Editing Taxi Driver (section)

== Legacy ==
''Taxi Driver'', ''[[American Gigolo]]'', ''[[Light Sleeper]]'' and ''[[The Walker]]'' make up a series referred to variously as the "Man in a Room" or "Night Worker" films. Screenwriter Paul Schrader (who directed the latter three films) has said that he considers the central characters of the four films to be one character who has changed as he has aged.<ref name="bbc.co.uk">[http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/arts/filmprogramme/rams/filmprogramme_20070810.ram Interview with Paul Schrader] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080628122651/http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/arts/filmprogramme/rams/filmprogramme_20070810.ram |date=June 28, 2008 }}, BBC Radio 4's Film Programme, August 10, 2007</ref><ref name="Filmmaker Magazine, Fall 1992">{{cite web |url=http://www.filmmakermagazine.com/fall1992/movie_high.php |title=Filmmaker Magazine, Fall 1992 |publisher=Filmmakermagazine.com |access-date=April 4, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100201221804/http://filmmakermagazine.com/fall1992/movie_high.php |archive-date=February 1, 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref> The film also influenced the [[Charles Winkler]] film ''[[You Talkin' to Me? (film)|You Talkin' to Me?]]''<ref>{{cite web |last=James |first=Caryn |url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/55921/You-Talkin-to-Me-/overview |title=New York Times film overview |access-date=April 4, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103145928/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/55921/You-Talkin-to-Me-/overview |archive-date=November 3, 2012 |department=Movies & TV Dept. |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In addition, a [[tie-in]] book was published.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Elman |first1=Richard |author1-link=Richard Elman (writer) |title=Taxi Driver: Based on an original screenplay written by Paul Shrader |date=1976 |publisher=[[Bantam Books]] |language=en |isbn=0552101281}}</ref>

Although [[Meryl Streep]] had not aspired to become a film actor, De Niro's performance in ''Taxi Driver'' had a profound impact on her. She said to herself, "That's the kind of actor I want to be when I grow up."<ref>{{cite book|last=Longworth|first=Karina|title=Meryl Streep: Anatomy of an Actor|pages=10|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dJv1mwEACAAJ|date=2013|publisher=Phaidon Press|isbn=978-0-7148-6669-7|access-date=November 6, 2023|archive-date=February 9, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240209235655/https://books.google.com/books?id=dJv1mwEACAAJ|url-status=live}}</ref>

The 1994 portrayal of psychopath Albie Kinsella by [[Robert Carlyle]] in British television series ''[[Cracker (British TV series)|Cracker]]'' was in part inspired by Travis Bickle, and Carlyle's performance has frequently been compared to De Niro's as a result.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2005/aug/13/features.weekend |title=To be and to pretend |work=[[The Guardian]] |first=Alastair |last=McKay |date=13 August 2005 |access-date=June 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180618235218/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2005/aug/13/features.weekend |archive-date=June 18, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/pain-with-no-jokes-taken-out-1601234.html|title=Pain, with no jokes taken out|date=September 16, 1995|website=The Independent|access-date=October 13, 2019|archive-date=October 13, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191013110206/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/pain-with-no-jokes-taken-out-1601234.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In the 2012 film ''[[Seven Psychopaths]]'', psychotic Los Angeles actor Billy Bickle ([[Sam Rockwell]]) believes himself to be the illegitimate son of Travis Bickle.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/9708210/Sam-Rockwell-Hollywoods-odd-man-out.html |title=Sam Rockwell: Hollywood's odd man out |last=Shone |first=Tom |author-link=Tom Shone |date=December 3, 2012 |access-date=August 3, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812040150/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/9708210/Sam-Rockwell-Hollywoods-odd-man-out.html|archive-date=August 12, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

The vigilante ending inspired [[Jacques Audiard]] for his 2015 {{lang|fr|[[Palme d'Or]]|italic=no}}-winning film ''[[Dheepan]]''. The French director based the eponymous [[Tamil Tiger]] character on the one played by Robert De Niro to make him a "real movie hero".<ref>{{cite web |last=Trio |first=Lieven |title=Jacques Audiard dévoile 'Dheepan', sa palme d'or |url=http://fr.metrotime.be/2015/08/25/interview/jacques-audiard-devoile-dheepan-sa-palme-dor/ |work=[[Metro (Belgian newspaper)|Metro]] |date=August 25, 2015 |access-date=August 29, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150826005101/http://fr.metrotime.be/2015/08/25/interview/jacques-audiard-devoile-dheepan-sa-palme-dor/|archive-date=August 26, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> The script of ''[[Joker (2019 film)|Joker]]'' by [[Todd Phillips]] also draws inspiration from ''Taxi Driver''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2019/04/robert-de-niro-joker-king-of-comedy-1202055636/ |title='Joker': Robert De Niro Addresses the Connection Between His Character and 'King of Comedy' |last=Kohn |first=Eric |date=April 3, 2019 |website=IndieWire |language=en|access-date=August 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403201154/https://www.indiewire.com/2019/04/robert-de-niro-joker-king-of-comedy-1202055636/|archive-date=April 3, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Aug2017D">{{Cite news |url=https://deadline.com/2017/08/the-joker-origin-movie-todd-phillips-martin-scorsese-scott-silver-batman-dc-universe-1202154053/ |title=The Joker Origin Story On Deck: Todd Phillips, Scott Silver, Martin Scorsese Aboard WB/DC Film |last=Fleming |first=Mike Jr. |date=August 22, 2017 |access-date=August 23, 2017 |website=Deadline Hollywood |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170823003817/http://deadline.com/2017/08/the-joker-origin-movie-todd-phillips-martin-scorsese-scott-silver-batman-dc-universe-1202154053/ |archive-date=August 23, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Closer">{{cite journal |title=The Making of Joker |journal=Closer Magazine Movie Special Edition |date=2019 |volume=19 |issue=65 |pages=8–19 |publisher=[[American Media, Inc.]] |issn=1537-663X}}</ref>

=== "You talkin' to me?" ===
De Niro's "You talkin' to me?" segment has become a [[Popular culture|pop culture]] mainstay. In 2005, it was ranked number 10 on the [[American Film Institute]]'s [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes]].

In the relevant scene, the deranged Bickle is looking at himself in a mirror, imagining a confrontation that would give him a chance to draw his gun:

<blockquote>You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me? Then who the hell else are you talkin' to? You talkin' to me? Well I'm the only one here. Who the fuck do you think you're talking to?</blockquote>

While Scorsese said that he drew inspiration from [[John Huston]]'s 1967 movie ''[[Reflections in a Golden Eye (film)|Reflections in a Golden Eye]]'', from a scene in which [[Marlon Brando]]'s character is facing the mirror.<ref>{{cite book |title=Taxi Driver |last=Taubin |first=Amy |publisher=BFI Publishing |year=2000 |isbn=0-85170-393-3 |location=London}}</ref> Screenwriter Paul Schrader said that De Niro improvised the dialogue, and that his performance was inspired by "an underground New York comedian" whom he had once seen, possibly including his signature line.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/02/15/archives/film-view-scorseses-disturbing-taxi-driver.html |title=Scorsese's Disturbing 'Taxi Driver' |last=Canby |first=Vincent |author-link=Vincent Canby |date=February 15, 1976 |work=The New York Times|access-date=February 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190901073800/https://www.nytimes.com/1976/02/15/archives/film-view-scorseses-disturbing-taxi-driver.html|archive-date=September 1, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' said of the latter part of the phrase, "I'm the only one here", that it was "the truest line in the film.... Travis Bickle's desperate need to make some kind of contact somehow—to share or mimic the effortless social interaction he sees all around him, but does not participate in."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/taxi-driver-20th-anniversary-edition-1996 |title=Taxi Driver: 20th Anniversary Edition |last=Ebert |first=Roger|author-link=Roger Ebert |date=March 1, 1996 |website=RogerEbert.com|access-date=February 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190216094123/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/taxi-driver-20th-anniversary-edition-1996|archive-date=February 16, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

In his 2009 memoir, saxophonist [[Clarence Clemons]] said that De Niro explained the line's origins during the production of ''[[New York, New York (1977 film)|New York, New York]]'' (1977), with the actor seeing [[Bruce Springsteen]] say the line onstage at a concert.<ref>{{cite book |title=Big Man: Real Life & Tall Tales |last=Clemons |first=Clarence |author-link=Clarence Clemons |publisher=Sphere |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-7515-4346-9}}</ref> In the 2000 film ''[[The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (film)|The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle]]'', De Niro would repeat the monologue with some alterations in the role of the character [[Fearless Leader]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-lists/robert-de-niros-best-worst-and-craziest-performances-165878/ugly-the-adventures-of-rocky-bullwinkle-2000-157731/|title=Robert De Niro's Best, Worst and Craziest Performances|publisher=rollingstone.com|date=September 24, 2015|access-date=February 28, 2020|archive-date=February 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200228231628/https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-lists/robert-de-niros-best-worst-and-craziest-performances-165878/ugly-the-adventures-of-rocky-bullwinkle-2000-157731/|url-status=live}}</ref>