The movie we have recently watched in film class is an ingenious piece by Martin Scorsese. The movie Taxi Driver, was a piece about Travis Bickle(Robert Di Niro) who in the movie is portrayed as a Vietnam War Vet. He is a very lonely man who is discontent with his lifestyle and feels the need to work 24/7. He becomes a taxi driver and has unusual habits, that leave him with barely any social skills. The setting is in New York and Travis, feels that the only way society can progress is if it is "flushed down a toilet." I feel that the extract I am focusing on for this film is one of the most important scenes, because through this extract an accurate characterization of Travis is made, the setting of New York is touched upon, and Travis' intent to fix New York is shown.
Martin Scorsese was born in New York and is a very well known director who directed twenty-five films. Some films he directed are The Last Temptation of Christ, Goodfellas, The Departed, Aviator and Shutter Island. Taxi Driver seems to relate to the screen writer, Paul Schrader's older screenplays like American Gigolo and Bringing Out the Dead. The recurring themes of loneliness and alienation are two traits constantly used within these movies. In relation to his other more recent work Shutter Island, also a thriller seems to be a recurring type of movie style Scorsese enjoys. In Shutter Island the main character Teddy seems to face psychological struggles just as Travis does in Taxi Driver. Both films have you on the edge of your seat and Teddy of Shutter island is personally motivated to pursue a case, that ultimately has no solution to. The mysteries push him to his own insanity, as in Taxi Driver, Travis is personally motivated to clean up New York, but his motives lead him to wanting to kill himself. Both characters can not deal with the circumstances before them, for Teddy he must figure out the case and Travis he wanted to clean up New York, but neither get to see their desires accomplished.
In Taxi Driver, (another dramatic thriller) the opening of part six, Travis is listening to a voice over of Palentine one of the people running for a political position in the film. Travis is told by a police officer to get off the side of the road, which could show how the authorities are blinded by certain corruptness and are patrolling the wrong things of New York. Following this Travis is seen writing a letter to his parents, on a childish card that highlights his isolation. Travis says "he hopes no one has died" expressing how detached his own relationship with his family is and isolation from them. Travis is quite lonely throughout the film, and is ashamed by his own loneliness. In the letter he explains how things are going well with Betsey his brief romance. He can not continue with this romance due to his own alienation. One of the first dates he took Betsey on was a movie revealing film that angered Betsey and ended their brief romantic stint. Through this sequence Travis can be depicted as a character who has little practice with human interactions and further give reason to his loneliness.
The next sequence of this extract is Travis playing with the magnum and watching a romantic film, annoyingly. His annoyed expression could reveal his frustration in society as a whole, because he does not seem to understand how real interactions work . Travis seems to live in the fairy tale world, and does not have a grasp of reality not understanding how actual interactions with girls work. Following the T.V. Sequence Travis is seen looking at injustice going on in New York with one man dragging another away. This relates to how throughout New York the society is corrupt and people are bystanders not intervening with "scum" that surrounds New York.
The last sequences of this film is Travis asking to have time with one of the younger prostitute girls, hoping to make a difference in her life. The confrontation with the pimp foreshadows the resolution of the film where Travis decides to try and end the corruptness of New York single-handedly. This confrontation also reveals how discontent Travis is with the society and his attempt in relation to the narrative to "flush out New York in a toilet."
This extract had every aspect of the main ideas Scorsese attempted to portray and this film allowed me to realize thematically that one man can make a difference. This thematic idea Scorsese uses often in his films, and especially through this particular film. Travis had many flaws as a human being, but ultimately he wanted to sacrifice himself for the better good. He attempted to fix New York and metaphorically fixed an aspect of New York, by saving the girl from a life of prostitution. This film is a classic and is a main reason why Scorsese became, so well known.
The movie we have recently watched in film class is an ingenious piece by Martin Scorsese. The movie Taxi Driver, was a piece about Travis Bickle(Robert Di Niro) who in the movie is portrayed as a Vietnam War Vet. He is a very lonely man who is discontent with his lifestyle and feels the need to work 24/7. He becomes a taxi driver and has unusual habits, that leave him with barely any social skills. The setting is in New York and Travis, feels that the only way society can progress is if it is "flushed down a toilet." I feel that the extract I am focusing on for this film is one of the most important scenes, because through this extract an accurate characterization of Travis is made, the setting of New York is touched upon, and Travis' intent to fix New York is shown.
Martin Scorsese was born in New York and is a very well known director who directed twenty-five films. Some films he directed are The Last Temptation of Christ, Goodfellas, The Departed, Aviator and Shutter Island. Taxi Driver seems to relate to the screen writer, Paul Schrader's older screenplays like American Gigolo and Bringing Out the Dead. The recurring themes of loneliness and alienation are two traits constantly used within these movies. In relation to his other more recent work Shutter Island, also a thriller seems to be a recurring type of movie style Scorsese enjoys. In Shutter Island the main character Teddy seems to face psychological struggles just as Travis does in Taxi Driver. Both films have you on the edge of your seat and Teddy of Shutter island is personally motivated to pursue a case, that ultimately has no solution to. The mysteries push him to his own insanity, as in Taxi Driver, Travis is personally motivated to clean up New York, but his motives lead him to wanting to kill himself. Both characters can not deal with the circumstances before them, for Teddy he must figure out the case and Travis he wanted to clean up New York, but neither get to see their desires accomplished. 
In Taxi Driver, (another dramatic thriller) the opening of part six, Travis is listening to a voice over of Palentine one of the people running for a political position in the film. Travis is told by a police officer to get off the side of the road, which could show how the authorities are blinded by certain corruptness and are patrolling the wrong things of New York. Following this Travis is seen writing a letter to his parents, on a childish card that highlights his isolation. Travis says "he hopes no one has died" expressing how detached his own relationship with his family is and isolation from them. Travis is quite lonely throughout the film, and is ashamed by his own loneliness. In the letter he explains how things are going well with Betsey his brief romance. He can not continue with this romance due to his own alienation. One of the first dates he took Betsey on was a movie revealing film that angered Betsey and ended their brief romantic stint. Through this sequence Travis can be depicted as a character who has little practice with human interactions and further give reason to his loneliness.
The next sequence of this extract is Travis playing with the magnum and watching a romantic film, annoyingly. His annoyed expression could reveal his frustration in society as a whole, because he does not seem to understand how real interactions work . Travis seems to live in the fairy tale world, and does not have a grasp of reality not understanding how actual interactions with girls work. Following the T.V. Sequence Travis is seen looking at injustice going on in New York with one man dragging another away. This relates to how throughout New York the society is corrupt and people are bystanders not intervening with "scum" that surrounds New York.
The last sequences of this film is Travis asking to have time with one of the younger prostitute girls, hoping to make a difference in her life. The confrontation with the pimp foreshadows the resolution of the film where Travis decides to try and end the corruptness of New York single-handedly. This confrontation also reveals how discontent Travis is with the society and his attempt in relation to the narrative to "flush out New York in a toilet."
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