Taxi Driver is a 1976 American psychological thriller film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Paul Schrader. The film is set in New York City, soon after the Vietnam War. The film stars Robert De Niro and features Jodie Foster and Harvey Keitel. It was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and won the Palme d'Or at the 1976 Cannes Film Festival. The American Film Institute ranked Taxi Driver as the 52nd greatest American film on their AFI's 100 Years…100 Movies list. In 1994, it was preserved in the National Film Registry. It was also a great financial success. Filmed on a budget of $1.3 million, Taxi Driver earned over $28 million in the United States alone.

 

The film was controversial at the time. Some critics expressed concern over 13-year-old Jodie Foster's presence during the shoot-out at the end. However, rather than being upset or traumatized, Foster said, she was fascinated and entertained by the behind-the-scenes preparation that went into the scene. She had psychological testing to ensure that she would not be emotionally scarred by her role. Movie critic Roger Ebert instantly praised the movie as one of the greatest films he'd ever seen, claiming: "Taxi Driver" is a hell, from the opening shot of a cab emerging from…clouds of steam to the climactic killing scene." The film was chosen by "Time" magazine as one of the 100 best films of all time.