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One sheet original theatrical "Style A" movie poster for the 1976 classic
Taxi Driver. Designed by artist Guy Peellaert, the poster depicts Robert De Niro as the protagonist, Travis Bickle, standing in front of his iconic yellow Checker Taxicab against a gritty New York City backdrop.
Movie Overview
Directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Paul Schrader, Taxi Driver is a neo-noir psychological thriller that follows Travis Bickle, a lonely and mentally unstable Vietnam War veteran. Suffering from chronic insomnia, he takes a job as a night-shift taxi driver in a decaying, crime-ridden New York City. His growing disgust with societal "filth" eventually leads him down a dark path of paranoia and vigilante violence.
Key Cast and Crew
Robert De Niro: Travis Bickle
Jodie Foster: Iris, a 12-year-old prostitute
Cybill Shepherd: Betsy, a campaign worker Travis becomes obsessed with
Harvey Keitel: "Sport," Iris's pimp
Director: Martin Scorsese
Writer: Paul Schrader
Composer: Bernard Herrmann (his final completed film score)
Critical Legacy & Recognition
The film is widely regarded as one of the greatest movies ever made and was inducted into the National Film Registry in 1994 for its cultural and historical significance.
Awards: Won the Palme d'Or at the 1976 Cannes Film Festival.
Academy Awards: Received four nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor (De Niro), and Best Supporting Actress (Foster).
Controversy: The film was highly controversial upon release due to its graphic climactic violence and the casting of a 12-year-old Jodie Foster in a sexualized role
The iconic "Style A" theatrical poster for the 1976 film
Taxi Driver was created by the Belgian artist Guy Peellaert (1934–2008).
About the Artist: Guy Peellaert
Peellaert was a versatile artist known for his work as a painter, illustrator, and graphic designer. His career famously intersected the worlds of both cinema and rock music.
Style: For this poster, he used a hyperrealist style to depict Robert De Niro's character, Travis Bickle. The artwork portrays Bickle on high alert with a worried gaze, standing alone in front of his cab in a gloomy, nocturnal Manhattan.
Other Notable Works: Beyond Taxi Driver, Peellaert is famous for:
The book Rock Dreams, which featured surreal portraits of rock stars.
Iconic album covers, most notably David Bowie's Diamond Dogs (1974) and The Rolling Stones' It's Only Rock 'n Roll (1974).
Film posters for other acclaimed movies like Wim Wenders' Paris, Texas (1984) and Robert Altman's Short Cuts (1993).
Poster History
Interestingly, although Scorsese commissioned Peellaert directly for this artwork, Columbia Pictures initially felt it was "not commercial enough". For the mass market, they originally preferred a different version featuring a black-and-white photograph of Travis walking with his head down. Today, however, Peellaert's atmospheric illustration is recognized as the film's primary and most iconic original theatrical poster |
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