【The Angry White Male On Acid】 Here is a Man Who Would Not Take it Anymore. The genesis of punk rock had just begun around the time when this classic hit the screen, filling American moviegoers with horrid fascination. One thing however is for certain, Martin Scorsese creates a haunting atmosphere, and Robert DeNiro is brilliant as Travis Bickle. "Taxi Driver" may be many things, but first and foremost it is an unbelievable film from start to finish. I went into this film expecting two things; One, it would live up to its reputation as an artistic masterpiece, and Two, my best friend Randal wouldnt like it. Not only Was "Taxi Driver" a haunting, disturbing, and breathless work, but Randal thought it was to long and talky, only enjoying the violent climax scenes. This film harks back to the post- Vietnam War America, when punk rock began, when the hippie dream went down in flames and when the Son of Sam walked the streets. Scorsese paints the town red (literally), with his visions of soul-crushing loneliness and alienation. This movie marked his coming of age, during an age of hedonism and violence. He creates New York City as a concrete jungle, where only the freaks, the strong, and the morally corrupt survive. Viewing this film on DVD gives us the added plus of seeing the documentary highlighting the "making of" this film. We can also see the publicity materials that were sent out publicizing this film's release and read the screenplay as was originally written by Paul Schrader. In an added bonus, the viewer can jump from the screenplay to the corresponding scene in the film with the touch of a button...a terrific addition to an already chock-filled DVD. I'm going to admit that, before this week, I had never seen this movie before. It upsets me to think that I almost passed up a visual classic. But it will make me think twice before I ride in a cab again.★★★★★