Taxi Driver is a 1976 American crime drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Paul Schrader. It tells the story of Travis Bickle, a shy, working-class New York City taxicab driver who becomes involved in a violent confrontation with a pair of criminals after picking up a fare in front of his home.
The cast includes Robert De Niro, Cybill Shepherd, Jodie Foster, Harvey Keitel, and Peter Boyle. The film depicts Travis Bickle, a troubled New York City taxi driver who becomes involved in the petty crimes of the city’s prostitutes and their clients.
Contents
Movie Meaning of Taxi Driver
The movie’s meaning can be summed up with the following quote: “People feel things in a different way when they’re in a hurry.” Travis Bickle is slowly broken by the city he loves. He eventually snaps and commits violent crimes simply to take his mind off of his pain.
The movie’s main theme is the danger of violence and how it can corrupt people. Travis represents all of the hazards that come with feeling overwhelmed by life – he is lonely, desperate, and ineffectual. When he finally snaps, his violence doesn’t just hurt those around him – it destroys himself as well.
The movie portrays the dangers of uncontrolled violence, and how it can lead to destruction. Besides, the theme of the movie is that people feel things differently when they’re in a hurry. That is why when Travis becomes involved in the crimes of the city’s prostitutes and their clients, he eventually snaps. This leads to his committing violent crimes, which ultimately destroy him.
Ending of Taxi Driver
The ending of the movie is ambiguous. Travis may have killed his victims, or he may have just wounded them. It’s not clear. What is clear, however, is that Travis has lost everything – and there’s no coming back from that kind of devastation.
Some say that Travis is actually the hero of the movie, saving damsels in distress time and time again. Others believe that he’s just another individual who falls victim to the corrupt world around him.
In any case, it’s clear that Travis has been through a lot in his lifetime – which may account for why he becomes so lost and desperate at the end of the movie. In the end, Travis realizes that violence only leads to more violence, and he returns home to die alone.
Key Characters of Taxi Driver
Travis Bickie.
The main character of Taxi Driver is a taxi driver named Travis Bickie. Travis is an alcoholic and has a severe case of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). He spends his days driving around New York City and picking up passengers, only to spend the night in horrifically Violent Hobbies such as knife throwing or beating people up.
Travis’ situation at the end of the movie symbolizes not just his inner turmoil but the turmoil and anxiety experienced by many people in the modern world. Travis is a typical taxi driver who experiences loneliness, frustration, and anger on a daily basis. At the end of the movie, Travis has descended into madness after being driven insane by his own demons.
Betsy
The film’s main character, Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro), is a taxi driver who suffers from clinical depression. He kills other drivers and passengers in order to prove that he is not insane, and finds redemption by helping a young prostitute named Betsy (Mia Farrow) escape the life she has known.
Betsy is a very powerful character and a love interest for Travis. She is very loyal to him and they share a close relationship. He refers to her as his “angel.”
Iris
Iris is another female character in the movie. She is a prostitute who takes John’s money and spends it on drugs. Iris also has an affair with Travis and becomes pregnant. After giving birth to her son, she leaves Travis for good and moves out of town to start a new life away from him.
Important events of Taxi Driver 1976
The movie is set in New York City during the late 1970s and early 1980s, specifically between 1977 and 1982.
The movie starts with Robert De Niro’s character, Travis Bickle, picking up a fare in the city streets. Travis has had it with society and is bitter towards those around him. He feels like he’s been pushed to his breaking point by the constant cruelty he witnesses on a daily basis.
Travis Bickle (Sidney Poitier) became a taxi driver to escape from his past. He longed for something meaningful in his life but instead discovered that all of the passengers he picked up were either criminals or mentally ill people who tormented him with their stories.
Travis takes this passenger to an isolated part of town where they can talk privately. The passenger tells Travis that they need to get out of the city and go to a place where they can be themselves. Travis agrees and takes them on a wild ride that leads to death, destruction, and madness.
One night, Travis takes a fare to the Bowery, a neighborhood in Manhattan notorious for its crime and poverty. There he picks up a young girl named Iris (Jodie Foster) who is being followed by two men.
The men try to rob her, but she defends herself with a knife and Travis saves her. Travis takes Iris home, where he meets his landlady Mrs. Miller (Linda Gray). Mrs. Miller tells Travis that she is moving out of the city and will be leaving him with a large sum of money. Travis spends the night with Iris, but in the morning he leaves her to return to his job as a taxi driver.
The movie’s meaning centers around Travis’ personal journey towards self-destruction. He is filled with anger and resentment against those around him, but he never achieves his goal of revenge or escape.
The movie ends with Travis picking up two old men who have been waiting for a ride home. As he drives them, one of the old men starts to sing along with Travis’ radio and they all have a good time.
How Was Taxi Driver 1976 Made?
The Taxi Driver movie was originally titled Mean Streets. The director, Martin Scorsese, was trying to find a new subject matter for his next film and read an article about a New York City taxi driver who had killed several people.
He decided to make the film around this character, Travis Bickle. At the beginning of the film, Travis is working as a taxi driver and has had some really bad luck. He’s been assaulted and has a lot of anger inside him. A girl named Iris takes pity on him and starts to spend time with him.
Ending explained
The ending to Taxi Driver is very ambiguous. Some viewers see it as a hopeful message about the power of human connection, while others find it heartbreaking. It all depends on how you interpret the scene where Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) rides down Sixth Avenue with another taxi driver in pursuit.
Travis is presumably killed in a car accident after he saves the young girl, and Bonnie dies of cancer shortly thereafter. In one possible interpretation, Travis achieves redemption by finally sacrificing himself for others; this suggests that Bonnie’s death was not in vain.
Alternatively, the film may suggest that even without such a heroic act on Travis’s part there is still some sort of peace and comfort to be found in life. This is most likely suggested by the final scene, in which Travis and his daughter are watching a sunset together.
Conclusion
The movie Taxi Driver is about a man who has lost everything, including his job and his sanity. He becomes a taxi driver to make ends meet and find some sense of purpose in life.
The movie’s ending shows that the man has finally found some sort of redemption – he has helped other people, he’s been given new hope, and he has regained some sense of self-worth.
FAQs
Which Actors Were in Taxi Driver 1976?
Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, and Cybill Shepherd starred in Taxi Driver 1976. Besides, Leonard Harris and Harvey Keitel also appeared in this movie as supporting characters.
What Is the Meaning of Taxi Driver?
The movie’s main theme is morality and how someone can go through life without having any real sense of right and wrong. Travis Bickle (Scorsese) is a sociopath who has found an outlet for his anger by killing people. At the end of the movie, he finally comes to realize that what he’s done is wrong and kills himself.
Is Taxi Driver 1976 a Masterpiece?
Yes, Taxi Driver is a masterpiece. The movie has a clear and concise meaning that is easy to understand. The ending confirms this meaning, providing an appropriate resolution for the story arc. The movie’s central theme is isolation and its effects on the individual.
Leave a Reply