特拉维斯(罗伯特·德尼罗 Robert De Niro 饰)从越战中退伍回来后一直在纽约以开出租车为生。战争后的他多少有些失落,加上开出租车目睹了纽约夜幕下的种种罪恶,令他变得愤世嫉俗、痛恨社会。在追求总统候选人帕兰坦竞选办公室的秘书贝西失败后,特拉维斯决定去刺杀帕兰坦 以证明自己。 在准备刺杀行动的过程中,特拉维斯遇上了被逼卖淫的雏妓艾瑞斯。在企图救艾瑞斯出火坑未果后,特拉维斯手持武器闯进淫窝,将里面的一干人等通通干掉了!本以为即将收到法律的惩罚,然而媒体却将特拉维斯描述成了一个拯救少女的英雄……Travis Bickle is an ex-Marine and Vietnam War veteran living in New York City. As he suffers from insomnia, he spends his time working as a taxi driver at night, watching porn movies at seedy cinemas during the day, or thinking about how the world, New York in particular, has deteriorated into a cesspool. He's a loner who has strong opinions about what is right and wrong with mankind. For him, the one bright spot in New York humanity is Betsy, a worker on the presidential nomination campaign of Senator Charles Palantine. He becomes obsessed with her. After an incident with her, he believes he has to do whatever he needs to make the world a better place in his opinion. One of his priorities is to be the savior for Iris, a twelve-year-old runaway and prostitute who he believes wants out of the profession and under the thumb of her pimp and lover Matthew.