In a stunning victory that has shaken the film world, Martin Scorsese's gritty 1976 masterpiece Taxi Driver has been officially crowned the greatest movie of all time. The landmark decision comes from a comprehensive poll of film critics that saw Scorsese's New York nightmare beat out cinematic titans including The Godfather and Citizen Kane.
The Ultimate Cinematic Champion
Conducted by leading film publication BBC Culture, the poll gathered insights from 164 top film critics across 52 countries. Taxi Driver emerged as the clear winner, praised for its raw portrayal of urban alienation and Vietnam veteran Travis Bickle's descent into madness.
Robert De Niro's iconic performance as the troubled taxi driver has been hailed as one of cinema's most compelling character studies. The film's haunting depiction of 1970s New York and its exploration of loneliness and violence continues to resonate nearly five decades after its release.
Scorsese's Dominance in Film History
Martin Scorsese's achievement is particularly remarkable given the competition. The director managed to outperform his own earlier work and beat legendary filmmakers including Francis Ford Coppola, whose Godfather trilogy claimed second place with The Godfather Part II.
Other films in the top ten include classics like:
- Tokyo Story (Yasujirō Ozu)
- 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick)
- Citizen Kane (Orson Welles)
- Beau Travail (Claire Denis)
The results demonstrate Scorsese's enduring influence on global cinema and the lasting power of his most psychologically complex work.
Why Taxi Driver Endures
Film experts attribute Taxi Driver's lasting appeal to its timeless themes and technical brilliance. The film's examination of isolation in modern urban environments feels more relevant than ever in today's disconnected society.
Paul Schrader's masterful screenplay, combined with Bernard Herrmann's haunting final score and Michael Chapman's atmospheric cinematography, creates a perfect storm of cinematic excellence that continues to influence filmmakers worldwide.
As one critic noted in the poll, "Taxi Driver remains the definitive portrait of urban alienation and the dark underbelly of the American dream."
