US (1976): Drama
This film is the definitive cinematic portrait of loneliness and alienation manifested as violence. It is as if director Martin Scorsese and screenwriter Paul Schrader had tapped into precisely the same source of psychological inspiration ("I just knew I had to make this film," Scorsese would later say), combined with a perfectly timed post-Watergate expression of personal, political, and societal anxiety. Robert De Niro, as the tortured, ex-Marine cab driver Travis Bickle, made movie history with his chilling performance as one of the most memorably intense and vividly realized characters ever committed to film. Bickle is a self-appointed vigilante who views his urban beat as an intolerable cesspool of blighted humanity. He plays guardian angel for a young prostitute (Jodie Foster), but not without violently devastating consequences. Scorsese's cast also features Cybill Shepherd, Peter Boyle and Harvey Keitel.
This masterpiece, which is not for all tastes, is sure to horrify some viewers, but few could deny the film's lasting power and importance. (Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com)
The film ranked #47 on the AFI list of "100 Years... 100 Movies" and #22 on the AFI's subsequent list of "100 Years... 100 Thrills".
4 nominations
· Best Picture 1976: Michael Phillips & Julia Phillips - Producers (Bill/Phillips-Scorsese, Columbia)
· Actor 1976: Robert De Niro
· Supporting Actress 1976: Jodie Foster
· Music Scoring Awards (Best Original Score) 1976: Bernard Herrmann