"Taxi driver"

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075314/

I have mentioned many many times in this colloquium that in order to appreciate a movie that transfers the memories and norms of a specific time in the past you have two options. Option one is to have knowledge about what you see and what you hear about, the period of time. Option two is for the movie to explain in a good way, without tiring the ones that already know and without feeling like a history course. Guess which option is my favourite. The second one of course. That makes a good movie. Anyway. Taxi driver. Amazing actors, big movie for its time. FOR ITS TIME. I have yet to get connection to the characters, understand them and feel for them. 

Let's briefly explain. Robert de Niro (respect) is a Vietnam War veteran that works as a taxi driver, night shifts, long shifts so he can avoid thinking of the apparently horrible memories he carries from the war. 

He is not the most mentally stable person on earth. 

The movie tries to depicts the veteran's disappointment as he realises that he fought and experienced all the things he did for a society that does not deserve such sacrifices. He meets an underage prostitute that brings his paternal instincts to the surface. Additionally, his already built-up violent behaviour is getting worse due to the decadence that he meets daily, especially during the night. I am sure that society does not work like that anymore. What do I mean? I hope it is not that easy for people to get guns, to kill people, and live their lives like nothing happened, just because they killed some bad guys and not innocent ones. A murder is a murder, no matter who is the victim. 

Anyway, I can understand why the movie was famous. I have nothing bad to say about the acting, it was amazing. The decadence of the society was also clear. But I got no feeling for the heroes and I believe that it is the movie's approach to the taxi driver's past that is to blame. I did not understand his drama. 

Watch it for historical reasons. I did not enjoy it though.