'Each page like a razor blade': Scorsese on 'Taxi Driver' screenplay

Celebrating 'Taxi Driver's 50th anniversary, Martin Scorsese reflected on the script's 'razor blade' intensity and personal connection to Travis Bickle. Robert De Niro also echoed his own connection to the complex character at Tribeca Festival.

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of 'Taxi Driver', acclaimed filmmaker Martin Scorsese reflected on what first drew him to the landmark film, revealing that the screenplay's intensity made it impossible to put down. Scorsese joined screenwriter Paul Schrader and actors Robert De Niro and Jodie Foster for a special conversation at the Tribeca Festival in New York City, as per People magazine.

Scorsese on the Script's 'Razor Blade' Intensity

During the discussion, the Oscar-winning director recalled his first experience reading the script. "Purely the character and the writing of it. The script is so tight and so strong, and turning the pages ... each page is like a razor blade, you had to be very careful," Scorsese said when asked what attracted him to the project.

The director added that the screenplay immediately resonated with him on a personal level. "I said, I know this. I know who he is," he said, referring to Travis Bickle, the troubled taxi driver portrayed by Robert De Niro, as per People magazine.

Scorsese also spoke about the literary influences that shaped his understanding of the character. He revealed that he had long wanted to adapt Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky's 'The Gambler' for the screen after being inspired by several Russian novels during his youth. One of those works was Notes from Underground, the same book Schrader had in mind while writing the 'Taxi Driver' screenplay.

According to Scorsese, Bickle's emotional turmoil was immediately evident on the page. "I was intrigued by his resentment, the anger, the grinding up of his insides, his humiliation, being insulted and humiliated, all of that came to me as I read Travis," he told the audience, as per People magazine.

De Niro's Connection to the Character

De Niro echoed those sentiments, saying he also connected with the character of Bickle, a disaffected taxi driver whose mental health deteriorates while working night shifts. "There was something special about the way Paul had written it and the character," De Niro said, adding, "But I had no idea what impact the film would have," as quoted by People magazine. The actor added that he "identified with [him] in ways," reflecting on his connection with the character during the making of the film.

Released in 1976, 'Taxi Driver' featured an ensemble cast including Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd, Harvey Keitel, Peter Boyle, Leonard Harris and Albert Brooks. Five decades later, the film continues to be remembered as one of the defining works of American cinema, with its creators revisiting the story and character that left a lasting mark on audiences worldwide.

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