- Taxi Driver’s writer expresses disappointment over Robert De Niro potentially reprising his iconic movie role for an Uber ad campaign.
- The actor’s association with the brand seemingly contradicts the film’s themes of isolation and urban decay.
- Schumann adds that the potential collaboration serves as an example of how easily we’ve become accustomed to perpetual revisions of classic work.
The writer of the renowned movie Taxi Driver, Peter Schumann, has conveyed his discontent with the possibility of Robert De Niro reprising his famous role for an Uber advertisement campaign. The collaboration has raised a few eyebrows, as it appears to be at odds with the themes of loneliness and urban decay that the film so powerfully captured. It also highlights how quickly society has succumbed to the constant reworking of classic works.
Schumann explained his disappointment in an interview discussing the film’s enduring impact on contemporary society and culture. He feels that the potential partnership with Uber and De Niro’s synonymous association with the brand could undermine the essential message of Taxi Driver. “Life is what it is, but to see that particular classic work being used as an advertisement for Uber has just left me speechless,” Schumann admitted during the conversation.
The 1976 Martin Scorsese-directed film is a considerably dark exploration of the life of a Vietnam War veteran turned cabbie in New York City. De Niro’s performance in the movie was critically acclaimed, cementing the actor’s status and creating a cultural phenomenon. Consequently, such a strong connection between De Niro and his role in Taxi Driver, and the fundamentally different context within which the character could be placed for an ad campaign, taps into the broader discussion surrounding the alteration and updating of iconic works for commercial purposes.