Making 'Taxi Driver'

A conventionally conceived film about film, but instead of touching testimonials about how everyone involved was a wonderful co-worker, it focuses on the actual process of creation. Particularly rich in information are makeup artist Dick Smith’s recollections about the effects used during the bloody climax, for which screenwriter Paul Schrader reputedly took inspiration from The Wild Bunch. This documentary is excellent for learning more not only about the making of Taxi Driver, but also about the zeitgeist in which it was made along with a number of other major “auteur” Hollywood films. (2011-10-27)