Taxi (1996 film)
Encyclopedia
Taxi is a 1996 Spanish
film directed by Carlos Saura
, starring Ingrid Rubio
and focusing on the emergence of far-right and racist groups in Spain during the 1990s
.
high school, Paz Velasco decides to drop out of the academic circuit. She takes this prompt decision much to the chagrin of her father, an overbearing taxi driver. In exchange, he forces her to join him at work so she can learn the trade and earn a living.
Her reconnection with the so-called "Family", the close-knit group of her father's co-workers, is initially uneventful. One of its members is Dani, Paz's childhood sweetheart and a young taxi apprentice about to be discharged
from the military service. Upon meeting for the first time in many years, they rekindle their mutual attraction and start dating, much to the apparent satisfaction of Dani's mother Reme -- a fellow cabbie who is having a secret affair with Paz's father. Reme's husband is a former taxi driver who, according to the explanations given to Paz, was shot by two drug dealers during a robbery. One of the shots left him paralyzed
and the "Family"'s visits to him in the hospital are a staple in their common social life. Aside from Dani, Velasco and Reme, this group is completed by a shady individual named Calero and a thuggish brute nicknamed "Niño" who seems to act as an informal henchman of sorts for the former. Paz realizes Calero is a former cop
even before being told so, and their mutual distrust is vivid and ever-increasing throughout the film.
From the outset, it is made clear to the audience that the "Family" is in fact a neo-fascist death squad
whose members use their cabs to abduct non-white, immigrant, LGTB and drug-addicted costumers with murderous intent. There is also some evidence of rudimentary tactics, e.g. using code words for each "kind" of victim in order to lure unwitting victims to the killing box. Dani has been recently groomed into the group and partakes in their activities, although it is made apparent to the audience that he does so reluctantly. The "Family" seems to be generally successful in its exploits: two murders are shown on-screen, as well as a raid on a Moroccan camp during which Dani accidentally kills a man. The film does show, however, one botched attack during which the victim manages to run away unharmed. It is left unclear whether or not the group is restricted to the core members shown onscreen. It is also left unclear whether the group's activities were prompted by the attack that crippled Dani's father or it was just a casual event that fuelled them further, or whether the version given to Paz was a lie and the attack was a direct result of the group's illegal pursuits. Their activities are spontaneous and seemingly not officially sanctioned, but there are ominous references by Calero to people "up there" who know and approve of the group's activities, leaving the door open to speculation on a wider conspiracy.
Although initially ignorant of the actions and general demeanour of the "Family", Paz gradually finds out the truth through a series of details and coincidences, such as a profusion of fascist
and pre-democratic antics and regalia, purportedly intimate family reunions attracting skinheads and other sinister individuals and ending in massive Roman salutes, casual bigoted remarks from her father and Dani (as well as the latter's violent outburst on a black street vendor) and a disturbing pattern of codenames or "labels" directed at different collectivities. Paz's unassuming and long-suffering mother seems increasingly distraught at the prospect of having Dani close to her daughter, and although Paz initially blames this on his general lack of education and ambition, it becomes increasingly clear that her mother knows more than she says about him and the whole group.
Once confronted with the evidence, her disgust and adamant disapproval set up a chain of events leading to the climax. The paranoid and increasingly unstable Calero, who saw her as a potential liability to the group from the very beginning, now wishes to silence Paz at all costs. He shoots (and presumably kills) her father when he tries to stop him, and confronts her and Dani in the Retiro Park, shooting Dani, and being shot to death by Paz seconds before he is about to finish him off. The camera pans over the park as she walks away with the injured Dani, and credits roll. The fate of the rest of the group is left undisclosed.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
film directed by Carlos Saura
Carlos Saura
Carlos Saura Atarés is a Spanish film director and photographer.-Early life:Born into a family of artists , he developed his artistic sense in childhood as a photography enthusiast.He obtained his directing diploma in Madrid in 1957 at the Institute of Cinema Research and Studies...
, starring Ingrid Rubio
Ingrid Rubio
Ingrid Rubio is one of the top actresses in Spanish language cinema. She won the Special Mention Awad at the 1996 San Sebastián International Film Festival for her performance in the film Taxi....
and focusing on the emergence of far-right and racist groups in Spain during the 1990s
1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
.
Plot
After failing one of her midterm exams in a MadridMadrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
high school, Paz Velasco decides to drop out of the academic circuit. She takes this prompt decision much to the chagrin of her father, an overbearing taxi driver. In exchange, he forces her to join him at work so she can learn the trade and earn a living.
Her reconnection with the so-called "Family", the close-knit group of her father's co-workers, is initially uneventful. One of its members is Dani, Paz's childhood sweetheart and a young taxi apprentice about to be discharged
Military discharge
A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve.-United States:Discharge or separation should not be confused with retirement; career U.S...
from the military service. Upon meeting for the first time in many years, they rekindle their mutual attraction and start dating, much to the apparent satisfaction of Dani's mother Reme -- a fellow cabbie who is having a secret affair with Paz's father. Reme's husband is a former taxi driver who, according to the explanations given to Paz, was shot by two drug dealers during a robbery. One of the shots left him paralyzed
Spinal cord injury
A spinal cord injury refers to any injury to the spinal cord that is caused by trauma instead of disease. Depending on where the spinal cord and nerve roots are damaged, the symptoms can vary widely, from pain to paralysis to incontinence...
and the "Family"'s visits to him in the hospital are a staple in their common social life. Aside from Dani, Velasco and Reme, this group is completed by a shady individual named Calero and a thuggish brute nicknamed "Niño" who seems to act as an informal henchman of sorts for the former. Paz realizes Calero is a former cop
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
even before being told so, and their mutual distrust is vivid and ever-increasing throughout the film.
From the outset, it is made clear to the audience that the "Family" is in fact a neo-fascist death squad
Death squad
A death squad is an armed military, police, insurgent, or terrorist squad that conducts extrajudicial killings, assassinations, and forced disappearances of persons as part of a war, insurgency or terror campaign...
whose members use their cabs to abduct non-white, immigrant, LGTB and drug-addicted costumers with murderous intent. There is also some evidence of rudimentary tactics, e.g. using code words for each "kind" of victim in order to lure unwitting victims to the killing box. Dani has been recently groomed into the group and partakes in their activities, although it is made apparent to the audience that he does so reluctantly. The "Family" seems to be generally successful in its exploits: two murders are shown on-screen, as well as a raid on a Moroccan camp during which Dani accidentally kills a man. The film does show, however, one botched attack during which the victim manages to run away unharmed. It is left unclear whether or not the group is restricted to the core members shown onscreen. It is also left unclear whether the group's activities were prompted by the attack that crippled Dani's father or it was just a casual event that fuelled them further, or whether the version given to Paz was a lie and the attack was a direct result of the group's illegal pursuits. Their activities are spontaneous and seemingly not officially sanctioned, but there are ominous references by Calero to people "up there" who know and approve of the group's activities, leaving the door open to speculation on a wider conspiracy.
Although initially ignorant of the actions and general demeanour of the "Family", Paz gradually finds out the truth through a series of details and coincidences, such as a profusion of fascist
Falangism
Falangism is the political ideology of the Spanish Falange as well as derivatives of it in other countries. In its original form, Falangism is widely associated as a fascist ideology, the Spanish Falange denied this, claiming it was not a copy of any foreign movement...
and pre-democratic antics and regalia, purportedly intimate family reunions attracting skinheads and other sinister individuals and ending in massive Roman salutes, casual bigoted remarks from her father and Dani (as well as the latter's violent outburst on a black street vendor) and a disturbing pattern of codenames or "labels" directed at different collectivities. Paz's unassuming and long-suffering mother seems increasingly distraught at the prospect of having Dani close to her daughter, and although Paz initially blames this on his general lack of education and ambition, it becomes increasingly clear that her mother knows more than she says about him and the whole group.
Once confronted with the evidence, her disgust and adamant disapproval set up a chain of events leading to the climax. The paranoid and increasingly unstable Calero, who saw her as a potential liability to the group from the very beginning, now wishes to silence Paz at all costs. He shoots (and presumably kills) her father when he tries to stop him, and confronts her and Dani in the Retiro Park, shooting Dani, and being shot to death by Paz seconds before he is about to finish him off. The camera pans over the park as she walks away with the injured Dani, and credits roll. The fate of the rest of the group is left undisclosed.
Cast
- Ingrid RubioIngrid RubioIngrid Rubio is one of the top actresses in Spanish language cinema. She won the Special Mention Awad at the 1996 San Sebastián International Film Festival for her performance in the film Taxi....
as Paz - Carlos Fuentes as Dani
- Ágata Lys as Reme
- Ángel de Andrés López as Velasco
- Eusebio Lázaro as Calero
- Francisco Maestre as "Niño"
- Pilar Ordóñez as the transvestite
Nominations
- 1996: CamerimageCamerimageThe International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography CAMERIMAGE is a festival dedicated to cinematography and its creators cinematographers.The first seven events were held in Toruń, Poland. The next ten events were held in Łódź...
Golden Frog Award: Vittorio StoraroVittorio StoraroVittorio Storaro, A.S.C., A.I.C. is an Italian cinematographer.In 2003, a survey conducted by the International Cinematographers Guild judged Storaro one of history's ten most influential cinematographers.-Biography:... - 1996: San Sebastian Film Festival Golden ShellGolden ShellThe Golden Shell is the highest prize given to a competing film at the San Sebastián Film Festival. It was introduced in 1957. In 1953 and 1954, the highest prize had been called the Gran Premio. In 1955 and 1956 it was replaced by the Silver Shell...
: Carlos SauraCarlos SauraCarlos Saura Atarés is a Spanish film director and photographer.-Early life:Born into a family of artists , he developed his artistic sense in childhood as a photography enthusiast.He obtained his directing diploma in Madrid in 1957 at the Institute of Cinema Research and Studies... - 1997: Spanish Actors Union Award (for a supporting role): Pilar Ordóñez
Wins
- 1996: San Sebastian Film Festival Special Mention: Ingrid RubioIngrid RubioIngrid Rubio is one of the top actresses in Spanish language cinema. She won the Special Mention Awad at the 1996 San Sebastián International Film Festival for her performance in the film Taxi....
- 1997: Spanish Actors Union Newcomer Award: Ingrid RubioIngrid RubioIngrid Rubio is one of the top actresses in Spanish language cinema. She won the Special Mention Awad at the 1996 San Sebastián International Film Festival for her performance in the film Taxi....