First, a phenomenal faux pas on the part of Columbia Tristar Home Video's marketing department: on the cover of my copy of this landmark movie is a  quote from Liz Smith: "Jodie Foster is Delightful."  If there was  a more inappropriate term for anything about this movie, it is  "delightful."  For anyone who hasn't yet seen this modern REAL  horror masterpiece, it is one of the most effective studies of frustration,  isolation and suppressed (for the most part) anger in today's world that I  have seen on film.  And, the movie works brilliantly despite all the  strikes against it; Paul Schrader's psychodrama/part pulp creation may have  fallen apart, were it not for Martin Scorsese's adept direction and the  gritty, committed performances of the lead characters, not in the least  Robert DeNiro as the alienated, deadened ex-Marine Travis Bickle.  I am  always fascinated by movies that have major contrasts in tone and style  within them; consider the scenes with Albert Brooks and Cybill Shepherd at  Palatine Headquarters, played at a (bad) sitcom level, then contrast them  with the hyper-realistic scenes of Travis's customers (Scorsese has a  bravura cameo as a murderously jealous husband), Harvey Keitel's greasy  pimping duties, the final massacre, and for me the most unexpected and  shocking display, the aftermath of the convenience store robbery which  Travis is involved in.  This is the stuff of nightmares.  The movie is also  populated with wonderfully odd supporting characters, including Travis's  fellow cabbies who have a camaraderie which feels real, and the  fast-talking gun salesman who brings his arsenal to Travis's apartment for  a sale.  After you've viewed it a few times (if you're so inclined!),  questions come to mind:  Why does Betsy even give Travis the time of day,  especially after their incredibly awkward "lunch" together?  Why  has Travis's character been written as SO clueless, sometimes distracting  to the point of amusement?  Doesn't Bernard Herrmann's loungy main theme,  complete with emoting saxophone, seem at odds with the unadorned realism  the movie is presenting us?  As it is, though, these aspects,  contradictions and all, are what make "Taxi Driver" a unique and  unforgettable experience.  There are a hundred different things worth  commenting on, from the look of the film, to the ironic "message"  of the movie, etc.  But, for those with the mettle, this is one of the  best, and should be seen for those with any interest in contemporary  cinema.  And, oh yes, Jodie Foster is as delightful as any pre-teen  prostitute could possibly be.