Films of Shame: Taxi Driver

Films of Shame has seen me watch and review five movies I should have seen but had not. So far, I've managed to cross off Citizen Kane, The Shining, The Godfather Part II, and Annie Hall. Taxi Driver's the last on my list.

Taxi Driver is the film which cemented both de Niro and Scorcese in mainstream cinema: a place neither have strayed far from in the 35 years since its release.

It's a film most famous for de Niro's performance, as he plays the introverted Travis, a young man unsure of his place in a world he sees largely through the windows and mirrors of his taxi.

The film does a remarkable job of showing both the internal and external facets of one's nature. The person we choose to show other people versus the person we are on our own.

We see our young protagonist in a city he feels is falling apart, but with no clue how to respond to it. He makes decisions in the movie that are at times noble, at times naive, and at times morally questionable.

For me the most heartbreaking scene in the movie is when he asks one of his older colleagues advice about how to get by, and his colleague is unable to offer anything other that 'just get on with it'. It's obvious that for Travis that is not enough, and the decisions that follow show that he is someone determined not to just transport people here and there, but actually change the world he inhabits.

All of this makes Travis one of the most brilliantly drawn characters put on screen. There is an incredible depth to every action and line in the movie, and you can't help but join the lead character in solving the mystery of who he is and how he fits into everything that goes on around him.

Finally, the film's depiction of New York is incredibly rich in detail and scope. Parts of the movie simply focus in on Travis as he drives through the city, the camera picking up on small details, as relaxing but seedy jazz music accompanies each trip.

At various points through out the film, the camera shows us water gushing out of hydrants clearing all the dirt on the road away. It reminds us of Travis' words early in the story "Someday a real rain will come and wash all this scum off the streets." As Taxi Driver reaches its climax it's obvious Travis sees himself as the one to do the washing. And the way he goes about that, makes the film's ending brilliantly engaging, exciting and emotional.

Taxi Driver has aged beautifully. The issues Travis sees in the 70s, prostitution; drugs; and politicians we find difficult to trust; never seem to go away. Most of all, however, it's a masterclass in the creation of a character: someone who can be viewed in so many different ways, both by himself and the viewer.

Films of Shame: Annie Hall

Films of Shame chronicles my impressions of movies I should have seen before now, but haven't. I've already taken Citizen Kane, The Shining and The Godfather Part II off my list. My final film on the list will be Taxi Driver.

Annie Hall holds a place in oscar history as the last comedy to win Best Picture at the academy awards. It's interesting to consider why. Perhaps one reason is that where as most comedies paint in broad strokes - with observations that hit home with as many people as possible, Woody Allen's film has an incredibly personal feel to it.

As Alvy breaks the fourth wall, and speaks directly to camera, it's difficult to tell where he ends and Woody Allen begins. In addition, the title character was also based on Diane Keaton, whose real name is Diane Hall, and nickname is 'Annie'.

This personal nature of the film fits incredibly snugly next to its theme of relationships - why we choose to put ourselves through the highs and lows of love despite our lack of success in the field to date.

The narrative structure is such that Annie Hall flits back and forth between the present day and the time the two lead characters met. In doing so we explore what works and what doesn't about their relationship. The little things that become bigger things later, the way the two of them want the other to change, without them losing what it is they were attracted to in the first place.

As Alvy narrates over his own movie, his own relationship, it mirrors our own ability to narrate our own lives, and in particular our own relationships. We often assume a certain moment meant this, or a certain phrase meant that, but we can never be sure precisely what this meant to the other person.

Annie Hall, unlike most comedies, has something to say. It captures the joy and humour of meeting someone you love, as well as the confusion and isolation of trying to make your two lives and personalities mesh together.

Alvy starts the movie with a line from Groucho Marx: "I would never want to belong to any club that would have someone like me for a member.". By the end of the movie, we're left pondering what it is within us that gives us that desire to compromise, share, and love with another person. Why is it that, above so many other things, many of us seek the most?

Films of Shame: The Godfather Part II

Films of Shame chronicles my impressions of movies I should have seen before now, but haven't. I've already taken Citizen Kane and The Shining off my list. Next will be Annie Hall, and I'll round off the series with Taxi Driver.

The Godfather Part II is one of only two movie sequels to have won the Best Picture oscar. (Bonus points if you can name the other). Although it could equally described as a prequel, since a good part of the movie is spent in the company of the early life of Vito Corleone, played by Robert di Niro. The rest of the movie is spent with his youngest son Michael Corleone as he attempts to follow is his father's footsteps as the new Godfather.

It's been about six/seven years, since I saw The Godfather, and I chose not to watch it before seeing what is considered to be one of the greatest sequels, if not movies, of all time. As an eighteen year-old, I remember thinking the original was good but felt a little bulky in places, such as when Michael goes off to hide in Sicily. Perhaps my views would best be summed up by this clip:



It's fair to say my movie tastes have changed a lot since then, since there was nothing bulky about the sequel, and if I had the chance I would probably give my eighteen year old self a slap across the head and tell him to watch what's really happening.

Perhaps my favourite scene in the movie was when Di Niro in is early days as Don Carleone is asked by an old widow if he would speak to her landlord about her recent eviction. De Niro then asks, in the nicest way possible if the landlord would reconsider. He refuses initially, but after speaking to some of the locals, he returns the next day, clearly shaking with fear about the mistake he almost made.

The scene perfectly sums up the world The Godfather inhabits, and the disconnect between his persona, and the myths and legends that surround him.

It also perhaps sums up the difference between Vito and his successor, Michael, who while feared and respected, perhaps lacks the glint in his eye his father had.

The great thing about The Godfather is that there's so many scenes that will probably be favourites for lots of other people. Scenes that say so much with so little. Since, it's the smiles, raising of an eyebrow, or significant look that all speak way more than the dialogue ever attempts to.

Like all my favourite stories, I think it succeeds because of its ability to force the viewer to lean in and investigate the world further. We become a member of the Corleone family, as we're forced to learn the language they speak and the what words, phrases and gestures really mean. If like me you haven't seen all 390 minutes of the first two Godfathers, then surely that's an offer you can no longer refuse...

Films of Shame: The Shining

Films of Shame chronicles my impressions of movies I should have seen before now, but haven't. I've already covered Citizen Kane and aim to watch Godfather Part II, Taxi Driver and Annie Hall after that.

So, Stanley Kubrick's The Shining then. I had the enormous pleasure of catching this film in blu-ray, which is surely the only way to see the visual delights of things like wavs of e blood pouring down to engulf a corridor of The Overlook Hotel, or the amazing tracking shots that take the viewer through the picturesque garden maze at both the beginning and end of the movie. Stunning

The plot, for those of you who haven't seen the appropriate Simpson's Halloween Special, concerns Jack Nicholson taking on the job of a caretaker with his family at an isolated hotel. The snow means Nicholson and his family are in complete isolation for five months, with nothing but the hotel and its dark memories to keep them company. Oh and his son is psychic (or has 'the shining'), and much more aware of the hotel and its ghosts than his parents are.

Movies work best when they are able to evoke the same emotions the characters are feeling. Whether that's the joy of finding your true love in a romantic comedy, the pain of losing someone close to you in a tragedy, or the fear of being victimised in a horror film.

Fitting firmly into the latter category, The Shining is not just effective in its ability to scare you, but crucially in the feeling of insanity it instills. When we meet our protagonist, Jack Torrance, he is what we would expect from a Jack Nicholson character: relaxed, sharp witted, and full of life. However, the more time he spends in the hotel, the more he begins to change. His temper flares up, he becomes more distant and begins to see and speak to things that aren't there.

All of this is deeply unsettling. Not least because the film really takes its time in setting up this feeling. For example, at the start of a new day, the screen will go black and 'Wednesday' will flash up. Then in the next scene we'll see 'Monday'. Is this the following Monday? Is it a Monday two months later? Does it even matter?

Another piece of set-up comes straight after telling us which day it is: with Daniel, the son, riding around on his tricycle around the corridors on the hotel. Through this, we get a sense of the vast space within the place they're staying, and also the isolation one can feel there. Add to that ghosts, dead bodies, and strange voices and you really begin to feel on edge, despite the fact no one has yet been harmed.

It's interesting to note that most of the action and famous scenes in the film (what Jack's novel is about, him with the axe, running around the maze) come in the last half hour. However, knowing these scenes were coming only unsettled me more. Having a crazy character go on a rampage at the start of the movie is one thing. Seeing his slow descent into madness is quite another. In fact, I can think of few movies so patient in their set-up and clinical in their execution as this one.

So The Shining is one of the most unsettling movies you're likely to see. The set design of the hotel and its grounds are a joy to behold, and you can see the care taken with each and every shot of the movie. While the world the camera captures is closing in on itself, the stillness of the frame only serves to highlight the madness you are seeing more. It's quite a remarkable film which deserves not only to be seen, but to be watched again and again.

Films of Shame: Citizen Kane

There was a man, a certain man...

Films of Shame
Citizen Kane
Mortal Pain
Breathes a name?
Lots of claims
Citizen Kane

Not all of my Films of Shame will start with a plot synopsis in the form of a poem, but the above nicely sums up the story of Citizen Kane: in which the title character dies and his last word is rosebud. Reporters speak to lots of people from his life in the hope of finding out what the word means and hence gaining some insight into one of the most famous men of their generation.

The film was written, directed by and stars a 26 year-old Orson Welles. And the youthful energy and audacity of Welles comes across in every frame of the film. I knew how ground-breaking the movie was supposed to be at the time, and was interested to see if that would still hold true to someone watching the film almost 70 years later.

For example, I was listening to a podcaster describe Hitchcock's 39 Steps, and how every chase/action scene felt cliched since they had been copied by some many directors since. This, despite the fact, it would have been 100% original and innovative at the time.

However, in the case of Citizen Kane, the movie still feels surprisingly fresh and full of vitality now. This is despite the fact a lot of movies by a lot of directors who will have been profoundly influenced by this piece.

Two things stand out in particular. The first is the way each scene is framed. Through out the movie, you will have Kane in the centre of the screen, in the background, in focus, as two or more characters discuss him in the foreground, also in focus. This deep focus is used in pretty much every scene in the movie, and gives you the sense that both Kane and the accounts about him are equally significant.

Secondly, the narrative structure was also ground-breaking at the time. It starts out with a newsreel, giving the audience a ten minute factual account of Kane's life. We then cut to a room where journalists are watching the reel and criticising it: saying it doesn't get under the skin of Kane. So the rest of the film is told in the form of flashbacks of the people Kane was close to. Since they're based on subjective accounts, we only ever see Kane from someone else's point of view, and are never quite sure how accurate a picture we are getting.

Overall, Citizen Kane is a movie anyone with at least a passing interest in film should see. It has a complexity and depth that few films have managed to emulate since. For a classic to be described as such, its story, as oppose to its cinematic techniques, must stand the test of time. Most of all Citizen Kane succeeds in this regard, as the movie forces us to question who we are at our core, and what is most important to us. What is our rosebud?

Perhaps the movie itself better sums up the plot than my attempt at poetry earlier, since they sing all about Kane about half-way through the film. Fans of the White Stripes may recognise the lyrics from the song "The Union Forever":

There is a man - a certain man
And for the poor you may be sure
That he'll do all he can!
Who is this one?
This fav'rite son?
Just by his action
Has the Traction magnates on the run?
Who loves to smoke?
Enjoys a joke?
Who wouldn't get a bit upset
If he were really broke?
With wealth and fame
He's still the same
I'll bet you five you're not alive
If you don't know his name
What is his name?...
It's Charlie Kane.
It's Mister Kane.
He doesn't like that Mister
He likes good old Charlie Kane.