''Taxi'' is a 1996 Spanish film directed by

Carlos Saura Carlos Saura Atarés (born 4 January 1932) is a Spanish film director, photographer and writer. Along with Luis Buñuel and Pedro Almodóvar, he is considered to be one of Spain’s most renowned filmmakers. He has a long and prolific career t ...

, starring

Ingrid Rubio Ingrid Rubio Ruiz (born 2 August 1975 in Barcelona, Spain) is a Spanish actress. She won the Special Mention Award at the 1996 San Sebastián International Film Festival for her performance in the film ''Taxi''. Career She has appeared in ove ...

and focusing on the emergence of far-right and racist groups in Spain during the 1990s.

Plot

After failing one of her midterm exams in a

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the Largest cities of the Europ ...

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 Discharge may refer to Expel or let go * Discharge, the act of firing a gun * Discharge, or termination of employment, the end of an employee's duration with an employer * Military discharge, the release of a member of the armed forces from serv ...

from the

military service Military service is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, air forces, and naval forces, whether as a chosen job ( volunteer) or as a result of an involuntary draft (conscription). Some nations (e.g., Mexico) require ...

. 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 Paralysis (also known as plegia) is a loss of motor function in one or more muscles. Paralysis can also be accompanied by a loss of feeling (sensory loss) in the affected area if there is sensory damage. In the United States, roughly 1 in 5 ...

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 Neo-fascism is a post-World War II far-right ideology that includes significant elements of fascism. Neo-fascism usually includes ultranationalism, racial supremacy, populism, authoritarianism, nativism, xenophobia, and anti-immigration s ...

death squad whose members use their cabs to abduct non-white, immigrant, LGTB and drug-addicted customers 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 A skinhead is a member of a subculture which originated among working class youths in London, England, in the 1960s and soon spread to other parts of the United Kingdom, with a second working class skinhead movement emerging worldwide in th ...

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

Awards

Nominations

* 1996:

Camerimage The International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography Camerimage () is a festival dedicated to the celebration of cinematography and recognition of its creators, cinematographers. The first seven events (1993–1999) were held in Toruń, ...

''Golden Frog'' Award:

Vittorio Storaro Vittorio Storaro, A.S.C., A.I.C. (born 24 June 1940) is an Italian cinematographer widely recognized as one of the best and most influential in cinema history, for his work on numerous classic films including '' The Conformist,'' '' Apocalypse No ...

* 1996: San Sebastian Film Festival

Golden Shell The Golden Shell ( es, Concha de Oro; eu, Urrezko Maskorra) 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 19 ...

* 1997: Spanish Actors Union Award (for a supporting role): Pilar Ordóñez

Wins

* 1996: San Sebastian Film Festival Special Mention:

* 1997: Spanish Actors Union Newcomer Award:

External links