Martin Scorsese is regarded as one of the best directors of this era. His filmography has some of the most exciting and out-of-the-box projects of all time. From celebrities to movie-loving audiences, he is a favorite of many. Even filmmaker Edgar Wright whose filmography is different from that of Scorsese’s praised the latter’s Taxi Driver as his favorite.
Opposite to Martin Scorsese’s gritty and serious tonality, Edgar Wright is famous for his use of popular music in his movies and innovative comedy. Contrary to the Shutter Island director’s dark and violent tone, Edgar Wright’s movies are fun and colorful. Despite the difference between both directors’ styles, Wright listed Taxi Driver as his favorite movie due to several factors.
What makes Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver special to Edgar Wright?
Taxi Driver, starring Robert De Niro is a critically acclaimed psychological thriller for its performances and themes. The Martin Scorsese brainchild is hailed as one of the greatest movies ever made and a major element of modern pop culture.
In a BFI list of the best movies of all time, Edgar Wright named Taxi Driver as his absolute favorite. The Shaun of the Dead director praised Travis Bickle’s story as hypnotic and like a walking nightmare.
“A film so vivid, hypnotic and corrosive that it feels forever seared onto your eyeballs, Taxi Driver turns a city, a time and a state of mind into a waking nightmare that’s somehow both horribly real and utterly dreamlike.”
The 1976 film by Martin Scorsese focused on the story of a war veteran and a present-day taxi driver Travis Bickle who slowly sets on the path of eliminating the rotten elements from the city. We witness how Bickle’s mental health continues to go South as he gets involved in the world of crime more with each passing time.
The themes and the details shown in the movie never fail to attract discussion around the movie. Besides Edgar Wright, stars like Leonardo DiCaprio have also detailed Taxi Driver as their favorite piece of art.
Taxi Driver is Leonardo DiCaprio’s favorite as well
Among all the admirers of the movie, Taxi Driver also garnered praise from Martin Scorsese’s long-time collaborator Leonardo DiCaprio. The Titanic actor has starred in 7 projects of the director including a short film. According to DiCaprio (via MTV), the role of Travis Bickle is one of the best portrayals of insanity shown in movies.
“That movie, to me, I was so emotionally invested in that character. When [Bickle] starts to betray you by trying to kill a senator, [it’s shocking]. When the Mohawk comes, you’re like, ‘Wait, I was with you when you were embarrassed to take a girl to the po*no theater. I’m with you, man, what are you doing?'”
The actor saw the film after he first landed a role alongside Robert De Niro in Boy’s Life. However, it looks like the research turned into a life-changing experience for the actor. He continued praising the movie by calling it the greatest independent movie ever.
Recently Martin Scorsese along with his two favorites, Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro collaborated in their latest Killers of the Flower Moon. The movie centered on the story of the birth of the FBI and the murders that shook the tribal community of Osage. Despite not making it too big at the box office, Martin Scorsese delivered another critical hit with widespread acclaim for the movie.
Killers of the Flower Moon is running in theaters near you, while Taxi Driver can be rented on Apple TV+.
