Peter Cook, Madeline Kahn, James Mason, Eric Idle, Peter Bull, Martin Hewitt, Michael Hordern, John Cleese, and Marty Feldman. Yellowbeard is a very silly but whimsical film from Mel Damski.
The film revolves a notorious pirate named Yellowbeard who had stolen some treasure from a Spanish despot only to eventually to captured and sent to prison for 20 years on tax evasion only to escape after learning his sentence has been extended to 140 years. Upon his escape, he learns from his estranged wife that he has a 20-year old son while stowing away on a merchant ship that had been taken over by his former first mate and a henchman. The film’s screenplay does have a straightforward narrative yet it is very messy as it relates to many of the situations that is happening as well as the multitude of characters involved that all want a piece of this long-lost treasure. Some of the characters are interesting but others such as Yellowbeard’s son in Dan (Martin Hewitt) aren’t so interesting as he is introduced to the world of piracy and the only reason Yellowbeard has him around because he has the map on top of his head.
Mel Damski’s direction is definitely all over the place in terms of trying to capture all of the natural elements of comedy as well as do whatever to keep the laughs going. Shot on location in England and the scenes on the beach set in Mexico, the film definitely plays into this very chaotic world of piracy where much of Damski’s compositions are straightforward but also playful. Still, the weak aspects of the script doesn’t give Damski a lot to do in creating scenes to help drive the story more in favor of trying to bring in as much laughs as he can. Some of it is very funny and definitely help create moments that are enjoyable yet there are moments where the attempt at humor feels forced. Even as it tries so much to really create something that is exciting and fun where it would succeed for some of the film’s climax but would also fall flat in some parts as it relates to Yellowbeard seeing women and raping them. Overall, Damski creates a worthwhile but very messy film about a pirate trying to reclaim the treasure that he had buried twenty years ago.
Cinematographer Gerry Fisher does excellent work with the cinematography as it play into the sunny locations of the beach and the island as well as some unique lighting for the scenes at night. Editor William H. Reynolds does terrific work with the editing as it mostly straightforward to play into the comedy and sense of adventure in the film. Production designer Joseph R. Jennings does brilliant work with the design of some of the interiors in the frigates as well as in the designs of some of the places in England and on the island. Costume designer Stephen Miles does nice work with the costumes from the ragged clothing of the pirates as well as the lavish clothing of the Spanish despot and his majordomo. Sound mixers Brian Simmons and Manuel Topete do superb work with the sound in capturing some of the action as well as the funny moments in the film. The film’s music by John Morris is wonderful for its bombastic orchestral score that play into the adventure as well as some of its humor.
The casting by Michael McLean is fantastic as it feature notable cameo appearances from Peter Bull as Queen Anne, Susannah York as Lady Churchill, Spike Milligan as a flunkie, and David Bowie as a shark. Other notable small roles include Greta Blackburn as a prostitute disguised as a naval officer, Beryl Reid as Lady Lambourn, Nigel Planer as Commander Clement’s aide Mansel, Stacey Nelkin as the despot’s daughter Triola, Kenneth Mars in a dual role as a naval officer and the despot’s torture machine creator Verudo, and James Mason in a terrific role as the naval officer Captain Hughes. John Cleese is terrific as a blind spy named Harvey Pew who works for the government and for anyone that pays him while Madeline Kahn is wonderful as Yellowbeard’s estranged wife Betty who told him about Dan and wants a share of the treasure. Michael Hordern is excellent as Dr. Gilpin who helps Yellowbeard in the quest while Peter Cook is hilarious as Lord Lambourn who also joins the journey as he has some funny moments.
Cheech Marin and Thomas Chong are superb in their respective roles as the Spanish majordomo and despot with Marin as an insubordinate who always insults his leader while Chong acts as a buffoon who thinks he’s a god. Martin Hewitt’s performance as Yellowbeard’s son Dan is really dull and awkward where he never does anything to make the character interesting as he‘s just there. Eric Idle is brilliant as Commander Clement as a Royal Navy officer who is determined to find the treasure and bring ruin to Yellowbeard as well as become a ruler of his own. Peter Boyle is amazing as Yellowbeard’s former first-mate Moon who betrayed Yellowbeard as he pretends to be a naval officer just so he can find the treasure and keep it for himself. Marty Feldman is great in his final film performance as Gilbert as Moon’s friend who escapes prison as he tries to do whatever to help Moon while being very funny in anything he’s in. Finally, there’s Graham Chapman in a crazed and fun performance as the titular character as it’s very over-the-top but it’s never dull as he just does whatever he can to bring laughs as well as be a very despicable yet fun character.
Yellowbeard is a good but very messy film from Mel Damski. While it does have a great ensemble cast and some funny moments, it’s a film that definitely isn’t for everyone in terms of its offbeat humor though it is entertaining no matter how messy it is. In the end, Yellowbeard is a fine film from Mel Damski.
© thevoid99 2017
Based on the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Young Frankenstein is about the grandson of Dr. Frankenstein who decides to create the same experiment his grandfather did with some hilarious results. Directed by Mel Brooks and screenplay by Brooks and Gene Wilder, the film is a spoof of sorts of the monster movies where it plays up into the myth and legends of the Frankenstein monster while being filled with a lot of absurd innuendos. Starring Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Teri Garr, Madeline Kahn, Kenneth Mars, Cloris Leachman, Marty Feldman, and Gene Hackman. Young Frankenstein is a stylish and hilarious film from Mel Brooks.
Set in the 20th Century, the film is the simple story of a scientist, who is the grandson of Victor von Frankenstein, as he inherited a house in Transylvania where he ends up recreating the same experiment that his grandfather did many years ago. It’s a film that plays up the story of Frankenstein but in a somewhat modern setting where Dr. Frankenstein’s grandson Frederick (Gene Wilder) is trying to deny his family heritage by having his surname be pronounced as “Fron-ken-steen”. The film’s screenplay doesn’t just spoof Mary Shelley’s novel in some ways but also add some absurdity into the film as it relates to the people Frederick Frankenstein meets such as a descendant of Frankenstein’s assistant Igor whose grandson (Marty Feldman) shares the same name but is pronounced “Eye-gore”. It also has these elements that play into the modern world though the people of Transylvania aren’t happy about Frankenstein’s grandson in their hometown as well as the idea that he might do the same experiment that terrorized the town so many years ago.
The screenplay is also filled with a lot of gags as it relates to Dr. Frankenstein’s old housekeeper Frau Buchler (Cloris Leachman) where horses get antsy whenever her surname is spoken. A lot of the gags in the film doesn’t just play into some of the offbeat humor of the film but also in moments that involve the creature (Peter Boyle) who was supposed to have the brain of a deceased yet revered historian but circumstances led to all sorts of trouble. Even as the creature would do things that are also offbeat in its own way that includes a spoof of sorts about the creature meeting a young girl just like the original 1931 film by James Whale.
Mel Brooks’ direction definitely owes a lot to the early horror films and monster movies of the 1930s while it also bears elements of modern-day filmmaking. Shot in soundstages, the film definitely plays up to that air of classic Hollywood where it isn’t afraid to be artificial but also have fun with it. Many of Brooks’ compositions are quite simple in terms of its framing and the way he creates these lively and often improvised moments in the comedy. Notably in a short but hilarious sequence where the monster meets a blind hermit (Gene Hackman) as it is a whole lot of fun to watch while Brooks uses some wide and medium shots to capture the whole sequence. There are also these moments that is a homage to the 1931 James Whale film such as the machine that is used to create the monster as it’s the actual machine that was used from the original by its original designer Kenneth Strickfaden. Brooks’ approach to some of the intimacy in the film as well as the non-comical moments have him use some close-ups while providing subtle bits of humor without deterring too much from the story. Overall, Brooks creates a very witty and entertaining film about Dr. Frankenstein’s grandson carrying the legacy he tried to run away from.
Cinematographer Gerald Hirschfeld does brilliant work with the film‘s black-and-white photography as it has this very atmospheric look in the photography with Hirschfeld providing some unique lighting and moods for many of the interior/exterior scenes in the film. Editor John C. Howard does excellent work with the film‘s very stylized editing with its usage of transition wipes, iris outs, dissolves, and other stylish cutting techniques to not just play with the humor but also pay tribute to the editing style of the past. Production designer Dale Hennesy and set decorator Robert de Vestel do amazing work with the look of Dr. Frankenstein‘s home as well as the town and the lab that features the original props from the original 1931 film.
Costume designer Dorothy Jeakins does nice work with the costumes as it is a mixture of the period clothes of the past with some of the modern suits that Frankenstein wears. Makeup creator William Tuttle does fantastic work with the look of the creature as well as the look of the blind hermit. Sound editor Don Hall does terrific work with the sound from the way the thunderstorms and lightning sound to the way some of the machines sound like. The film’s music by John Morris is wonderful as its orchestral score play into some of the humor and light-dramatic moments as well as an inspired and hilarious usage of the standard Puttin’ on the Ritz.
The casting by Jane Feinberg and Mike Fenton do incredible work with the casting as it include some notable small roles from Richard Haydn as an executor of Dr. Frankenstein’s estate, Rolfe Sedan in a dual role as a train conductor in America and in Europe, Danny Goldman as a medical student who is interested in Frankenstein’s heritage, and Gene Hackman in a superb cameo as the blind hermit Harold as it’s a very funny brief role from Hackman who does a lot with the few minutes he’s in. Kenneth Mars is fantastic as Inspector Kemp as this one-eyed police inspector with a prosthetic right arm who is suspicious about Frankenstein where he keeps an eye on him while also being very funny. Cloris Leachman is brilliant as Frau Buchler as Dr. Frankenstein’s housekeeper who has a secret about Frankenstein’s grandfather as she would play a role in the monster’s freedom.
Madeline Kahn is excellent as Frankenstein’s fiancée Elizabeth as this socialite who wants to remain pure as Kahn is just delightful to watch while her scene in meeting the monster is just a riot. Marty Feldman is phenomenal as Igor as Frankenstein’s humpback assistant who is also the grandson of the original Igor as he says some very funny things as well as create a moment that would inspire one of the greatest rock songs ever made. Teri Garr is amazing as Inga as Frankenstein’s assistant who would also have her funny moments but also be someone who can calm Frankenstein where she would eventually become his love interest. Peter Boyle is great as the monster as this large man with an abnormal brain where Boyle doesn’t get to say much but his physical presence and awkward comedic timing makes him a joy to watch as he nearly steals the film from everyone. Finally, there’s Gene Wilder in a sensational performance as Frederick Frankenstein as this man of science who is reluctant to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps where his desire for recognition in the field has him crazed where Wilder is full of energy and bravado in what is one of his defining performances.
Young Frankenstein is a spectacular film from Mel Brooks that features great performances from Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Teri Garr, Marty Feldman, and Madeline Kahn. Along with a superb supporting cast, visual homage to the 1931 James Whale film, gorgeous visuals, and some hilarious moments. It’s a film that isn’t just one of the most inventive comedies ever made but it’s also a film that manages to be entertaining through and through. In the end, Young Frankenstein is a tremendous film from Mel Brooks.
Mel Brooks Films: The Producers - (Twelve Chairs) - Blazing Saddles - (Silent Movie) - High Anxiety - (History of the World, Part 1) - Spaceballs - (Life Stinks) - Robin Hood: Men in Tights - (Dracula: Dead and Loving It)
© thevoid99 2016
Directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Paul Schrader, Taxi Driver is the story of a former U.S. marine who has become a taxi driver in New York City. Alienated by his surroundings and unable to connect, he decides to plot an assassination against a political candidate while he befriends a 12-year old hooker as he wonders what to do. The film is an exploration into a man dealing with his isolation and the world he’s surrounded by as he tries to connect while becoming unhinged by what’s happening around him. Starring Robert de Niro, Cybill Shepherd, Jodie Foster, Harvey Keitel, Albert Brooks, and Peter Boyle. Taxi Driver is a dark yet mesmerizing film from Martin Scorsese.
The film is about this lonely man who works as a taxi driver in New York City as he is troubled by what goes on in the city. Unable to connect with people as he makes various attempts that fail. He starts to go mad as he hopes to kill a famed political candidate in order to get some attention as he is also intrigued by a 12-year old prostitute who he hopes to help. In this journey that Travis Bickle (Robert de Niro) ventures into, it’s the story of this lonely man who feels isolated by the world around him as he’s just trying to make a living yet is troubled by his surroundings. He does descend into madness after a date with a campaign volunteer in Betsy (Cybill Shepherd) doesn’t go well due to his lack of social skills. There, he turns into dark and violent thoughts while wanting to help this young hooker named Iris (Jodie Foster) so she can return home and stay away from this dark world that includes a pimp named Sport (Harvey Keitel).
Paul Schrader’s screenplay explores a man’s isolation and his descent as he finds himself dealing with the chaos that he’s in. Yet, there is a semblance of humanity in Travis Bickle as he tries whatever it takes to connect with people as he often confides in another cab driver named Wizard (Peter Boyle). Still, his attempts are often misguided when he takes Betsy on a date by going to a porn theater. It’s not just that Bickle has poor social skills, it’s just that he is in a world that is in ruins and some of the passengers he meets are very despicable people including Sport whom he treats Iris like a father figure and a lover. Driven by this sense of isolation and the duty to wanting to set things right. He decides to go after this political candidate named Palantine (Leonard Harris) in order to bring things back to balance but things eventually become complicated. With Iris’ troubles, Bickle offers to help her out but she is unsure if she wants to come home as it gives Bickle a reason to do something.
Schrader’s script is very layered in terms of its presentation as it features a lot of voice-over narration to reflect on Bickle’s isolation and paranoia as he would state things like “I’m God’s lonely man”. There’s elements of film noir in the narration and in the narrative of the script but there’s also a bit of plot schematics of the western that is involved. A lot of which had to do with Bickle playing cowboy in order to save Iris from this dark and seedy world. Yet, in the wake of what Bickle might do. There comes a lot of questions about the aftermath whether Bickle has become better for his actions or has it made him worse.
Martin Scorsese’s direction is very entrancing for the way he explores a man’s isolation set in mid-1970s New York City where it’s a place that is truly troubled by its decay. Notably as he uses a lot of unique framing devices and stylish presentation to convey this sense of isolation and intimacy that is present in the mind of Travis Bickle. With the use of slow-motion camera shots that would either convey a desire that Bickle wants or to establish his descent. There is something in the film’s direction where Scorsese that is unsettling yet very hypnotic in the way he slowly goes for a close-up and to play out Bickle’s madness. Even in one of the film’s most famous moments in which Bickle talks to himself in a mirror and say “you’re talking to me” as it shows Bickle ready to take on the world.
While Scorsese also presents some moments of intimacy in the way Bickle interacts with various characters in some medium shots or in close-ups. Some of it is shown with simplicity but there are moments where it adds a mood to the film as it maintains Bickle’s slow descent. By the third act where Bickle gets ready to kill Palantine, there is that element of suspense of whether Bickle will do something but there is also that sense of trouble where he might just back off. Then there’s the film’s violence where it is very stylized not just in the way Scorsese presents the action but also its impact as it is very disturbing in the way blood looked and such. Overall, Scorsese crafts a very gripping yet visceral film about madness and isolation.
Cinematographer Michael Chapman does amazing work with the film‘s very grimy cinematography from the eerie nighttime look of the city to some of the more haunting interior colors in some scenes set at night. Editors Marcia Lucas, Tom Rolf, and Melvin Shapiro do great work with the editing as it plays an air of style with its jump-cuts and various rhythms to play out the sense of action that occurs throughout the film. Art director Charles Rosen and set decorator Herbert F. Milligan do terrific work with the look of Bickle’s apartment to establish his personality as well as the more colorful look of Iris’ room.
Costume designer Ruth Morley does excellent work with the costumes from the clothes that Iris wears when she works to the stylish clothes of Betsy. Sound mixer Les Lazarowitz does nice work with the sound to capture the chaos of many of the film‘s exterior setting as well as some of the tense moments inside the cab. The film’s music by Bernard Herrmann is truly ravishing for the sense of melancholia that is played in its jazz-based score filled saxophone and jazz scales to capture that sense of decay where it’s seductive but also disturbing as it’s one of Herrmann’s best scores.
The casting by Juliet Taylor is brilliant as it features some wonderful small performances from director Martin Scorsese as a passenger wanting to kill his wife, Leonard Harris as the political candidate Palantine, Richard Higgs as a Secret Service agent, Steve Prince as a gun salesman, and Albert Brooks as a fellow co-worker of Betsy who provides some funny moments in the film. Peter Boyle is great as the veteran cabbie Wizard who provides a lot of insight and wisecracks about what it takes to be a great cab driver. Harvey Keitel is amazing as the pimp Sport as he brings a lot of charisma to a role that is very complex as he’s very fatherly to Iris while he has some very cool exchanges with de Niro. Cybill Shepherd is excellent as Betsy as this woman who is intrigued by Bickle but is also disturbed by his lack of social skills.
Jodie Foster is brilliant as the young prostitute Iris who is curious about why Bickle wants to save her as she is a young girl who is just very confused about what she’s doing as it’s very chilling yet sprawling performance for the actress who was only in her teens at the time. Finally, there’s Robert de Niro in an outstanding performance as Travis Bickle. In this role of a troubled cab driver, de Niro displays the sense of loneliness in his voiceover narration as well as an awkwardness to a man who is really struggling to connect as de Niro also provides a craziness to his performance as it’s definitely one of his best.
Taxi Driver is a magnificent film from Martin Scorsese that features a chilling yet fantastic performance from Robert de Niro. Along with strong supporting performances from Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd, Harvey Keitel, and Peter Boyle. It’s definitely one of Scorsese’s great films as well as one of the most eerie studies in isolation and madness thanks in part to Paul Schrader’s harrowing script. In the end, Taxi Driver is a tremendous film from Martin Scorsese.
Martin Scorsese Films: (Who’s That Knocking on My Door?) - (Street Scenes) - Boxcar Bertha - (Mean Streets) - Italianamerican - Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore - New York, New York - American Boy: A Profile of Steven Prince - (The Last Waltz) - Raging Bull - The King of Comedy - After Hours - The Color of Money - The Last Temptation of Christ - New York Stories-Life Lessons - Goodfellas - Cape Fear (1991 film) - The Age of Innocence - (A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies) - (Casino) - (Kundun) - (My Voyage to Italy) - Bringing Out the Dead - (The Blues-Feel Like Going Home) - Gangs of New York - (The Aviator (2004 film)) - No Direction Home - The Departed - Shine a Light - Shutter Island - (A Letter to Elia) - (Public Speaking) - George Harrison: Living in the Material World - Hugo - The Wolf of Wall Street - (The Fifty Year Argument) - Silence (2016 film) - (The Irishman) - Killers of the Flower Moon - (An Afternoon with SCTV)
© thevoid99 2013
