Movie Taxi Driver (1976) American Blu-ray edition cover
On the evening of March 29, 1981, 25-year-old John F. Kennedy Jr. W. Hinckley arrives at the Pike Central Hotel in Washington, D.C.
The next day, John F. Kennedy Jr. W. Hinckley did something that shocked all Americans — he went to the Hilton Hotel on Connecticut Avenue and fired six bullets at 2:25 p.m. at Ronald Reagan (1911-2004), president of the United States who had just been in the White House for 70 days, and Ronald Reagan nearly died.
Footage of the assassination of U.S. President Ronald Reagan on March 30, 1981
The motive for his assassination was simple, in order to gain the attention of Jodie Foster, the star who played the prostitute in Taxi Driver Taxi Driver (1976).
Judy Foster had quit Hollywood at the time to study advanced French and diplomatic history at Yale University.
The image in "Taxi Driver" made her the dream lover of many young people, John F. Kennedy Jr. W. Hinckley is one of them.
John F. Kennedy Jr. W. Hinckley
In order to gain the favor of Judy Foster, John F. Kennedy Jr. W. Hinckley chose a writing program at Yale University and repeatedly wrote and called Judy Foster to express his admiration.
After not receiving a response, the paranoid Little John F. Kennedy W. Hinckley decided to do something to prove his obsession.
So he chose a "confession" method in "Taxi Driver" to assassinate the president.
Image of Judy Foster in the film Taxi Driver (1976).
Before the operation, he left Judy Foster a letter with the following words: "I hope to make you change the way you think of me by sacrificing your freedom, and possibly your life." "After the assassination failed, John F. Kennedy Jr. W. Hinckley was arrested.
But then his parents defended their son with huge fortunes, claiming that John F. Kennedy Jr. W. Hinckley suffered from a serious mental illness. Under the nearly million-dollar "escort navigation", John F. Kennedy Jr. W. Hinckley was acquitted and moved to St. Elizabeth's Psychiatric Hospital.
On March 30, 1981, U.S. President Ronald Reagan, under the protection of bodyguards, was taken to the hospital
A sentence in his defense surprised the public: "I have watched 'Taxi Driver' 15 times. ”......
In December 2005, a federal judge ruled that he was no longer violent and could begin visiting him regularly.
Ronald Reagan's children and most Americans could not understand the behavior, and Ronald Reagan's daughter suspected him of being a liar, cheating on doctors.
After the release of John F. Kennedy Jr. W. Hinckley
Ronald Reagan died at home on June 5, 2004, at the age of 93.
[Screenwriter Paul Schrader completed the script in ten days]
Everyone says that Paul Schrader had an unhappy childhood. Parents who are Calvinists did not fulfill their parental responsibilities, and instead, it became common to scold Paul Schrader.
Location of the film Naked Hardcore (1979), paul Schrader
His father often used wires to whip Paul Schrader, and his mother had a "crush on broomsticks." Movies at the time, like many American popular cultures, were treated as Satan's "masterpieces" and were ruthlessly restricted.
Paul Schrader watched his first film at the age of 17 and he was immediately hooked: "I fell in love with movies because movies were taboo at the time. ”
Paul Schrader
Paul Schrader moved to Los Angeles in the late 1960s, and his childhood experiences haunted him like a lingering nightmare, with neurological cramps, asthma, ulcers, and speech disorders.
But his enthusiasm for film has not diminished in the slightest, and Paul Schrader likes to wear a military jacket and police boots to watch movies.
Video by Robert De Niro in the film Taxi Driver (1976).
With the help of film critic Pauline Kyle Pauline Kael (1919-2001), Paul Schrader entered the film department of the prestigious University of California, Los Angeles, where he later found his first career as a film critic in Free Speech in Los Angeles.
In 1972, Paul Schrader's affair with studio publicist Beverly Walker was exposed and his marriage broke down. Soon after, Beverly Walker also kicked him out of the apartment.
Location of the movie Taxi Driver (1976), from left: Paul Schrader, Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro
Helpless, he had to drive around the streets at night, numbing himself with alcohol and vulgar little movies.
Soon after, Paul Schrader was admitted to the hospital with a stomach ulcer attack.
During this time, Paul Schrader read some of the works of writer Arthur Bremo, a reclusive Milwaukee man who had attempted to assassinate Alabama Administrator George Warren during his presidential campaign.
Combining some of his own experiences, like a beast that came out of his mind, Paul Schrader created the image of a taxi driver: lonely, irritable, and without any particularly distinctive personality.
"In a movie you can show something you can't do in a chaotic reality."
After being discharged from the hospital, Paul Schrader spent ten days writing the script for Taxi Driver, projecting his inner fanaticism, partly from his own personal experiences of growing up in New York and his penchant for firearms; partly from Jean Paul Sartre's first "existentialist" novel, Disgusting Nausea; and partly from his experience of studying Arthur Bremo's diary. Arthur Bremo was the man who assassinated Alabama.
Taxi Driver borrows the lens of Travis Bicker (Robert De Niro), a soldier who fought in the Vietnam War, to look at American society.
After returning to New York, he was overwhelmed by insomnia all night.
So he got a job as a taxi driver, hoping to adjust his life. He vowed to work whenever and wherever he wanted— for his insomnia and for his financial problems.
Trapping himself in a taxi like a cocoon, Travis, wandering the streets full of sin and dirt, carrying different passengers, has also seen the world's many things: mercenary, disgusting pimps, a husband who is confused about his emotional life, and "We are the people" as the presidential candidate for the political program... He believes that "one day there will be a heavy rain that will wash away all the evils on the street".
Images of Robert De Niro and Sibel Sherborn in the film Taxi Driver (1976).
Travis falls in love with Beth (Played by Sibil Shepard), a blonde woman who works for presidential candidate Paladin. After gathering enough courage to confess, he took Beth to see a pornographic movie, and an angry Beth left alone, and Travis was once again alone.
That's when he meets Alice (Judy Foster) and the disgusting pimp Spott (Harvey Keitel).
Image of Robert De Niro and Judy Foster (right) in the film Taxi Driver (1976).
Travis wants to take Alice out of the sea of suffering, but Alice refuses to leave Spot.
After a series of setbacks, Travis vented his anger on the presidential candidate Paladin, who decided to assassinate Himardin.
Despite his meticulous planning, his clumsy movements and conspicuous head shape caught the attention of his bodyguards, and the assassination was unsuccessful.
So he turned the muzzle of his gun to Spot and his men. After a bloody, almost twisted brawl, Travis kills Spot and the others, saving Alice.
【The mutual wrestling between the parties before and after the shooting】
Paul Schrader's screenplay was appreciated by Michael Phillips and Julia Phillips, producers of The Third Kind of Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), who bought the rights to sell the script for $1,000 and began contacting studios about filming, but they were rejected because the themes expressed in the film were too extreme.
From left: Martin Scorsese, Paul Schrader, Michael Phillips
Julia Philip realized she needed some celebrities to boost the film's reputation. After a rough cut of Poor Streets/Brutal Streets (1973), she chose Martin Scorsese, who was immediately drawn to the script.
Martin Scorsese read the script of Taxi Driver, as did his partners, and they were so happy with it that they agreed that this was exactly what Martin Scorsese should make.
Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro on the set of the film Taxi Driver (1976).
Martin Scorsese said: "I almost thought I wrote the script myself. I could feel all the intentions it wanted to express, and the constant flow of inspiration made me immediately feel the urge to take over this film. ”
Robert De Niro, who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for Godfather 2 The Godfather: Part II (1974), was also drawn to the film and prepared to star in Travis.
Warner Bros. Pictures was willing to invest in the film, but they eventually recouped the money because some of the claims that some of the film's dangerous, violent scenes would result in the film's revenue falling below $1 million.
So Michael Phillips persuaded Steven Spielberg to do some publicity for the film.
Steven Spielberg, a friend of Martin Scorsese, recommended the film to Columbia Pictures, where he told Martin Scorsese that he would work on his own if Columbia did not take over.
Michael Phillips
Robert De Niro had tried to write a script on the subject of political assassinations and told Martin Scorsese the story he had written.
At the time, Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro had only worked together on Poor Streets, and they had different views on the script.
But Robert De Niro, after reading Paul Schrader's script, said it was very similar to his idea, so he abandoned his script and joined the lineup of Taxi Driver.
The film's budget was under $2 million, and Robert De Niro promised to reduce his salary, even though his salary was already a high figure at the time. "He could have asked for hundreds of thousands of dollars, but in the end he only received $35,000."
Martin Scorsese invited 12-year-old Judy Foster to join the film as Alice, a 13-year-old prostitute, but Judy Foster's mother insisted that her eldest daughter Connie take the place of her younger sister in some scenes.
Make-up photo taken by Judy Foster and her stand-in sister Connie
Beth was also played by Martin Scorsese from the original Ferrrah Fawcett to the modelship Sybel Sheball Shepherd, according to Juliet Philip, because Martin Scorsese liked Sybil Sherward's "big ass".
On that suffocating New York summer, Robert De Niro satirized Sybil Sheppod's acting skills, arguing that Beth, played by her, could not express the depth of the character at all.
Image of Sibel Shepard in the film Taxi Driver (1976).
Sibel Sheppod's ex-husband, director Peter Bogdanovich, believes that Robert De Niro is attacking Sibel Sheppod, and he not only rejects her, but also does everything in his power to force Sibel Sheppod away.
Peter Biskind, author of Easy Rider (1969) and Raging Bull Raging Bull (1980), also received an anonymous letter saying, "Robert De Niro treated Judy Foster like a queen, but like crap to Sybel Shepard." ”
On the location of the movie Taxi Driver (1976), Martin Scorsese had the intention of "soaking" Sybil Sheppod, but Sybil Sheppod had no feelings for him
Martin Scorsese then began contacting the young political writer Julia Cameron — julia Cameron later became the wife of Martin Scorsese, and Julia Cameron read the script and had some opinions about Paladin's campaign, hoping she could rewrite it.
Many crew members are suspicious of Julia Cameron because she is more addicted to cocaine than Martin Scorsese.
Images of Martin Scorsese in the film Taxi Driver (1976).
Julia Philippe says Martin Scorsese, who often loses sleep, became obsessed with an idea that turned the film into a tear-jerking romance.
He spent most of his time alone, locking himself in the editing room with wings clipped to film and drinking Dam Perignon champagne while eating sleeping pills. He even made a cameo appearance in the film himself as a minor supporting character because he "doesn't trust anyone." ”
[Robert De Niro is deliberately abnormal for the sake of the role]
Judy Foster has a different opinion of Robert De Niro, who often goes to coffee with Robert De Niro: "Usually, he doesn't say a word. That's really a lack of words. ”
Robert De Niro and Judy Foster set on location in the movie Taxi Driver (1976).
She went on to say, "After 2 or 3 times, I found out that this person wouldn't talk to me at all, so I started talking to other diners. Finally, we start rehearsing the synth over and over again—over and over again. Whenever I started to get bored with a familiar line, Robert De Niro would suddenly insert a improvisational paragraph. ”
Judy Foster later admitted: "I think he was trying to make me feel better and he taught me a lot of things. He told me that I should feel each scene with my heart so that the performance will look more realistic. ”
Location of the movie Taxi Driver (1976), from left: Judy Foster, Robert De Niro, martin scorsese
The most classic scene in the film is Robert De Niro's scene of practicing intimidation in the mirror.
"It couldn't have been simpler in the script," Paul Schrader said, "and Robert De Niro asked me what he should say and how to act." I told him it would be like a kid playing with a toy gun. ”
The most classic image of Robert De Niro in the movie Taxi Driver (1976).
Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese are very sharp, and Robert De Niro's performance style is exactly in line with Martin Scorsese's imagination of Travis.
[Martin Scorsese wants to kill people for release]
After the film was filmed, distribution became a problem again. Many cast members have reservations about the battle at the end of the film, because the scene is too bloody.
On location from the movie The Godfather (1972), Dick Smith (left) is giving Marlon Brando a make-up for Marlon Brando
After seeing some samples, Martin Scorsese discussed with Dick Smith Dick Smith (1922–2014), who had worked as a makeup artist in The Exorcist (1973): "If it were any more bloody...". Dick Smith replied , "That's exactly what happened." ”
The censorship department for American films is certainly not so lenient. They rated the film X-rated, which is bad news for any commercial film.
As a result, Columbia warned Martin Scorsese that they would not release the film unless it was edited to R.rated.
Director Brian de Palma (right) visits the crew of the film Taxi Driver (1976), with Martin Scorsese on the left
An enraged Martin Scorsese called in friends Steven Spielberg, Brian De Palma and John Milius.
Steven Spielberg later recalled that Martin Scorsese pointed to a picture of Columbia's Stanley Jeff and said he was going to kill him.
Finally, a helpless Martin Scorsese agreed to lower the red hue in the final brawl. The MPAA agreed to give the film an R rating. To this day, Martin Scorsese still believes that this destroyed the harmony of the entire film.
Martin Scorsese and Julia Cameron participated in the promotional campaign for the movie Taxi Driver (1976).
Taxi Driver premiered in New York on February 8, 1976. People dressed as Travis can be seen everywhere on the street.
Taxi Driver is a commercial film that has received a huge response, but the critics have divided into two factions, one of which has taken the view of atonement against it — "too many good fridays, and Easter is clearly not enough." ”
The other faction is a group of malicious slanderers who see the film as a Dayth Wish-style pipe dream.
Ironically, Martin Scorsese's biggest concern is the audience's frantic reaction to the violent scenes in the film: "I hope the audience will have this reaction: Yes, kill him!" But after a while I realized: Oh my God, don't! ”
Although his view of the film is at odds with That of Martin Scorsese, Paul Schrader is glad that Martin Scorsese has breathed life into his characters: "It was a loneliness that he imposed on himself, just to seek an excitement that ran counter to conventional life." When watching pornography, you have to be as hostile to social pleasures and indulgences as a Puritan, and take a lot of pills when you are healthy. People often don't know what kind of life they want to live, and their purpose in doing so may be to fight against their established destiny. ”
After Reagan's assassination, Julia Phillip visited Columbia's executive Porter Skonid, who had been skeptical of the film.
"Look, this movie is still good." Juliet said. Potter Skonid's response was this: "Really good, that Travis should probably kill Palatine..."
【Why do you want to keep a mohawk head shape】
Even though Robert De Niro controlled himself from talking about famous politicians or hanging out with young prostitutes, he did a lot of crazy things.
At the time of the release of Taxi Driver, he was filming Bernardo Bertolucci's 1900 Novecento (1976) by Bernardo Bertolucci (1941-2018) in Italy.
To attend the premiere, he flew back to New York with a taxi driver's license and worked like a taxi driver until he returned to Rome.
To impress Travis, Martin Scorsese listened to some of the comments from his stuntman-turned-friend Vic Magnaulta.
Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro and Vic Magnaulta discussed the idea together as a result of Travis's iconic Mohawk head.
"Robert De Niro and I had dinner with Vic Magnaulta, who told us some vietnamese horror stories."
Set of the movie Taxi Driver (1976), Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese
Robert De Niro asked him some questions about the Special Forces, and Vic Magnauta told him, "In Saigon, if you see a man cutting a mohawk head, it means that he has been very abnormal lately, so no one dares to go near him. So, in the film, we see Robert De Niro with Mohawk's head.
Set of the movie Taxi Driver (1976), robert de Niro and Harvey Keitel
【Sweeping Cannes to win the Palme d'Or trophy】
The previous "Poor Streets" made Cannes remember Martin Scorsese, and three years later he came to Cannes again with the amazing "Taxi Driver", which swept through the festival like a whirlwind, and did not expect to receive the Palme d'Or trophy from Tennessee Williams (1911-1983).
On the red carpet at the 29th Cannes Film Festival, from left: Judy Foster, Paul Schrader (judy Foster in the top right), Robert De Niro
As can be seen, "Taxi Driver" began the fruitful collaboration between Martin Scorsese and screenwriter Paul Schrader, and the two have since collaborated on "The Bull of Rage", "The Last Temptation of Christ" (1988) and "Crossing the Yin and Yang World/ Alternative Lovers Bringing Out the Dead" (1999).
In 2016, on the 40th anniversary of the release of the film Taxi Driver (1976), the film's creators reunited, from left, front row: Robert De Niro and Judy Foster; rear row: producers Michael Phillips, Sibil Shepard, Martin Scorsese, Paul Schrader, Harvey Keitel
As evidenced by the film, Protestant Paul Schrader and Catholic Martin Scorsese are fascinated by the theme of redemption, sharing each other's acute experiences of original sin and atonement, sin and asceticism.
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