Taxi Driver Analysis

The main aspect of the film’ captivating story is its exquisite development of the character, Travis Bickle. This man represents every man in his loneliness and potential for violence. His inner psyche is in no way real, but rather a nightmare. By constantly reinforcing the dreamlike nature of the story, the director makes it seem that we are floating in Bickle’s mind, and everything we see we realize is not the way it really is, but the way he sees it. The narratology of this film makes it no less a documentary of the human mind than it is a story. When we look at the movie from th

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Acting

Robert De Niro magnificently portrays his character right down to the core, intensifying the oh so shockingly real personality of Travis Bickle. The fast cuts in the editing, as when he practices with the guns, make us enter in his mental catastrophe. At certain times we agree to him as a sophisticated idealist, while other times we portray him as a psycho. The movie switches dynamically between these styles, which deliberately leaves us infinite ways of thinking about the Travis. As Travis changes his hair styles, it show the instability of his personality and the two opposite characters of Travis Bickle, a charming man and a psychopath. The dizziness of the colors and the fact that the background is often out of focus in the whole movie reminds us that there is no way to see the society in a sharper way.

Conclusion

Taxi Driver is a “rude awakening” tale, a film which awakens in us a recognition of our own inner fears, desires, and our dark side. Through the windshield and Bickle’s interpretation, Scorsese is presenting to us this “apocalypse now” image. The film expresses deeply felt emotions quietly, compassionately with Bickle, and we identify with him. He is frightened by what he does not understand.

Mise en Scène

Camera techniques are used very voyeuristically to depict the Inferno that rages in Bickle’s mind as well as on the streets. Within the taxi, Travis is shielded from the dangers of the outside world, but inside, he is always warped by his inner mental illness. The windshield of the taxi is the lens through which Travis views the city, therefore Travis never sees the world as it actually is. Perhaps we have all not been alienated in this way, but surely all of us have felt alone and sometimes afraid. He has exploited every aspect of his character and from his on screen performance; he has embodied himself into Bickle’s delirium.

Common topics in this essay:
Travis Bickle, Taxi Driver, Scène Camera, De Niro, Hell Earth, York City, , travis bickle, outside world, human mind, taxi driver, bickles mind, de niro, makes inner,

Approximate Word count = 709
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

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