"Irrational violence lacks a distancing objectivity and its attempts to shock are excessively graphic in scenes of bloodshed" Scorsese's timeless masterpiece about a man's want to join society came under much scrutiny at the time and is irreversibly conjoined with John Hickley Jr.'s attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan. Needless to say, its a an utterly ingenious film and is hailed by critics and moviegoers alike. However, the Legion of Decency condemned the film and reasoned the the film's violence was "irrational" and "lacks a distancing objectivity". Unfortunately for them, these two reasons are in part what makes the film so brilliant. The irrational violence acts as a vehicle to demonstrate Travis Bickle's emotional corruption and also builds him as a unique and fascinating character. Scorsese's success in not distancing the audience allows a clever and terrifying insight into the type of societal degradation and utter loneliness experienced by Bickle. Taxi Driver is a brilliant film; not one for the light-hearted, but albeit brilliant.