Taxi Driver is a film about many things, but overall it is about the theme of isolation and focuses on one particular loner in a big city who can be construed as an anti-hero. It is a film that draws from many genres: the Western, horror, film noir, and was also influenced by the films of the Italians (DeSica, Rosselini, Fellini).
Discuss cinematically, in at least two paragraphs, the themes of isolation and/or the anti-hero and how Scorsese's film is influenced by the different genres and by the Italians. You might find Ebert's original review and his Great Movies essay on the film helpful.
Taxi Driver’s most telling line – as Roger Ebert puts it – is “Well, I’m the only one here”. It’s the line Travis says to himself in the mirror after going through “You talkin’ to me?” monologue, and it perfectly illustrates the loneliness that Travis feels in his day-to-day life. The movie is almost entirely about the things he can’t have, the things he tries to save – his character is very much the archetypal “angry white male” (seen in other movies as well; think Michael Douglas in Falling Down) - angry and disillusioned, but at his core very, very lonely. The Taxi itself sort of functions as a window for Travis – the city, for the most part, is “Look, but don’t touch” for Travis. The shots from Travis’s perspective in his Taxi are often in varying degrees of slow motion, forcing us to watch – painfully – the things Travis wants but cannot have; the women of New York. It is telling that Travis, in the end, targets those who do have the women he wants. Ostensibly, Travis says he is trying to “save” them, but I would argue that he is much more driven by his loneliness; he really just wants some form of human interaction with the people he sees every day. There is another shot Ebert points out, after Travis has called up Betsy to ask for another date. Instead of the camera focusing on Travis, it dollies right, staring straight down an empty hallway. Scorsese has said that this is because we, as an audience, can’t bear to see Travis at his loneliest; it’s kind of odd, though, considering that we see very much of him in his loneliness throughout the film. After all, perhaps it’s most important that he speaks those “You talkin’ to me?” lines to a mirror.
ReplyDeleteOf all the influences within Taxi Driver, I think it is most heavily influenced by the Western. Apparently, the script was heavily based on The Searchers with John Wayne, as both focus on white, angry males trying to “save” women who don’t want to be saved. The character of Travis Bickle is similar in many ways to the loner anti-heroes of many of Clint Eastwood’s best westerns; completely alone, dangerous, stuck in a world they don’t understand. To quote Stephen King’s horror-western The Gunslinger, the world has “moved on”. New York City itself very much resembles a desert, as well; the skyscrapers jut out like the grand buttes in The Searchers, even movies like Lawrence of Arabia. It seems barren of any human interaction for Travis, even among all the people; it is a lawless town, full of “sin” and all the things Travis hates. All in all, it possesses a lot of the characteristics of many westerns, complete with semi-blatant racism as well.
Taxi Driver’s main theme is isolation. Travis in general is the prime symbol of isolation. He is a taxi driver that has a barrier between him and his passengers but also symbolizes the barrier between him and the entire world. Travis also lives alone, does not really have any friends throughout the entire movie and no one to love. Travis is the anti-hero because he hates the world so much, but wants to better it. The blurred lights we see during the point of views shots symbolize how he is blind to what he really wants out of life.
ReplyDeleteAnti because his average guy looks and his heroic actions go unawarded. For example in the final scene where Travis is shooting his way through the whorehouse and saving the girl in the end, there is nothing in the scene that celebrates his heroic action enforcing his role as the anti-hero.
The western genre is extremely influenced in Taxi Driver. Travis has his taxi which is his horse and just wanders from place to place in isolation with no social skills. He has a gun he always keeps with him that he”slings” and uses for justice. Anti-heroic type justice.Film noir influences the film a little bit as well from that scene of the whorehouse again with the pale, desaturated colors and the many shadows. Another example of noir is the fact that Travis constantly drives around alone in dark streets at night as we hear a saxophone. Much of the soundtrack in the film is jazz.
Personally, I saw Taxi Driver as a blend of many different genres which directly influenced the director such as western, horror, and film noir to some extent. The theme of isolation induced into the minds of the viewers is primarily sourced from the war veteran finding it difficult to assimilate in the big city, Travis. Travis openly admits to himself that he is indeed finding it hard to fit into society. Taking the job as a taxi driver threw him into the clutches of society constantly. Outwardly, he is being forced to blend by dealing with all these people at night which he so lovingly refers to as “scum”. As the movie progresses, the viewer can plainly see that Travis is blending in more and more and becoming comfortable with himself and society but in the process, he becomes violent. The biggest example of this is the battle scene at the end of the film. The reason I believe that Travis becomes more comfortable with society is not because he starts to enjoy it. I believe it is due to how in the beginning his whole world was shrouded by isolation. When Travis began to embrace the isolation which engulfed his conscience, he started to become more comfortable with his surroundings. Travis is seen as an anti-hero because it was unexpected that he would come out of the persona he puts on to appease society like this and become the savage he truly is. As a viewer, I found myself feeling bad for Travis in many instances throughout the film for what he goes through mentally. This connection that is formed between the viewer and Travis causes the viewers to feel proud of Travis when he takes initiative and protects Iris.
ReplyDeleteScorsese used western ideas as inspiration for his film. This is most evident in the shootout scene with all the gun shooting and fast paced cuts which coupled the continuous action wonderfully. The film noir feeling sprouts from the immense amount of scenes which take place at night. The constant shadowing induced feelings of suspicion and excitement, harking towards the horror genre.
The theme of isolation is very evident in Taxi Driver. This is evident throughout Travis’ story in how he is alone with no one to talk to or love. He is a taxi driver, he is in the front seat, and there is a barrier between him and his passenger. Symbolically, there is a barrier between him and the world. He is the anti-hero, because he has many flaws which is evident with how he handles things with Betsy after their ‘break-up’, when he bursts into her office and makes a complete fool of himself. He does not have many friends and he is constantly working but looks like an average guy, and is an average guy. This is represented through his appearance on his, which is quite basic at times, but realistic. Also, during the shoot-out scene, he is quite flawed, which is evident in his sloppy timing and reactions. He is shot and bloodied up like the men he killed. A hero is expected to be more skilled than the villains, but in Travis’ case, he is just as skilled as them. We have our unexpected hero, who is an outsider, become a hero. He does this in a very menacing way though, which shows a horror influence. The way the scene was shot was not very happily or triumphant, but very brutal and horrific. He blows a man’s fingers off, he shoots the pimp multiple times with blood splattering everywhere, and he kills the last man in front of the girl prostitute, most-likely scaring her for life.
ReplyDeleteEbert refers to Taxi Driver as a, “brilliant nightmare.” I hadn’t thought about it like that until I read his review on the movie. By definition, an, “anti-hero,” is, “a central character in a story, movie, or drama who lacks conventional heroic attributes.” In the case of Travis (played by Robert De Niro), a war veteran turned taxi driver in New York City, his obsession with the men that exploit and solicit the sexual acts of women is a result of his own insecurities and unkempt inability to sustain a normal relationship with a woman. All of the women that he sees eventually deem him strange. As for most movies, the final sequence really resonated with me. Throughout the movie it was impossible not to empathize with Travis regardless of his boarderline insanity. Scorsese's employment of slow motion when Travis massacres the men in charge of, and taking advantage of the young women in the rundown brothel, not only allowed me (the viewer) to go through the motions of what those moments must have been like in the diegetic world of the film. In retrospect, and after reminding myself of the fact that Travis is a war veteran, I think these moments of slow motion are especially significant to parallel with the numbness that soldiers feel as a result of desensitization to violence. It’s such a curious dynamic in this film especially that a man, who to me seems like a fragile and self conscious introvert, is capable of shooting, killing, engaging in fights with several men. Although this may not have been intended, from this I received the message that war plucks the petals from everyone just as they are blooming -stems and leaves remain at the end, but they will still stand tall as if they are invincible. To me, this tied in with the concept of isolation as well-because who can you discuss your hardships with that is able to fully identify with you if they have not themselves lived through them? Empathy is stronger than sympathy in some cases to me, and a lack of the ability to find empathy in this case in particular, furthers Travis to the brink of loneliness.
ReplyDeleteThe end of the movie also has this glorious tracking shot from an aerial view, but we are indoors. It pans over all of the now lifeless bodies-as if the audience is stuck to the ceiling, looking down on the mess Travis has just made. I understand that this shot was employed in order to establish the extent of the damage done, and reiterate the events that have just unfolded; however I think there might be more to it. It felt to me first as one thing, and then as another. Firstly, the shot made me feel as if the damage was being viewed by an omnipotent deity-in the context of the film, God-as if to acknowledge that justice had been restored which is so completely contrary to the all-loving God promoted by Christianity. Then, this shot seemed to me like an outer-body experience that occurs after mass trauma. For instance, some coma patients have claimed that they were able to have left their bodies during their lack of consciousness. I wonder if Travis was in a mental coma after all of this unfolded, and we were all forced to look over his mess right along with him.
Lastly, there is a shot in the film where Travis is on the phone trying to get a woman to give him a chance, and the camera pans over to an empty hallway. This makes me feel empty myself, and I think that is the magic of film-making. The use of perspective to emphasize the lack of life other than Travis himself hits home in this shot. Ebert refers to it as the most important in the film. I think I agree.
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ReplyDeleteIn the 1976 film Taxi Driver, Scorsese draws from several different genres including, Western, horror, and film noir. The overall theme of isolation is influenced by these different genres, portrayed through cinematic elements.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the entire film, Travis is lonely. In many scenes, he's alone. There are parts of the movie that Travis isn't shown, but his non-diegetic voice will be heard in the form of a voice-over. That way, his presence is almost always with us. In the scenes where he is seen on the screen, the will be focus on him, but people will be bustling in the background or around him. He won't acknowledge them and they won't acknowledge him, giving the audience that sense of solitude that Travis is feeling: the "alone in a crowded room feel" that everyone dreads. The film itself ends with Travis saying “Well, I’m the only one here” and this perfectly reflects the isolation he felt throughout the film.
The influence from the other genres can be seen very clearly throughout the film. Western aspects stuck out to me the most. Travis is literally in a shoot out at the end of the film, which is very typical in the genre. In addition, Taxi Driver and most Westerns incorporate the idea of an anti-hero as we see very well in films such as Stagecoach. The protagonists can often serve as the antagonists. The horror genre also influenced the production of Taxi Driver. Suspense is built constantly throughout the film and "monsters" are incorporated into both. They're the "bad guys" meaning, the pimps and criminals. In addition, Taxi Driver mimics the western film The Searchers because both heroes, Travis Bickle and John Wayne, grow obsessed with rescuing women who may not want to be rescued. The smoke-filled streets and the mystery reflects film noir. Also reminiscent of this genre is the fact that rather than ending in carnage, the film ends with redemption.
Nothing is more important in Taxi Driver than the idea of isolation. Travis Bickle is one of the most complex characters to study in film history. To begin with Travis Bickle is a Vietnam Veteran and this is shown through his iconic green jacket. This already makes him out to be a loner such as many veterans have been in movies in the past. For example, Ethan in The Searchers is a veteran and has many qualities he shares with Bickle. Although in Taxi Driver it is more of a choice to TB that he is a loner. There is a constant lie that TB tells himself subconsciously that the world around him is evil and disgusting but he forces himself only to see the ills of the society creating a paradox for himself. Even when he finds good in the world like Betsy he forces himself to mess up by bringing her into the world he sees: the porno theatre. Framing is often used to depict the loneliness that TB faces with TB often alone in a closed frame. Often in his taxi TB can be seen in this framing which also grants him the reasoning of his self-righteousness.
ReplyDeleteWhat adds to TB’s lonerism is again the choices he makes like for example working the night shift. During his working time he drives around purposefuly to only see the drudges of society: the whores, the pimps. While TB also harbors his racism as shown through his perspective on the only black people around him being aggressive. Scenes in the diner show the point of view of TB on African-Americans as they stare at him with menacing looks that are probably imagined by TB. The lie TB tells himself also makes TB trapped in a cycle where he becomes sicker with the world. As the movie goes on it can be seen that TB’s mentality quickly deteriorates as he makes life worse and worse for himself. The shot where the camera dollies away from TB to the right until he’s out of frame is famous for its unconventionality but also, not surprisingly, serves an important purpose. It’s right after TB fails with Betsy so the absence of TB in the frame illustrates the loss of mental stability in TB as he is left out of the shot entirely.
The film seems to have two acts. The second in my opinion takes place after TB meets the man (Martin Scorsese) who wants to kill his wife for having an affair. This is one of the most important scenes in the play because the passenger is a physical representation of all that TB hates with the world but also is TB in a way. The man is what TB would consider filth by the way he talks about his wife and the violence he describes (which would inspire TB). But in reality TB and the man are very similair. Both are racist and both want to resort to violence to solve their problems. Later TB would use this man as inspiration for his war against the streets. One scene in particular which I think is very much underrated is when TB is watching American Bandstand on TV. The use of non-diegetic sound around the scene is very important to the interpretation of TB’s psyche. Scorsese is known for his great use of music in his films and around this scene he used Jackson Browne’s song Late for the Sky which themes heavily include loneliness as well as the album its from (which has the same name- really good). This song indicates the absolute end point for the psyche of TB. The tip of the iceberg is in this scene. Even TB’s racist tendencies are brought up when TB sees a black couple on TV and smashes it. From this point on the full loss of sanity takes place.
ReplyDeleteNot only is Taxi Driver complex but it reached the collective psyche of America at the time and made everyone take a good hard look at society. It was another masterpiece by Scorsese that is inspiring in technique and storytelling. Overall Taxi Driver is one of the most complex films in the history of filmmaking and I have barely scratched the tip of the iceberg in this description alone.
Taxi driver is primarily about isolation of the individual. He does not have strong ties to the characters around him and does not have any responsibilities toward anyone but himself. Travis feels alone and trapped in the great big city around him as we often see him driving his taxi alone on an empty road. I always noticed the long shots of the dark and shadowed streets as the taxi drove towards the camera. This use of lighting and setting allows for a sense of isolation in Travis as he blends in with the dark and endless city streets. The use of these shots as well as the setting is arguably an idea taken from film noir. Film noir movies often depict urban scenes (apartment blocks and back alleys) with dark corners, and little lighting. Film noir films make the viewer question what could be lurking in the shadows of every corner, similarly to Taxi Driver. Another common element of film noir are femme fatales- women who will just as soon kill you as love you. In Taxi Driver, Travis ends up noticing a very beautiful independent woman who he ends up liking a lot. He realizes however that she is just lie “the rest of them” and moves on. Even though she is not the true definition of a femme fatale she wraps Travis around her finger because she can and in the end, is way less of a deal than she was before at least to Travis.
ReplyDeleteTaxi Driver also contains a few Western themes. In a Western there is heavy focus on the conflict between the “Cowboys and Indians.” In Taxi Driver there is no overall conflict until closer to the end when Travis decides to go against the gangsters and evil characters all by himself (also helps to strengthen the theme of isolation of the individual in Taxi Driver.) The shooting scene at the very end resembles that of a Western as well. The Western genre also depicts a society organized around codes of honor, in this case Travis feeling like he should do something with the knowledge and abilities he has. He decides to risk his life to help a younger woman because he feels as if it is his duty to do so.
When first watching the film these elements are not so obvious however upon closer examination certain elements from other genres can be easily identified in Taxi Driver's narrative and filming style.
As Robert Ebert says in his original review about ‘Taxi Driver’ “It’s not about a city, but about the weathers of a man’s soul” which is shown by the isolation of Travis Bickle. Throughout the film Travis Bickle shares a good portion of time in the film with other characters, which makes some most people believe that he wasn’t in fact, feeling isolated. But he doesn’t spend a lot of actual screen time with other characters. Like the scenes where he is driving his customers to their destinations, it usually switches between a medium close-up of Travis, and then cuts to whoever is in the back of the taxi, almost never showing Travis and his customers in the same shot. A good example of how even though Travis shares a scene with another character, they have barely any actual shots that have both of them together is the scene where he buys all of the different guns. More than a few shots were that of either just Travis, the salesman or of the guns, hardly any contained both Travis and the salesman. And when the two shared a shot together, most of them were focused entirely on Travis, with maybe half of the salesman’s body shown as he hands Travis a gun. Also, the usage of lighting portrays Travis’ isolation from the rest of the world. Throughout the film he blends in with the shadows and doesn’t really wear any clothes that don’t blend in with the dark/shadows. The usage of so many badly light alleyways/streets really reveals the isolation of Travis.
ReplyDeleteThe elements of light in the film comes from the Film Noir genre, where lighting, especially shadows, play a big part. “Film Noir (literally 'black film or cinema') was coined by French film critics (first by Nino Frank in 1946) who noticed the trend of how 'dark', downbeat and black the looks and themes were of many American crime and detective films released in France to theatres following the war”- taken from http://www.filmsite.org/filmnoir.html.
ReplyDeleteTaxi Driver is a psychological drama, directed by Martin Scorsese in 1976, about Travis Bickle, a young Vietnam War veteran who works as a taxi driver in New York City. Bickle is the epitome of an antihero because, due to, among other things, his violent tendencies and dark, alienating thoughts, the audience should not want to sympathize with him, and yet most ultimately do. The audience is drawn to his dark personality because Bickle represents the dark facet, no matter how deeply hidden, of everyone’s soul. He is not a classic flawless hero or an unredeemable villain, but a vivid, if severely flawed, perhaps even broken, man. His hatred for the evil in NYC and the desire for a purer, more innocent life are what make him so relatable to the audience, even if these ideas in the end facilitate violence. However, even his violence is for the greater good, ie cleaning up the city, bit by bit. This is what makes him more heroic than the “scum” around him, yet it also makes him more deplorable than certain others, such as Betsy.
Scorsese, an auteur in his own right, has admittedly taken great inspiration from films of his own past, as well as the past of the film industry as a whole. He obviously admires Italian filmmakers like Vittorio DeSica and Federico Fellini. Taxi Driver is a mixture of gritty neorealism and more stylistic surrealism. The film’s conclusion perfectly exemplifies this. After the climactic shootout to save Iris, a bloodied Bickle is shown lying prostrate on a couch as police clamor in. The camera pans down the bloodied stairs, littered with corpses, and outside to a crowd of people gathering in response to the commotion. The camera then immediately cuts to a letter on Bickle’s wall from Iris’s parents, read in a voiceover by her father, in the same monotone voice that Bickle narrated the entire film in. Many critics, including Roger Ebert, have theorized the ending of the film may not be real, merely dreamt by the dying antihero as he loses consciousness. The final shot of Betsy through the rear-view mirror does seem too good to be true, and the soft, glowing, dream-like lighting and imagery both support this. But Scorsese absorbs from many different directors and genres, notably Westerns and film noir. The desolate streets of NYC, despite being lively, are cold-hearted and alienating enough to resemble a ghost town of the Western genre. Bickle, as well, with his single-minded pursuit of justice – even if this justice is a bit distorted – is reminiscent of the cowboys and gunslingers of the John Ford era. The lighting of the city, monotone narration, and saxophone-driven score are all taken from the film noir of the 40s and 50s.