Legendary Filmmakers Reunite for the 50th Anniversary of 'Taxi Driver' and Share Little-Known Secrets From the Set

Every now and again, a film comes along that captures some universal truth of the human experience and immortalize it forever. These films stand the test of time and remain cultural touchstones well after their initial release. Taxi Driver is one of these films.

Fifty years ago, Martin Scorseseteamed up with screenwriter Paul Schrader to bring cinema one of the most influential, terrifying, and honest movies the industry had ever seen. In the starring role of Travis Bickle, Robert De Nirocemented himself as one of the greats, and beside him, Jodie Fosterkicked her career to new heights with her breakout performance. Last night at the Tribeca Festival, all four of these icons of the medium came together to talk about the film’s staying power before a special screening of the Palme d’Or winning classic.

Why is ‘Taxi Driver’ Still Relevant Today?

The first question of the evening posed to the panel was a difficult one. The film deals with such heavy subject matter, it’s a bit of a tragedy to imagine it still holding so much weight. Each member of the panel grappled with the concept, each coming to the conclusion that there’s a universal loneliness that is understood by the film.

Schrader and Scorsese also spoke at length about how this loneliness is captured in the symbology of the film. Schrader described how the yellow taxi cab is a profound symbol of loneliness in his eyes, and that it was the first image he had before he began writing the script. Scorsese added that the symbolism of the vehicle didn’t click until the first shot of the movie, when we see the cab emerge from the steam of a New York City summer night.

The New York Connection

Scorsese revealed that he and De Niro never really spoke about the character of Travis Bickle. He referenced photos of the two talking on set together and surprised the audience by saying it was just personal chatting. De Niro agreed, adding that he just “understood” Travis.

The two spoke at length about how New York was a mess when the film was made, and there was a pervasive alienation that they inherently understood, both being from the city. Growing up in a broken place imbued some broken feeling within them, with Scorsese sighting the normalcy of a garbage strike to him.

Being a Kid on Set

Of course, Jodie Foster was only 12 years old when she starred in the film. Foster revealed how she as a child ended up playing such a tragic part in such a violent film.

Speaking of her upbringing, she talked about how her mother would take her to the movies all the time as a child, and how one day, she saw Scorsese’s breakout film Mean Streets. She said from the moment she saw that movie, she wanted to work with Scorsese.

Foster was a true professional on set, according to the rest of the panel, with Scorsese describing her as a great sense of support due to her drive and readiness to do whatever she needed to do for the film. With her character, there was a great deal of uncomfortable territory in what was being depicted, but she handled it like someone much older.

Foster went on to speak about how incredible of a learning experience it was for her, saying that it was the movie that made her want to be an actor. She spoke about going to breakfast every day with De Niro to prepare for their scenes, and him teaching her about improv. That exercise is what made her realize her passion for the craft.

The Joys of Production

Scorsese described the film as a labor of love. Everyone there had such fond memories despite the difficulty of the shoot. Foster spoke about how she had an amazing time, saying that it was both the most serious thing in the world, but also like a big game for her.

Many stories of laughter were told, especially surrounding Scorsese’s uncontrollable giggles during the shooting of the film’s harrowing final sequence. The legendary director found the practical effects absolutely hilarious.

My favorite story they told was about the iconic “You talkin’ to me” scene. For years, it’s been disputed and debated as to where that famous line originated, and it was revealed last night that it was improvised by De Niro. The crew was 2 hours over schedule, and De Niro was improvising the whole sequence, apparently in a “trance” as Scorsese described it.

As they were shooting, the assistant director was banging on the door trying to get the crew out of there since they were so behind, and Scorsese reminisced that he shut the door on the AD, and let the scene continue on.

Of course, no Taxi Driver reunion would be complete without De Niro being pushed to say his iconic line, which the audience was delighted by.

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The Evening As a Whole

This was an incredible experience for me. These are filmmakers that I have looked up to for my entire life as a film nerd and now aspiring filmmaker — and listening to the passion and drive they have for their craft was so inspiring. The love in that room was palpable, which was starkly contrasted by the sheer loneliness of Taxi Driver.

This was my first time seeing it in a theater, and I was really moved by how devoid of love the whole film is. A scene I had forgotten about that really epitomized the themes of the movie for me was the scene featuring Jackson Browne’s “Late for the Sky.” Travis sits in his living room watching couples on TV dancing as the song plays, the lyrics of which are about a love fading and dying.

Travis clutches his pistol, enraged as he watches. At this point in the film, he has become a vengeful, deranged, and completely radicalized human being. The song choice was such an incredible decision in my opinion. Travis has never been with anybody. He has only ever pushed away and scared the women he is interested in, so in this moment, listening to a song about love lost, he can only feel anger, as he never felt that love in the first place.

The evening was a wonderful experience for all in attendance, and I am beyond lucky to have been there.

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