Monday, January 5, 2015

Taxi Driver

Taxi Driver a complex movie about the mind of a returning war veteran does an excellent job at showing transformation in our main character through relationships. While watching the movie I believed there were three major conversations/ "relationships" between De Niro and other characters that molded his final meltdown. The first one being the blonde women from the campaign, the second was the actual senator when he got into De Niro's cab and lastly Iris who tried escaping into his cab.

The first relationship I'd like to discuss is the one with the campaign lady that De Niro has feelings for. For the first time in the movie we hear him talk without a voice over or self narrative. He briefly talks about some connection between the two of them that he could sense. The audience is shown how easily influenced he is by how quickly invested into the campaign he gets because of her. I believe De Niro has a hero complex, and thinks in his own mind he is saving people from possibly not dangerous individuals.

The second relationship is between Palentino and De Niro in the cab. We see him take his new found knowledge from his time spent with Betsy and starts chatting. When Palentino asks Travis for his input we hear and see the anger that is boiling inside of him. Now his mission for who needs to be saved is the people of New York instead of Betsy away from the guy who she works with.

The last relationship is between Iris and De Niro which is the most dramatic one. He meets her for the first time when she tries to escape from Sport but he doesn't move. Eventually he makes it his mission to save her from a place where he believes she doesn't want to be. Even though she might not, there is some resistance and Travis continues to push, until finally he tries saving her which leads to a bloody mess.

All of these relationships come one after another which leaves me to believe Scorsce wanted us to see how slowly Travis was leading down this path which in his mind was interpreted of being hero while to others he looked like a maniac. 

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