I finally watched Taxi Driver over the weekend. It’s one of those movies I’ve heard about for years but never got around to. Going in, all I really knew was the basics: a Scorsese and De Niro collaboration, a young Jodie Foster, the John Hinckley connection, and of course, “You talking to me?”
When it ended, I found myself struggling to understand why it’s considered one of the greatest films of all time. So, I did what I often do after watching a so-called classic—I dug into the cultural context of the era and read reviews from when it was released.
Maybe I’m a cultural buffoon, but I don’t think I should have to do homework to appreciate a film. When I watched The Godfather for the first time in my mid-twenties, I could feel its greatness while it unfolded. Taxi Driver didn’t land the same way for me.
One thing that got my attention was his mohawk, which was something I wanted to have as a kid. Per Wikipedia, this is how it made it into the film:
That made me think of old footage of the 101st Airborne preparing for D-Day. I believe they were the Filthy Thirteen. I always thought that would be an interesting thing to do, thinking you were participating in a suicide mission. I’m not sure if they ever got an opportunity to remove their helmets in front of any German troops or POWs, but there’s no telling what went through German soldiers’ minds if they saw this.
Here’s a bit more of a backstory of what happened to some of them. It’s cool to see today’s soldiers honor them.
