The opening scene of Taxi Driver features uncomfortable music that transitions to a more relaxed jazz score as the taxi emerges from fog. A close-up of the driver's eyes is followed by his point of view through the windshield of colorful, blurred New York City at night. The music shifts back and forth between frightening and relaxed, representing the battle between the grandeur and crime of New York from the driver's perspective. Composer Bernard Hermann skillfully combines peaceful and scary scores to add confusion at the start. Low key lighting conveys the film's serious tone from the beginning.