The Sounds of the City

Taxi Driver is rich with aural stimulation. From the ambient sounds of New York City to Travis's wounded narration, there is so much for us to sink our teeth into, but what really drives the film is Bernard Herrmann's brilliant score.

Herrmann was born in NYC in 1911 and scored such greats as Citizen Kane, Psycho (he was Alfred Hitchcock's favorite composer), and The Day the Earth Stood Still.

The sounds are all around us: The water splashing from a puddle as Bickle's taxi drives through, the torrid sounds of a Times Square porno theater, the muffled bustle of a seedy cafeteria, and the blaring gun shots of a .44 magnum are just some of what's on tap for our ears to feast upon.

And, of course, Bernard Herrmann's score is setting the mood for the duration. Arguably, the film could stand alone and still have just as much impact, but the saxophone and the oboe fill us with that suspense that Herrmann excelled at for his entire career.

I've never been to New York City, but when I do make it there, I bet I'll hear Bernard Herrmann's music floating through my mind at some point.