Taxi Driver's 50th Anniversary: A Milestone In Cinema History

It was hard not to feel old celebrating some movie anniversaries in 2025, especially the 50th anniversary of Jaws, which I didn't remember looking as vintage when I saw parts of it as a kid as its age would suggest. Apparently, it's been 50 years since Steven Spielberg invented the summer blockbuster, which I can't imagine my life without now.

It becomes more nostalgic when you consider that the maestro is back with another summer blockbuster this year. Disclosure Day marks Steven Spielberg's long-awaited return to sci-fi and horror, the exact combination of genres that put him on the map as a young director over 50 years ago. It's hard not to feel old when encountering such statistics.

2026 is no exception in making me feel old with anniversaries, as some movies turn 10 this year that I still distinctly remember watching in theaters. Rogue One being a decade old makes me very nostalgic, but a particular 50-year anniversary makes 2026 an even bigger year for movies than you may have realized until now.

Taxi Driver Celebrates Its 50th Anniversary in 2026

Yes, it has been half a century since Robert De Niro graced movie screens as Travis Bickle, a character whose troubled legacy has still kept him in the limelight. It feels surreal to realize that a movie which is still so frequently discussed came out 50 years ago, but that is what makes 2026 such a historical year for cinema.

Taxi Driver follows the lonely and haunting experiences of Travis Bickle, the titular taxi driver, whose insomnia takes him to the sketchiest corners of New York City on a hunt for customers. He develops delusions of grandeur and dreams of cleaning up the city, which he feels is too filthy and perverse for his taste and for humanity in general.

Travis Bickle's violent outburst has become part of cinema legend, as Robert De Niro's performance in Taxi Driver is still considered one of the greatest portrayals of a troubled and lonely man's descent into chaos. The movie's legacy makes it feel even older than it is, but it also feels too sudden for it to be turning 50 this year.

Martin Scorsese And Robert De Niro Are One Of Hollywood's Most Famous Actor-Director Duos

The most famous scene from Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver has been referenced so many times that even someone who's never heard of the film has come across it either through imitation or mention. When Bickle points his gun at the mirror to practice confronting his target while saying, "You talking to me?" you feel the filmmaker chuckling at his delusion.

Apart from creating such a stir that popular culture hasn't moved on even half a century later, Taxi Driver also cemented De Niro and Scorsese's status as Hollywood's most famous actor-director duo, in the modern era at least. The two have worked together for 10 feature films across 50 years, which also demonstrates their longevity in the film industry.

Taxi Driver Created A Genre Of Its Own

The '70s were a turbulent time for Hollywood, which was financially suffering. Inspired by the French New Wave, many filmmakers sought to revolutionize Hollywood cinema, transforming a dark time into a turning point. The most influential of those directors is arguably Martin Scorsese, whose uniquely non-Hollywood perspective on life entertains viewers even today, although his filmmaking has changed now.

While Mean Streets put him on the map, Taxi Driver proved to the world that Scorsese was here to stay. The jaded, violent hero who the film criticizes alongside the system he's pitted against, became a trend that is still continuing. The most famous instance in recent history is the Joaquin Phoenix Joker movie, practically a ripoff of Taxi Driver.

Taxi Driver's Cultural Impact Makes It One Of The Most Controversial Movies Ever

Few movies have inspired assassination attempts, but John Hinckley Jr. ensured Taxi Driver's legacy would forever be linked to his assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan, when he confirmed that he was inspired by the movie. He had written letters to Jodie Foster, explaining he would attempt to assassinate the president to impress her, like Travis Bickle in the movie.

Such a cultural impact automatically puts a movie at the center of controversy, but Taxi Driver's controversial impact has continued well after 50 years. Albeit an Internet phenomenon, there are men who intentionally misinterpret the movie to suit their worldview, justifying their actions with the most memorable quotes from Taxi Driver, not realizing that the movie criticizes Travis Bickle's actions.

The Last Fifty Years Prove That Taxi Driver's Legacy Is Secure

You don't want to be known as the inspiration for toxic masculinity or a presidential assassination attempt, but negative or positive, the last 50 years have demonstrated that Taxi Driver will never stop being relevant. Travis Bickle's fate in Taxi Driver's ending should be a bigger deterrent than it is, but that is not an indictment of director Martin Scorsese.

Scorsese was successfully able to revolutionize Hollywood, and while some of the blatant copies of his film completely miss its point, Taxi Driver has inspired many of the most famous filmmakers working today. Its legacy is one of challenge and change, marred by controversy, celebrated by cinephiles, but secure because of its indelible impact on the world, especially popular culture.