Taxi Driver

Here is a movie I’m surprised I hadn’t seen yet. I mean, who doesn’t know the phrase “You talkin’ to me?” But I was looking forward to finally seeing Martin Scorsese’s Taxi driver and it didn’t disappoint.

I think one of the main characters in the film is the city itself. During much of the film, we are shown the perspective of Travis Bickle, played by Robert De Niro, and how he views the city. The people on the street, ladies of the night, pimps, and hoodlums–it makes him feel dirty and all he wants is someone to come and wash it clean. I have felt the same thing many times myself. Sometimes I see the evil in people all over the world and wish that something would come and just clean all the evil and cruelty away.

Travis starts off as a relatively normal person, but eventually the world he lives in drives him to extremes. When he starts buying guns and plotting to kill Senator Charles Palantine, played by Leonard Harris, you’re not 100% sure exactly why because the only interaction between him and the senator seemed to be good and the senator was nothing but attentive to what he had to say. It could be that Travis wanted to save Betsy, played by Cybill Shepherd. Or it could be he starts to see the senator as what’s dirty in the city, or maybe his failure to clean up the city.

I really felt bad though when Travis takes Betsy to the dirty movie on their date. I was surprised when she agreed to meet him for coffee and was happy that she gave him a chance. So for the whole thing to be blown due to a bit of ignorance was disappointing. But I guess it was necessary, as it seemed to be the starting point to his unraveling.