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Martin Scorsese is without a doubt one of the most acclaimed directors of all time, receiving claps, cheers, and adoration at film festivals all over the world for his work onTaxi Driver, Goodfellas, Raging Bull,andCasino, among many others. The films of Martin Scorsese have gone on to inspire generations with their gritty, intriguing tales of disturbed people on the cusp of personal transformation.
Unusually, Scorsese’s movie that won the Palme d’Or also garnered criticism at the same festival. Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel, and Jodie Foster’sTaxi Driverreceived loud jeers and boos at its Cannes debut, and numerous audience members left the screening due to the movie’s infamous reputation for gore.
Read more:“We’re on borrowed time”: Martin Scorsese Was So Shaken Up By the Death of His 16-Year-Old Friend That It Inspired Him To Make Iconic Films in Hollywood
Why was Martin Scorsese’sTaxi Driverbooed at the Cannes Film Festival?
Scorsese and screenwriter Paul Schrader created one of the best New York dramas, rife with intensity and complex characterization, as an unforgiving psychoanalysis of a man on the verge of insanity. The reason for the classic to receive such a backlash was that the audience simply couldn’t take the level of violence portrayed in the movie.
The Palme d’Or-winning film raised the fame of its director and pushed its star, Robert De Niro, into the spotlight of Hollywood cinema. It is not just one of Martin Scorsese’s greatest films, but also among the greatest films of all time.
Jodie Foster commented on the movie’s notoriety at the time in 2016 when speaking to The Hollywood Reporter. She said,
“The whole issue about the violence in the movie kind of exploded,” adding that Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro and Harvey Keitel “kind of got stuck at the Hotel du Cap and didn’t come out very much”.
The response received by the movie had a great effect on Scorsese as he even decided to quit filmmaking altogether. Thankfully, the legend returned to the industry whileTaxi Driverended up making a mark on the history of great cinema.
Read More :Robert De Niro Refused Martin Scorsese’s $291M Oscar Winning Movie to Direct His Own Film With Matt Damon That Was Hated by the CIA
Despite the backlash,Taxi Driverwent on to win the Palme d’Or
After learning that jury chair Tennessee Williams detested the movie, Scorsese returned to the United States to complete his follow-up, in New York. DespiteTaxi Driver‘s severity the jury could not dispute its brilliance and gave the movie a Palme d’Or with the stern condition that“cinema not become a source of hatred.”
It should come as no surprise that the decision proved controversial.“Half the audience was on its feet cheering,”recalls producer Michael Phillips.“The other half was booing.”
The American Film Institute ranked the movie as the 52nd greatest American film of all time, and it received four Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. It was chosen in 1994 to be kept in the National Film Registry.
Read more :“But he didn’t want to do it”: Robert De Niro Made a Blunder and Refused to Work in Martin Scorsese’s $289 Million Movie That Won 4 Oscars
Adding to the list of classics getting booed at the Cannes Film Festival- Quentin Tarantino’sPulp Fiction
When Krzysztof Kieslowski’sRedlost to Quentin Tarantino’sPulp Fictionfor the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 1994, the film received loud booing from the audience. Being a relatively new director at the time, Tarantino avoided the traditional humiliation of being mocked at the movie’s opening. The elite of the festival, however, expressed major disapproval ofPulp Fictionsince it was so contentious.
Unfazed by the negative response his movie received, Tarantino responded to his detractors by flashing his middle finger to the roaring audience as he accepted the Palme d’Or award at the festival’s closing ceremony. Despite the uproar it generated in Cannes,Pulp Fictionis now regarded as one of the best films ever made in addition to being a classic.
Taxi Driveris streaming on HBO Max whilePulp Fictionis available on Netflix.
Source:ScreenRant
Aastha Soni
Articles Published :76
Aastha Soni is a News Writer at FandomWire. With over 3 years of experience in writing content for entertainment media outlets, Aastha has gained experience in writing captivating stories that resonates with reader’s globally. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication and Media Studies, which definitely helps her in creating content that is unique. A cinephile with immense love for words and everything art, she wants to make her mark as a renowned Journalist in the upcoming years.
