I love how the camera quickly pans away after the first gunshot, as Sport is crying out in pain, as if to show how little Travis thinks of murder by that time.
Spike Spiegel You usually die slow from a shot to the gut... Its agonizing torture; Reservoir Dogs where Mr Orange gets a gut shot is true to life. It's actually realistic. If it was the liver that's a different story. There are so many nerves there the only way you would be able to walk is if you're on some shit or have an immense pain tolerance.
I love how you see Travis swapping hands to fire his guns. During the Vietnam war, one of the first things they taught soldiers was how to competently fire pistols with both hands so that if you injured one arm you wouldn’t be at a massive disadvantage.
Yeah, they did. Not very often but almost every M-79 man (40mm grenade launcher) carried a 1911. Source? The Things They Carried, a book written by a Vietnam Vet.
Reminds me of Dog Day Afternoon. Al Pacino’s character was carrying his rifle in a long box; when he’s about to take it out, it gets stuck and he struggles for a few seconds to get it out. Always cracks me up.
Marty is the king of awkward realism. Reminds me of Raging Bull when fat De Niro knocks over the martini with his belly. Those movies are so real they make you uncomfortable.
@@bh8365 whether or not it was intentional or by accident, they definitely decided to live that in for a reason. It's just one more reminder that Travis is awkard and psychotic
its a wax hand filled with small explosives and the actor is holding his own hand in a fist concealed down his sleeve, but the effect is convincing all the same but I wonder given the description earlier in the movie of what a 44 magnum is capable of Im surprised it didn't blow his whole arm off let alone a few fingers!! ;-)
+Austin Putnam Ever see the documentary about the making of this movie? Awesome shot of the guy smoking a cigarette, holding it with the blown up hand.
Arguably the most realistic gun fight scene in a movie. The way everybody, including Travis, seemed sort of stunned that it's happening, the way the guy shoots Travis in the arm and sort of just waits to see if he'll drop, the guys hand getting blown in half. Absolutely amazing.
@@imhim3717 I think that's good acting and good part of the script because tired of these "badass" characters that are perfect in every way. He shows he's scared of what he's doing and is not fully in control of his emotions. There's some realism into it.
Excellent and very violent scene...straight, dirty, crisp and realistic. When people get shot they often remain shocked, paralized like, they almost don't believe what just happened. This is a lot more realistic than most current gunfight scenes that are just a little better than the average Western movie with people jumping backwards or shouting "aaaaaaarrghhhh" while slowly and theatrically falling to the ground.
While not necessarily realistic in most circumstances (as my understanding is generally whoever draws first wins a gunfight), I've developed an appreciation for shootouts where both the good guy and the bad guy are able to get shots off (even if it's just one per person ;), and it seems to me older movies are better about this than new ones (especially R-rated ones). I'd be interested in seeing more shootouts like that, if anyone wants to link me.
Sandro Bindelli what I love is how there's 0 music to this scene as well as no exaggerate shaky cam direction or exaggerate punch and object breaking scenes. Sometimes, less IS more. And the key to an intense and focused scene (let alone a climax) is silence. Let the viewers watch the moment. And that's what Taxi Driver delivers 100%.
That where you are wrong Unforgiven is totally unrealistic where you have Munny going in to a bar having a shootout with ten guys and none of them can shoot straight. In real life at least one person would have mortally wounded Clint more like 3 or 4 though. Also No country is bullshit too (read Ken Levine's excellent blog NO COUNTRY FOR REAL LOGIC and i quote " Brolin fires a shotgun with double aught buck at Javier who is six feet away from him behind a door and doesn't kill him.nor does he blow up his compressed air tank he wears on his back. What planet are we on where the laws of physics work in suc mysterious ways. But coming back to this film. If Travis who is an ex-marine how come he doesn't shoot the pimp properly only blows his fingers off a real marine would have shot him dead especially with a Magnum pistol. Travis couldn't have been much cop as a marine. A real marine would have shot them with ease not the clumsy way travis did it.
@@zakalon123 Marines weren't using .44 magnums in 'Nam. More like 1911s. Also NCFOM shotgun: That's not a bad point, but it depends on what choke the shotgun had on it.
I was born in Brooklyn in 77. Growing up in the 80’s and 90’s I seen a lot of violence and crime. The mafia was out of control, drugs were everywhere. I got into more fights than I can remember. The blacks moved into my neighborhood and cut my friends neck with a box cutter. He caught the guy a few blocks away after going to our other friends house and got a police baton and beat the black dudes head in with it till his skull looked more like the shape of an egg. Yeah it was pretty wild back in those days
I love how you see small moments which makes these scenes so realistic. Such as f.ex: When Travis' character pulls out the 1st gun, he stumbles with it and can't get it out of his pocket (contrast with his bravado in front of the mirror), And he just walks away without checking if the guy is dead. It makes the shot more brutal imo
I love how in the 70s, they knew how to do gore right. There was just enough and it was placed and down in such a way that it had VOLUMES more impact than the gratuitous gore that’s everywhere all the time in movies these days.
I just realized that early in the movie there is a scene where Betsy tells her co worker to light a match with only his pinky and thumb, in this scene Travis shoots the bouncer's hand off and his pinky and thumb are the only fingers that remain.
he wasn't a killer at heart. in the heat of the moment his humanity or fear of being a killer prevailed and he went for a limbshot rather than chest or headshot.
One of my favorite movie scenes of all time. So insanely realistic, the way he shoots, how it impacts them, their reactions, so real. Scorcesse did an excellent job on this film, this scene especially.
@@thunderbrotherschinaeditio656 is too. I mean not that i'd know... Bit seriously cod and tarkov arent realistic, this is. Stop basing your ideas on games and hollywood and go watch real shooting footage.
The acting here is incredible. The dialogue may seem stilted and awkward but that only makes it more realistic, as of course thats how people act in real life. Also, the fact that the man whose hand was blown off just stood there staring at Travis shooting the pimp, in complete shock of whats happened is absolutely true to reality. He was stunned and was in disbelief of what had happened, and only another gunshot snapped him out of it. This scene is an example of exact realism.
A streetwise pimp would instinctively know that Travis was packing heat. A guy who stands toe to toe like that and who shows no fear is either armed, batshit crazy or both.
@@ingleringlet-snipps3rd449 I'm no pimp but I've been around enough to know anybody getting in my face like that after I told them to piss off is either high or heated. You're absolutely right.
It absolutely blows my mind that this movie was made 40 years ago... and it will be 41 years old on February 8th! And this movie contained one of the best and most graphically realistic shootouts that still holds up today. And for people who were born much later or haven't seen this film, you have take something into consideration. If you showed a person used to only modern movies this scene, they would probably laugh and say the sound effects were kind of corny and they have seen much worse in terms of violence. But this was 41 years ago... Audiences at that time had never seen a shootout this realistic and bloody! If I could transport you back in time to when this movie came out and wipe all your knowledge of movies, your mouth would be hanging open in disbelief from this scene. With movies like this, you have to take the release date into context with the quality of the film because in 1976, this type of graphic and realistic shootout was unheard of! The moment where the guy gets his fingers blown off by the .44 was probably the most gory and violent thing anyone had seen at that point. We have all sorts of movies like 300, Saw, Hostel, any Quentin Tarantino movie, etc that have desensitized us to this. Audiences at that time must have been absolutely horrified by this shootout!
Victor M Tarantino is one of my favorite directors, but I just rewatched Taxi Driver last night for the first time in a while, and I forgot how violent this scene really is...it's on a different level than anything Tarantino has done. I thought the violence in Django and The Hateful Eight was pretty lame. It's over the top and cartoony like this dude said...which wasn't the case with other Tarantino films. He's trying too hard these days. The Hateful Eight is basically the basement scene from Inglorious Basterds stretched into a 3 hour movie, and it just doesn't work.
The mohawk that Travis shaves his head in is a reference to the Vietnam War, in which people would shave their head into a mohawk whenever they embarked on a suicide mission
This movie was life changing for me. When I saw this scene at 1:07 although gruesome and violent it really seemed to open a world of possibility with movies and I figured out you can still tell a gripping story with such effects. I think it was then I knew I truly loved movies as an art. This movie is a masterpiece
This is one of the most accurate Gunfights I have ever seen in a movie. It’s dirty, brutal, hectic, and not so quick over as Hollywood so often portrayed. It is not seldom, that a gunman gets hit several times, ends the fight, walks away and die in the car or when he leaves the car and walks or later in bed.
Saw it in a shifty cinema in 1976 . When it came out . Similar,scenario with do nitro . She looked at me a bit odd . I said lots a x2 come 2 these films . Half way through she had her head down on my knob . NO problem .
Adam Artz I'm 50yo and a movie/video/communication professional of good success...and watched this movie 19 times through the years in original english, voiceovered italian and french :-D
the sound design on the gunshots in the hallway is insanely good. Made my brain think I was actually THERE in the tiny, insanely-reverberant soundscape full of extremely bright and short echos from a GIANT FKIN HANDGUN going off in a cramped concrete and tile hallway
I love how realistic this shooting scene is. The protagonist gets hurt, there is no plan or strategy, it takes more than one bullet to kill the bad guys, the girl isn’t grateful, and so on. Hollywood, take notes.... if that’s even possible.
I love how disoriented he looks after shooting sport in the stomach, he walks away and sits down on the stairs staring blankly, he's so confused even at that moment past the Rubicon, he knows what to do but he has no idea how he's doing it, he's detached even then.
Comparing that shallow, crass, artless, POS product "Joker" to Taxi Driver is simply laughable. Also, except for this scene there is really only one other scene of violence in the film, where Travis shoots an armed robber in a Bodega. Scorsese tore this film from his soul, along with writer Pals Schrader, though the finished film differs greatly from the script.
@David Curious, just what is the "message" of "Joker", that a shallow, poorly written, infantile product by a hack Director that tries to pose as "meaningful" can fool millions ?
IKR. Tried to figure out how they do it. I think they used strings connected to bags full of blood so when they pull them fast it looks like they get shot. You can tell in the neck shot but still, they did a damn good job there.
Legend of a film. Watch it for yourself, and tell me how you would even start this review. Seriously an iconic movie, with a top-tier cast, soundtrack, and storyline. Saw this in the summer, and damn what a highlight. It's worth watching. And this will always remain legendary, just like Robert De Niro. So much action, emotion, and darkness. An extremely underrated film, that does not get its credit in modern times. 8.20.2020
The sound of the .44 with the exploding hand is the most accurate sound of a .44 Ive heard on film. Everything else in virtually every movie by comparison has sounded like a 9mm or .38
It was meant to be realistic. Often, people would go into a state of disbelief and shock. Literally becoming paralyzed of such all before the pain kicks in
@@thedisgruntledidealist That's because these kinds of movies, so long as strict, authoritarian governments, businesses and social structures exist, will always exist.
De Niro not only has incredible talent and dedication, but knew how to choose his movies well. Incredible lifelong resume of groundbreaking movies and performances.
That shot of Travis backing up the stairs is terrifying. When he turns to the side and you see him for what he is - a wiry, small man with a coat two sizes too big and a stunned look in his eye. Then, you see what he’s become in the moment. He moves robotically, a killing machine blinded by hatred and a need for vengeance. The grim reaper, who looks deathly himself.
@@julieman13 im sure he means the situation of travis as a lonely young man trying to find meaning in the world, as well as his disgust towards a corrupt society not the psychotic thoughts and murdering
I've watched tons of movies before but this shootout scene feels really heavy, it makes us (audience) feel like we were actually spectating them inside the dark claustrophobic walls
R.I.P Sport. Youse didnt know him like I did. Shared many a slice with dis fella. Sure he had some shady deals but ya shoulda hoid him sing. Voice like an angel. And he always took great care of his mudda too. Miss ya Sport
Best movies of de Niro, in my opinion 1.-Once Upon A Time In America 2.-The Godfather 2 3.-Taxi Driver 4.-Raging Bull 5.-Goodfellas 6.-Casino 7.-The Untouchables 8.-Mean Streets 9.-Cape Fear 10.-Heat (I have not looked The Deer Hunter)
Fun Fact: His military jacket’s patches say King Kong Company and also show a parachute with wings. The winged parachute was exclusively issued to USMC FORCE RECON, the toughest marines, trained to jump out of planes into enemy territory, and work in small 3-4 man teams seeking out the enemy forces and reporting it back to HQ. The most prolific if these units was called Killer Kane Company, probably referenced by his King Kong Company patch. Ironically, when he buys the guns from that dealer, he avoids the 1911 .45, which would have been the very same model he was issued in the marine corps.
I always liked this ending. It seemed so abrupt and out of place, which demonstrated Travis' mental state I think; by this point, the climax has lead up to him killing Palantine. After training and planning, he misses his chance on his first real attempt. Disregarding all the time spent on Palantine, he goes and seeks justice with Sport. Unpredictable, harsh, and confused ending, much like the character of Travis... true art
I remember seeing this film for the first time and thinking the exact same thing! I thought the channel showing it had malfunctioned and cut out a chunk of the ending...
This scene is without a doubt the most guttural and in my opinion authentic shooting in any movie of all time. I remember literally having my jaw fall open when the mans hand literally exploded into pieces.
Even though he's a pedo and a pimp, he was acting in self defense, so it wasn't necessary to kill. He maimed his arm and he dropped the gun. Killing someone is a lot of headache even if your acting in self defense Travis had a gun with that little contraption inside his coat sleeve, which took the old guy by surprise
My first hero, I saw this when I was 7 or 8 and the next day. I made myself a mohawk with cream and went to school like that. My teacher came to our house that same day and complained. Greetings from Germany.
Is the shot to the fingers of that guy in the hallway a call back to the earlier scene about "the guy at the newsstand" who can light a match with only his thumb and his pinky? I hope it is because we never find out how that guy lost his fingers, we only get the guess that he might be an ex mobster, so it kind of alludes to the idea that the city has churned out more guys like Travis that have gone on such similar sprees that this guy lost his fingers in a similar way, and this also reinforces the idea that the city is a den of vipers with guys like him everywhere, including newsstands.
I like how he used every gun he bought! That was nice to see since he bought 4 different handguns. Most modern movies would have the main character buy a shitload of guns and then only use one or two of them. And yeah, I understand this scene is dated by this point but at the time, this was one of the craziest and most graphic shootouts that was ever filmed. We are just used to everything now in film so its harder to understand how groundbreaking this scene was in the history of Hollywood shootouts.
I love how Travis pulls out his revolver from his jacket which appears to be a short barrel. but as he shoots the guy's hand, its long. must be a good switcher with guns.
You're both right. Either way, as a kid listening to the Badge I just had to know where this soundclip came from and I'm glad I had the brains to figure it out. One of the greatest anti-hero moments captured on film.
@@josephagmata8067 I came here to say Poison Idea too! I was listening to Poison Idea before I saw this film, was happy to see where I recognized the sound byte from
I think the key here is the way bobby moves after the first shooting. Very grounded but not relaxed, troubled but still on a mission. Great movie and fantastic screenplay.
