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People like Martin and Alan Moore (with his character of Rorschach) I think there's people that make media that doesn't actually say what they think it does or times change and the media takes on a new form based off the changed times. One of the two, because D-Fens from Falling Down is another example and Fight Club. They think they're (and that was their intention when writing) making cautionary tales of men NOT to become. We're SUPPOSE to see them as bad and insane, that was their intention, but that's not what actually happens in these films. Do the characters take things too far? YES, no doubt. ALL them go to EXTREMES thinking that's their own way to dal with their (retable) suffering in life. So while we can condemn their extreme actions, 100% don't condone it... NONE of these characters actually do anything evil. If anything, D-Fens/Tyler Durden/Travis Bickle are ACTUALLY anti-heroes lol. I don't care if that pisses people off, that's what the films ON THE SCREEN are lol. On paper they probably thought: "Oh yeah, everyone's gonna hate these guys." In practiced, the literally are anti-heroes lol. You're coping if you say otherwise lol. They might freak you out, I can get that, but tell me something EVIL they did... I'll wait, you can't. All you can point to is the extremes and even their actions in the extremes have noble motivations. Sure the Palatine assassination doesn't happen PURELY because Travis fails, but still doesn't change the fact that his mental illness was at least unleashed on a pimp trafficking young girls. Like it or not, Travis Bickle is an anti-hero lol. A mentally unstable anti-hero that might make your skin crawl, but an anti-hero none the less lol. Cry about it.
You guys (not just you, but let you know) are just normie loser shills. And then you're all still wondering "WHAT'S GOING ON WITH YOUNG MEN!?" Lol. It's almost like any time we try to voice a grievance about life or daring or women, we're told either we're wrong/not trying/sexist etc. Yet I get here day and night about the sheer hatred women have for men before of the men they CHOOSE to fucking date lol. And I'm just suppose to be like: "Yes ma'am, I'm sorry about the man that wasn't me that merely lied about height or was awkward and know you have to hyperbole it to danger." Nah, fuck that and fuck anyone even trying to debate this shit with me.
Also your interpretations of this film and Joker are both wrong. They're actually BOTH say in the surface level normie shit you two believe. It's saying: DON'T be like that, but let us not ignore society CREATES these men by dismissing, belittling, ignoring them and most have little incentive to try in live anymore or really live... Soooo.... Be dismissive towards men's issues at your own risk because society IS on the edge of those men just losing it. Or maybe not since we're so sedated by porn, weed and drugs it'll just be a slow collapse as men abandon society. Which the latter IS in fact happening lol.
19:25 Martin Scorsese has addressed this shot. I was curious about this too. He said it was his way of showing how pathetic the phone call was- even the camera didn’t want to watch.
The ending is meant to be ironic. Travis is hailed as a hero by the media for killing the pimp when if he had assassinated the politician as planned he would be reviled. In the end everything goes back to how it was in the beginning. The scene with Betsy is not literally a dream but intentionally made to feel that way to force the audience into buying into Travis’ delusions. But as he drives away he looks back in the mirror in disgust and the tone of the music turns dark and ominous to suggest that he’s still unhappy and unfulfilled despite everything because ultimately nothing has really changed.
The ending IS the point. It's the fact that he gets away with it....the cynical 70's approach for an ending that confounds expectations and doesn't go for an uplifting result.
We wouldn’t be cool with Travis assassinating a POTUS candidate (whom Betsy looks up to), but we’re cool with Travis taking out pimps (whom Iris looks up to).
Kind of wild to hear someone say that this film valorizes or absolves Travis simply because he doesn't die or go to prison - as you say, the fact that a man can be condemned or celebrated for murder, depending on whom he kills, is intended to be ironic and an indictment of a violent society
Being a taxi driver is like being an observer where no one will acknowledge that you even exist and it makes you feel lonely seeing how happy and normal people's lives are when you're just struggling to be alive. Having driven Lyft, I can relate.
I found the moral of the story was that theres a thin line between being a hero through violence and being a vilan. That society should perhaps be caution in celebrating these acts. We felt justified in his slaughter of people we didn't like but that was the same impulse that would have made him a political assassin.
Exactly. There was plenty of talk about vigilantism back then, and movies about the same (Dirty Harry, Death Wish, etc.), so I think Scorsese was showing this fine line as a way of saying to his audience "Do you really want vigilantes? Is this really how we clean up this mess?" A kind of "Be careful what you wish for" sentiment. As much as we do feel for Travis, who is so clearly lonely and broken, probably by his service in Vietnam, I don't think we're ever meant to be totally on his side. It's a subtle and difficult line Scorsese walked at the end, and I can see why it might confuse modern audiences who are more sensitive to lone shooters, especially right-wing incels, a group to which now Travis appears to belong (yet wasn't on the radar back then).
@@DavidAntrobus its not just vigilantism I think its culture at large. The person you want next to you in the trenches may well be a psychopath, but because he's on your side you make him a hero, give him medals but what happens when they're back in society. It's not just violence either. You look at all these huge stars being canceled. And the truth is, to be a superstar the dedication and drive you need, there is a large chance they are not a good person.
@@DavidAntrobus The shadow of the Vietnam war hangs heavy over the entire film. Audiences watching in '76 would have known immediately that Travis served there, but I suppose with the passage of time and our piss-poor teaching of history folks no longer understand that crucial context
I can't believe they didn't show the most vital shot in the film. When he ambiguously looks in the mirror at the end. I mean the double eye flash in the mirror. Not the one they showed. Has he changed?
@@thebillryan Like most of this film, it's over their heads. They wouldn't get it. Weird watching them try to cluelessly explain what they see to each other.
Don't agree with the interpretation of the ending that it's a celebration of raging against a world that's wronged you. I don't think that's what the movie is trying to say at all. It's supposed to be a portrait of a man who is deteriorating mentally and is alienated from society due to PTSD. There isn't supposed to be a lesson, moral compass, or cautionary tale. It should be seen for what it is: a snapshot into his troubled life.
and without resolution; he is a powder keg who happened to explode towards villains in the past but would (and will) just as easily explode towards innocent people who he thinks have wronged him, or contributed to the detriment of what he thinks society should be.
I saw an interview with Jodie Foster recently in which she said at age 12 1/2, when she shot this film, she had more onset experience than De Niro and Scorsese combined.
@@salomaogomes7311 FACT: *Young men going more right wing* People like these two and comment section: *Pikachu surprise face* Same people anytime young men call out one-sided ideological injection in their media: "OMFG! SHUT UP YOU INCEL! MAYBE IF YOU SHUT UP, YOU'LL GET LAID! Also muh white male capitalist patriarchy privilege bigotry transhphobia ableism..." Young Men: "Are they fucking serious?"
I feel like a lot of people forget that Times Square was considered the Red Light District, especially back in the 70s and 80s. If anyone is interested, watch the series The Deuce. It goes into depth about Times Square and the sex workers there and its written and created by the same guy who did The Wire.
1:56 Albert Brooks' real name is Albert Einstein. His brother was Bob Einstein (RIP) aka Super Dave Osborne aka Marty Funkhouser in Curb Your Enthusiasm aka Larry Middleman in Arrested Development
Travis has a significant thought disorder, compounded by PTSD. He is only intermittently connected to events and people around him. The unsatisfying ending is Travis's ongoing experience. It doesn't resolve satisfactorily for the audience because his story doesn't resolve. You don't understand his motives or actions because they are not understandable. The entire ending of the film makes sense as delusional experience not placed in reality.
The “You Talking to Me? I’m the Only One Here. Who TF Do You Think You’re Talking To?” was actually improvised by Robert De Niro. Also this movie garnered controversy at the time with the casting of Jodie Foster who was 12 during the filming and the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan later on
I interpreted the ending differently. I think Scorcese/Schrader is saying because Travis redirected his violence away from Palantine and/or those working on his campaign and toward the pimp and the slimebag hotel owner, as a society we now see Travis in a heroic light. This is unfortunate. Instead, what we should be examining is what caused Travis to become unhinged in the first place. Remember when he looks into the cab rearview mirror real quick as he's driving away from Betsy in that last scene? Scorcese's telling us that this guy is still dangerous. Only because of that small change of the Secret Service guys foiling his plan to kill Palantine does his status in society's eyes go from a villain to a "hero," but make no mistake, Travis isn't a hero. Also, I know you guys were asking about why Travis might target Palantine versus Sport, etc. I don't think the choice of victim matters that much to someone as unhinged as Travis. Remember the awful time he was having trying to convey to The Wizard what was wrong. He kept saying things like, "I have some bad ideas in my head..." and "I just feel like.... I'm gonna... ohhhh I dunno..." He can't put it into words. He just wants to do SOMETHING. He's not exactly sure the form it's going to take at that point. So I think the choice of victim here is secondary to the fact he just wants/needs to do something. And that something is going to be violent. But the choice of victim doesn't necessarily have to be logical from the viewer's standpoint, IMHO.
At 19:25 the shot is used to show how not only is betsy forgetting about travis but even the cameraman. Just like the end where eventually he is forgotten by everyone.
Travis calling himself "Henry Krinkle" to the agent, the song Mr Krinkle by Primus is loosely about Mike Puffy Bordin (Faith No More drummer) using that name as a pseudonym when he'd check in to hotels. Also, "Suck on this" (when shooting Harvey) is a Primus album.
It's on their cover of Kiss's 'God of Thunder'. The same line's also sampled on 'The Badge' by Poison Idea as well as Pantera's cover of the same song.
6:18 That pr0n theater concessions clerk is played by Diahnne Abbott, Robert De Niro’s 1st wife. They married in 1976, the same year as _Taxi Driver,_ and divorced 12 years later.
@@hilarymiseroy But it's still the more interesting and more realistic way of looking at it. I definitely keep going with the theory for the end with the last few scenes being only thoughts in his head - either while in coma or while dying.
@@anunnacy Paul Schrader was asked in an interview about the dream ending and he said that it didn't bother him how people interpreted the ending but that was not what he intended. He also explained a lot more in the DVD commentary released for the films 25th anniversary in 2001.
@@anunnacyIt's definitely NOT the more interesting theory. It actually happened, and right at the ending Travis' circle starts all over again. The bomb starts to tick again. Scorcese and Schrader both literally talked about it.
To the point of your comments about Travis' talk with Palantine remember all the night scenes are actual images of NY, which is why he is looking at the 2 pimps when seated with his colleagues. In the 1970's the NY subway was considered the most dangerous journey in the western world, mayor Edward Koch changed that. This was the Master's Bernard Herrmann final score, he died shortly after. His first was Orson Welles' "Citizen Kane", he did 7 movies with Hitchcock (consultant on "The Birds") and wrote the timeless theme for "The Twilight Zone".
The ending is supposed to be challenging, I think. An actually flawed anti-hero “winning” in the end. We want to see redeemable qualities in him, but they’re minimal.
i think youre missing the point of the ending a bit..........WE the audience know that travis is totally cracked and that he only took out Keitel and the "bad guys" because his original plan to assasinate the presidential candidate failed. its intended as a comment on the media that travis is held up as being some kind of hero when we ourselves know this isnt the case.
Also none of you grasping that we don't live in the 70s anymore lol. In fact, there's even MORE of a logical reason for men to be acting like Travis than there was in the 70s lol. Also it's a kind of a misandrist view because Travis is lonely but even why he tries to talk to someone he's told: "Just do your job and you'll be okay." And that didn't work. TAHT'S what you're all STILL doing to men to speak and you don't like what they have to say because it either offends women or isn't politically correct lol.
One of the greatest films ever made. Another Scorsese NY based film I recommend that I watched recently is After Hours from 1985, one of his most underrated films ever, geniuslly written surrealistic dark comedy satire.
Grew up in NYC, and attended a school in the neighborhood where the "Palantine HQ" was set in the movie. I remember seeing all these Palantine for President signs, and going home to ask my parents who he was - of course they were mystified. Wasn't until I saw the movie that the mystery was solved. And yeah, the movie really captures what New York was like at the time.
Their lukewarm reception of this masterpiece of character study is such a huge reflection of our “PC” culture, and negates so much meaningful examination of the movie in favor of criticisms that equate to nothing more than virtue signaling. Still love the channel and I think they’re actually good guys, they just don’t need to try so hard to prove it.
Wrapping up this film in a neat little bow by serving up an editorialized sense of morality would be the worst thing for it. Like life, this movie doesn't leave you with all the so-called "correct" answers or solutions. Travis has no interest in Betsy at the end. Though, what does it say about her character that she's so taken with him only after his newfound "fame"? Ultimately, Travis (as evidenced by the last shot of the rearview mirror) will always remain a tortured and paranoid soul.
To all those who say this film is boring or overrated, its not an action Dirty Harry film. Is a Psychological Drama about a troubled Insomniac Individual who struggled to connect with others until things change wanting to save a Young Jodie Foster. Most Reactors do Skips like this and Falling Down because of Angry Men with Mental Illness or Traumas even Anger Issues into Violence. Travis is a really well written character. even his narration makes understand same as Goodfellas.
Scorsese also appears on camera interviewing member of The Band in his seminal concert film: The Last Waltz. Probably the greatest concert film ever made.
The way I see the ending is after Travis drives off into the night and then quickly glances in the rear view mirror, it actually dovetails with the opening shot of the film where you see the Taxi cab emerge out of the fog. The implication being that Travis is a time bomb on a constant loop and it's a question of when not if something will set him off again. Sort of like "time is a flat circle" from True Detective. This is why I don't believe the theory that the epilogue is all just a fantasy that Travis sees while dying after the shootout. It makes more sense to me that Travis survived and that he is inevitably going to snap again, because he now has a taste of the glory that comes with being a vigilante. In his mind, there are plenty of Iris' out there who need saving from the Sports' of the world, and if he can save as many as he can while also punishing the "filth" in his words at the same time, maybe he'll stop feeling like God's lonely man.
Scorsese have had a cameo appearance in most of his movies either acting or voice work. He's in Mean Streets, Raging Bull, Gangs of New York, Killers of the Flower Moon and The Aviator to name a few.
If you two were cringing and hiding your eyes from this video, just think what it was like to watch this on the big screen with theater sound. Amazing. You didn't show the critical last shot of Travis' crazy eyes. He's not healed, he's still messed up, he's still dangerous.
'Taxi Driver' has a dedication in the film's final credits to Bernard Hermann. He composed the soundtrack and died before the completion of the movie. He is also known for composing the soundtrack for Alfred Hitchcock's 'Psycho'.
These two should spend less time shilling for questionable websites and more time paying attention to the movie, because they really have no clue at the end.
He blames the politicians for the downward spiral of the country and culture. And his motivations don't even have to make sense----he's a psychopath and wants to lash out, but also feel like some kind of righteous savior.
I don't believe Travis was rewarded. Yes, his actions "saved" Iris, while also traumatizing her for life (remember, he intended to blow his own brains out in front of her), although we have no idea why she was a runaway initially, and kids often have good reasons, and no one feels a moment of remorse for the brothel guys, but the media simply makes a call as to whether to call Travis a hero or a villain. If he'd killed Palantine, he would have been perceived differently. In other words, this is ambiguous intentionally. Unlike the audience, Travis himself didn't perceive much moral difference between his victims; he only wanted to go out with some kind of statement in a murder-suicide. We're not meant to be entirely on board with him, even if we feel bad for him in _some_ ways (his loneliness, mainly). Some audiences aren't comfortable with ambiguity, I get that, but it doesn't make the ending bad or wrong; it's just not for you if you prefer to think in more linear ways.
I always understood the ending as commentary on NYC, as depraved as Travis thought it was, he somehow underestimated its depravity because it was willing to embrace someone as unhinged as him because he happened to unleash horrific violence on the “right people.”
Did you forget that he was moments away from attempting to assassinate a politician because he was angry at a woman who rejected him? He chickened out and by pretty much pure chance he got his sights on a more "palatable" target. He's NOT supposed to be a role model in any way. It's just that this broken world made this broken person a "hero". You guys need to watch more challenging movies if you thought this was in any way wish fulfillment. It's not the Joker (a thoroughly disgusting movie).
The sequence at the end with Cybil Shepherd back in Travis’ cab isn’t a dream sequence. It’s basically a statement that Travis is back to normal only temporarily. He snapped and gunned down a bunch of people, but they just happened to be bad people so he’s hailed as a vigilante hero. As a result, he never gets the help he so desperately needs for his PTSD and underlying rage so it’s only a matter of time before he snaps again and kills more people.
I disagree completely with the ending being a dream. The final shot of Travis shows you the madness in his eyes and you just know he is going to do something again but who knows how that will end. They brought out a 25th anniversary DVD and there was a commentary from Paul Schrader in which he stated that Scorsese shot the film deliberately so that the last frame could be followed by the first thus showing a repeat behavior pattern. I saw this film when it was new and it was years before people started advancing the dream ending theory.
I like some existential greyness. The parents think of him as a hero no matter what. Heroes are not what you think they are? Many questions. Love it. You can talk about it forever. Great
Travis was going to shoot Palentine but he was stopped so his secondary mission was going to kill sport and the pimps. Also at the end you see travis see himself in the mirror and he is momentarily back to how he really is.
I spent my childhood in Brooklyn in the late 60s/early 70s...I remember a lot about my childhood...I remember a lot about New York...it was a different world then...I am not condoning De Niro's character's actions...but you need to spend time in the kitchen to understand the heat... Sometimes things don't make sense because they don't have to...they're just things that happen...I like this movie..yes it has faults...but it's still an excellent movie... Great review...
Came across this channel and was browsing it thinking, "hopefully they react to a true classic movie" And i started thinking of that saxophone theme from taxi driver, i clicked this video without making the connection that the song in my head at that moment was actually from Taxi Driver.❤ Havent seen this movie in a long time.
Fun fact, the footage of the shootout at the end was desaturated (If you noticed the picture change) to avoid a X-Rating. XD I actually went to a 35mm screening of this down in NYC a year or so ago, was awesome.
Voicemail? Most people didn't even have answering machines when this movie was made. Actually dialing a rotary phone, busy signal, hanging up and dialing again, rinse and repeat, is how you'd get a hold of a girl you were pursuing back then. Universal use of answering machines wasn't a thing until late 80s, maybe? Around the same time as Cool Ranch Doritos. Scoring the tip of the bullet is the same concept as a hollow-point round, I think. I makes the slug break up and fragment so it causes more damage as it passes through. Not any kind of firearms expert, so take that speculation with a grain of salt.
Many people are confused by the ending including myself. On further rewatches and reading interpretations, I realize the open ending without a resolution makes the movie more interesting. It leaves it with the viewer to decided what it means. It reminds me how celebrity can bestow unearned credibility, attention and respect. Cybil Shepard rejects Travis earlier and now that he's got into the news, she takes an interest in him, yet he rejects her. Interesting how the power dynamic shifts.
IMO... dying dream sequence starts when Travis is on the couch and the cop walks in with his pistol pointing at him and Travis starts to mimic shooting himself. listen for the harp strumming sounds. He is actually dead on the couch. He sees the girl from the campaign as a dying vision while fading out.
Personally I never took the ending as a "good" ending/wish fulfillment ending. Travis lived a completely broken life that led him to a mindless attempt of assassinating a political figure that had nothing to do with him other than a woman that he feels scorned him, worked for him. And when that didn't work he needed something else to fuel his lust for violence and need for purpose. The ending is haunting because Travis' completely flawed logic is then rewarded thus perpetuating his cycle. Who knows what he might do next. Who knows if the ending was even real or if that was just a fantasy he dreamed himself up for being a "good guy". Frankly, I find it terrifying.
Yeah, I've always seen the ending as more directly attacking society. Throughout the movie, *Travis* judges society, but it's more a condemnation of him than society. I think the ending is a way of directly blaming society... for encouraging and forgiving his behavior.
That unsettling feeling you had about the ending, I believe, is EXACTLY what Scorsese was going for. Society rewarded him for the murders he succeeded in but we as the audience saw the other murders he failed at: namely Palantine and himself. The society is just as detached from reality as Travis is.
1:01:06 I'm someone who thinks the same about the ending. Either still in coma or - more likely - his last brain activities and thoughts while dying. His wish for the best possible happy end, the thought of having succeeded as a hero, being back with his buddies, the girl having interest again, etc.
Travis was cutting the cross to his bullets so they would expand upon impact. This makes them more deadly since the expanding bullet tears more flesh and causes bigger wounds. That practise is illegal and goes against the international rules for war. It is literally a war crime to cut your bullets like that, because the damage is so severe. On the other hand, for hunting that is encouraged since it ensures a cleaner kill for the animal.
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They ruined the film for themselves looking out for gifs and memes, and they ruined it for us by constantly talking about it.
People like Martin and Alan Moore (with his character of Rorschach) I think there's people that make media that doesn't actually say what they think it does or times change and the media takes on a new form based off the changed times. One of the two, because D-Fens from Falling Down is another example and Fight Club. They think they're (and that was their intention when writing) making cautionary tales of men NOT to become. We're SUPPOSE to see them as bad and insane, that was their intention, but that's not what actually happens in these films. Do the characters take things too far? YES, no doubt. ALL them go to EXTREMES thinking that's their own way to dal with their (retable) suffering in life. So while we can condemn their extreme actions, 100% don't condone it... NONE of these characters actually do anything evil. If anything, D-Fens/Tyler Durden/Travis Bickle are ACTUALLY anti-heroes lol. I don't care if that pisses people off, that's what the films ON THE SCREEN are lol. On paper they probably thought: "Oh yeah, everyone's gonna hate these guys." In practiced, the literally are anti-heroes lol. You're coping if you say otherwise lol. They might freak you out, I can get that, but tell me something EVIL they did... I'll wait, you can't. All you can point to is the extremes and even their actions in the extremes have noble motivations. Sure the Palatine assassination doesn't happen PURELY because Travis fails, but still doesn't change the fact that his mental illness was at least unleashed on a pimp trafficking young girls.
Like it or not, Travis Bickle is an anti-hero lol. A mentally unstable anti-hero that might make your skin crawl, but an anti-hero none the less lol. Cry about it.
You guys (not just you, but let you know) are just normie loser shills. And then you're all still wondering "WHAT'S GOING ON WITH YOUNG MEN!?" Lol.
It's almost like any time we try to voice a grievance about life or daring or women, we're told either we're wrong/not trying/sexist etc. Yet I get here day and night about the sheer hatred women have for men before of the men they CHOOSE to fucking date lol. And I'm just suppose to be like: "Yes ma'am, I'm sorry about the man that wasn't me that merely lied about height or was awkward and know you have to hyperbole it to danger." Nah, fuck that and fuck anyone even trying to debate this shit with me.
Also your interpretations of this film and Joker are both wrong. They're actually BOTH say in the surface level normie shit you two believe. It's saying: DON'T be like that, but let us not ignore society CREATES these men by dismissing, belittling, ignoring them and most have little incentive to try in live anymore or really live... Soooo.... Be dismissive towards men's issues at your own risk because society IS on the edge of those men just losing it. Or maybe not since we're so sedated by porn, weed and drugs it'll just be a slow collapse as men abandon society. Which the latter IS in fact happening lol.
Probably useless to ask this but... Have y'all both seen Falling Down? My most favorite "ordinary guy losing it" movies.
19:25 Martin Scorsese has addressed this shot. I was curious about this too. He said it was his way of showing how pathetic the phone call was- even the camera didn’t want to watch.
The ending is meant to be ironic. Travis is hailed as a hero by the media for killing the pimp when if he had assassinated the politician as planned he would be reviled. In the end everything goes back to how it was in the beginning. The scene with Betsy is not literally a dream but intentionally made to feel that way to force the audience into buying into Travis’ delusions. But as he drives away he looks back in the mirror in disgust and the tone of the music turns dark and ominous to suggest that he’s still unhappy and unfulfilled despite everything because ultimately nothing has really changed.
Good analysis, quality post.
Bingo. The last shot of travis in the mirror reveals that he’s exactly the same. Nothing has changed.
The ending IS the point. It's the fact that he gets away with it....the cynical 70's approach for an ending that confounds expectations and doesn't go for an uplifting result.
We wouldn’t be cool with Travis assassinating a POTUS candidate (whom Betsy looks up to), but we’re cool with Travis taking out pimps (whom Iris looks up to).
Kind of wild to hear someone say that this film valorizes or absolves Travis simply because he doesn't die or go to prison - as you say, the fact that a man can be condemned or celebrated for murder, depending on whom he kills, is intended to be ironic and an indictment of a violent society
The shot of him on the payphone is so great because it's basically Marty's way of saying "this is painfully awkward, let's look away".
I agree, moments like this in the movie evoke the dark side of the 70s.
people need to understand that this film in 1976 was groundbreaking. Character study films weren't the norm
Yes they were. The 70s were full of character studies.
@@thomasknashyes. It's more apt to say character studies of a character like Travis Bickle was not the norm
@@thomasknash I was just going to say that. But even older films have this.
Before this you had films like "JOE" and "Marty". Character studies were big in this time.
@@kickstart_1.3 yeah character studies existed before the 1970s, but I think they really took off in that decade.
Being a taxi driver is like being an observer where no one will acknowledge that you even exist and it makes you feel lonely seeing how happy and normal people's lives are when you're just struggling to be alive. Having driven Lyft, I can relate.
I found the moral of the story was that theres a thin line between being a hero through violence and being a vilan. That society should perhaps be caution in celebrating these acts. We felt justified in his slaughter of people we didn't like but that was the same impulse that would have made him a political assassin.
Exactly. There was plenty of talk about vigilantism back then, and movies about the same (Dirty Harry, Death Wish, etc.), so I think Scorsese was showing this fine line as a way of saying to his audience "Do you really want vigilantes? Is this really how we clean up this mess?" A kind of "Be careful what you wish for" sentiment. As much as we do feel for Travis, who is so clearly lonely and broken, probably by his service in Vietnam, I don't think we're ever meant to be totally on his side. It's a subtle and difficult line Scorsese walked at the end, and I can see why it might confuse modern audiences who are more sensitive to lone shooters, especially right-wing incels, a group to which now Travis appears to belong (yet wasn't on the radar back then).
@@DavidAntrobus its not just vigilantism I think its culture at large. The person you want next to you in the trenches may well be a psychopath, but because he's on your side you make him a hero, give him medals but what happens when they're back in society.
It's not just violence either. You look at all these huge stars being canceled. And the truth is, to be a superstar the dedication and drive you need, there is a large chance they are not a good person.
I think that's the best and most clear interpretation of the movie.
@@DavidAntrobus The shadow of the Vietnam war hangs heavy over the entire film. Audiences watching in '76 would have known immediately that Travis served there, but I suppose with the passage of time and our piss-poor teaching of history folks no longer understand that crucial context
Hmm reminds me of a recent event involving a mega Corp.
You talkin to me? You talkin..To me?! Still one of the most iconic lines in movie history
For sure!
And to be recreated in another awesome movie La Haine by Vincent Cassel speaks volumes about Taxi Driver and Robert De Niro.
I can't believe they didn't show the most vital shot in the film. When he ambiguously looks in the mirror at the end. I mean the double eye flash in the mirror. Not the one they showed. Has he changed?
@@thebillryan Like most of this film, it's over their heads. They wouldn't get it. Weird watching them try to cluelessly explain what they see to each other.
Don't agree with the interpretation of the ending that it's a celebration of raging against a world that's wronged you. I don't think that's what the movie is trying to say at all. It's supposed to be a portrait of a man who is deteriorating mentally and is alienated from society due to PTSD. There isn't supposed to be a lesson, moral compass, or cautionary tale. It should be seen for what it is: a snapshot into his troubled life.
Yeah that wasn't Joker either lol, these people are actually deranged.
and without resolution; he is a powder keg who happened to explode towards villains in the past but would (and will) just as easily explode towards innocent people who he thinks have wronged him, or contributed to the detriment of what he thinks society should be.
I saw an interview with Jodie Foster recently in which she said at age 12 1/2, when she shot this film, she had more onset experience than De Niro and Scorsese combined.
She also was in a Scorsese movie before Taxi Driver (Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore)
Yeah, she started when she was 3 and she's obviously very precocious. Not only was she in "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore", so was Kris Kristoferson.
Back in the 70’s people like Travis Bickle were thought to be an anomaly, now we know there are millions of them, mostly on 4chan
4chan? Now they have an entire political party that represents them
Does 4chan even exist
@@salomaogomes7311 No, just 4chan, but over the past decade you've PUSHED us to that political party lol. And you're gonna suffer because of it lol.
@@salomaogomes7311
FACT: *Young men going more right wing*
People like these two and comment section: *Pikachu surprise face*
Same people anytime young men call out one-sided ideological injection in their media: "OMFG! SHUT UP YOU INCEL! MAYBE IF YOU SHUT UP, YOU'LL GET LAID! Also muh white male capitalist patriarchy privilege bigotry transhphobia ableism..."
Young Men: "Are they fucking serious?"
Damn! 4chan. . . .that website is the darkweb for nerds back in the day.
I feel like a lot of people forget that Times Square was considered the Red Light District, especially back in the 70s and 80s. If anyone is interested, watch the series The Deuce. It goes into depth about Times Square and the sex workers there and its written and created by the same guy who did The Wire.
1:56 Albert Brooks' real name is Albert Einstein. His brother was Bob Einstein (RIP) aka Super Dave Osborne aka Marty Funkhouser in Curb Your Enthusiasm aka Larry Middleman in Arrested Development
@@SonOfMuta I always thought James L Brooks & Albert Brooks were related.
Martin Scorsese is such a good actor, he scared me so much as a passenger cameo. I also didn't realized that he used the N word in his dialogue 😅
If I recall he wasn't meant to play that character but for whatever reason the actor meant to play him couldn't do it anymore so he stepped in
"yeah, I'm just gonna pop in, say the n word a bunch and head out"
What N word?
He always does.
Travis has a significant thought disorder, compounded by PTSD. He is only intermittently connected to events and people around him. The unsatisfying ending is Travis's ongoing experience. It doesn't resolve satisfactorily for the audience because his story doesn't resolve. You don't understand his motives or actions because they are not understandable. The entire ending of the film makes sense as delusional experience not placed in reality.
The “You Talking to Me? I’m the Only One Here. Who TF Do You Think You’re Talking To?” was actually improvised by Robert De Niro. Also this movie garnered controversy at the time with the casting of Jodie Foster who was 12 during the filming and the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan later on
Jodie Foster is such a good actress and at a young age too.
I interpreted the ending differently. I think Scorcese/Schrader is saying because Travis redirected his violence away from Palantine and/or those working on his campaign and toward the pimp and the slimebag hotel owner, as a society we now see Travis in a heroic light. This is unfortunate. Instead, what we should be examining is what caused Travis to become unhinged in the first place.
Remember when he looks into the cab rearview mirror real quick as he's driving away from Betsy in that last scene? Scorcese's telling us that this guy is still dangerous. Only because of that small change of the Secret Service guys foiling his plan to kill Palantine does his status in society's eyes go from a villain to a "hero," but make no mistake, Travis isn't a hero.
Also, I know you guys were asking about why Travis might target Palantine versus Sport, etc. I don't think the choice of victim matters that much to someone as unhinged as Travis. Remember the awful time he was having trying to convey to The Wizard what was wrong. He kept saying things like, "I have some bad ideas in my head..." and "I just feel like.... I'm gonna... ohhhh I dunno..." He can't put it into words. He just wants to do SOMETHING. He's not exactly sure the form it's going to take at that point. So I think the choice of victim here is secondary to the fact he just wants/needs to do something. And that something is going to be violent. But the choice of victim doesn't necessarily have to be logical from the viewer's standpoint, IMHO.
The candy counter girl at the 'XXX movie house' was played by Robert Deniro's 1st wife, Diahnne Abbott.
She was also in King of Comedy.
At 19:25 the shot is used to show how not only is betsy forgetting about travis but even the cameraman. Just like the end where eventually he is forgotten by everyone.
It IS a cautionary tale. It’s telling us to be careful what we value and reward as a society, because we get the heroes we deserve.
$350 in 1976 is equivalent to $1935/week today
I'm God's lonely man hardest quotes from Travis Bickle
Travis calling himself "Henry Krinkle" to the agent, the song Mr Krinkle by Primus is loosely about Mike Puffy Bordin (Faith No More drummer) using that name as a pseudonym when he'd check in to hotels. Also, "Suck on this" (when shooting Harvey) is a Primus album.
I think they also used a sample of the “suck on this” clip on a White Zombie song.
It's on their cover of Kiss's 'God of Thunder'. The same line's also sampled on 'The Badge' by Poison Idea as well as Pantera's cover of the same song.
6:18 That pr0n theater concessions clerk is played by Diahnne Abbott, Robert De Niro’s 1st wife. They married in 1976, the same year as _Taxi Driver,_ and divorced 12 years later.
"in the end the pretty girl in the car"... is all in his head. It's a dreamy sequence for a reason.
The author and director have both dismissed this theory on multiple occasions as not what they intended.
@@hilarymiseroy But it's still the more interesting and more realistic way of looking at it. I definitely keep going with the theory for the end with the last few scenes being only thoughts in his head - either while in coma or while dying.
@@anunnacy Paul Schrader was asked in an interview about the dream ending and he said that it didn't bother him how people interpreted the ending but that was not what he intended. He also explained a lot more in the DVD commentary released for the films 25th anniversary in 2001.
@@anunnacyIt's definitely NOT the more interesting theory. It actually happened, and right at the ending Travis' circle starts all over again. The bomb starts to tick again. Scorcese and Schrader both literally talked about it.
@@j.j.4150 yeah, that last look in the mirror gives me chills
Coy is already a duo by himself. Coy and his moral high horse 🤣
Ha 😂
To the point of your comments about Travis' talk with Palantine remember all the night scenes are actual images of NY, which is why he is looking at the 2 pimps when seated with his colleagues. In the 1970's the NY subway was considered the most dangerous journey in the western world, mayor Edward Koch changed that. This was the Master's Bernard Herrmann final score, he died shortly after. His first was Orson Welles' "Citizen Kane", he did 7 movies with Hitchcock (consultant on "The Birds") and wrote the timeless theme for "The Twilight Zone".
The ending is supposed to be challenging, I think. An actually flawed anti-hero “winning” in the end. We want to see redeemable qualities in him, but they’re minimal.
i think youre missing the point of the ending a bit..........WE the audience know that travis is totally cracked and that he only took out Keitel and the "bad guys" because his original plan to assasinate the presidential candidate failed. its intended as a comment on the media that travis is held up as being some kind of hero when we ourselves know this isnt the case.
bingo, i think the guys are either overanalyzing the ending or aren't picking up on the character clues of Travis' broken psyche
@@jman9082 yeah its like they need someone to tell them what to think without just being able to leave it ambiguous lol
@@DanteRU0312 No, it's people like you not understanding WHY people like that, that's it.
Also none of you grasping that we don't live in the 70s anymore lol. In fact, there's even MORE of a logical reason for men to be acting like Travis than there was in the 70s lol. Also it's a kind of a misandrist view because Travis is lonely but even why he tries to talk to someone he's told: "Just do your job and you'll be okay." And that didn't work. TAHT'S what you're all STILL doing to men to speak and you don't like what they have to say because it either offends women or isn't politically correct lol.
Cutting a cross like that is dangerous because it makes the bullet break apart on impact and cause maximum damage.
Taxi Driver is such a classic and one of Scorsese’s best films! Glad you got to watching the film!
One of the greatest films ever made. Another Scorsese NY based film I recommend that I watched recently is After Hours from 1985, one of his most underrated films ever, geniuslly written surrealistic dark comedy satire.
Where would you rank this one in the Scorsese Pantheon???
My top 3 with Goodfellas and Wolf of Wall Street
It is a flawed movie but it is top ten Scorsese
1. RAGING BULL 2. TAXI DRIVER 3. GOODFELLAS
One of the greatest films ever. Anyone who does not recognize the greatness of this film cannot be taken seriously when it comes to film.
Dude on the left was defending the Acolyte...
5:03 $350 in 1976 is $1,934.78 in 2024
8k an month is a good sum
Grew up in NYC, and attended a school in the neighborhood where the "Palantine HQ" was set in the movie. I remember seeing all these Palantine for President signs, and going home to ask my parents who he was - of course they were mystified. Wasn't until I saw the movie that the mystery was solved. And yeah, the movie really captures what New York was like at the time.
Their lukewarm reception of this masterpiece of character study is such a huge reflection of our “PC” culture, and negates so much meaningful examination of the movie in favor of criticisms that equate to nothing more than virtue signaling. Still love the channel and I think they’re actually good guys, they just don’t need to try so hard to prove it.
Wrapping up this film in a neat little bow by serving up an editorialized sense of morality would be the worst thing for it. Like life, this movie doesn't leave you with all the so-called "correct" answers or solutions. Travis has no interest in Betsy at the end. Though, what does it say about her character that she's so taken with him only after his newfound "fame"? Ultimately, Travis (as evidenced by the last shot of the rearview mirror) will always remain a tortured and paranoid soul.
Travis is clearly still unhinged at the end. That little dark jolt looking in the mirror. Nothing is better.
Highly recommend checking out the film Nightcrawler (2014) if you haven't yet seen it. I consider it the Los Angeles version of Taxi Driver
Look up the murders per year in the 70s and 80s in nyc. Like 1000-2000 murders per year, compared to now a few hundred. It was insanity.
The review is more unhinged than Travis.
To all those who say this film is boring or overrated, its not an action Dirty Harry film. Is a Psychological Drama about a troubled Insomniac Individual who struggled to connect with others until things change wanting to save a Young Jodie Foster.
Most Reactors do Skips like this and Falling Down because of Angry Men with Mental Illness or Traumas even Anger Issues into Violence. Travis is a really well written character. even his narration makes understand same as Goodfellas.
I agree, however the use of caps isn't necessary.
@yournamehere6002 that's what film titles and names started with caps why do you think it was not necessary?
@@harvey4512 Most Reactors Skips Anger Issues Violence Young....those caps.
Scorsese also appears on camera interviewing member of The Band in his seminal concert film: The Last Waltz. Probably the greatest concert film ever made.
The way I see the ending is after Travis drives off into the night and then quickly glances in the rear view mirror, it actually dovetails with the opening shot of the film where you see the Taxi cab emerge out of the fog. The implication being that Travis is a time bomb on a constant loop and it's a question of when not if something will set him off again. Sort of like "time is a flat circle" from True Detective. This is why I don't believe the theory that the epilogue is all just a fantasy that Travis sees while dying after the shootout. It makes more sense to me that Travis survived and that he is inevitably going to snap again, because he now has a taste of the glory that comes with being a vigilante. In his mind, there are plenty of Iris' out there who need saving from the Sports' of the world, and if he can save as many as he can while also punishing the "filth" in his words at the same time, maybe he'll stop feeling like God's lonely man.
Scorsese also made a cameo in his film After Hours. Back when he was dealing with his coke addiction.
Scorsese have had a cameo appearance in most of his movies either acting or voice work. He's in Mean Streets, Raging Bull, Gangs of New York, Killers of the Flower Moon and The Aviator to name a few.
Also remember that this movie was an inspiration for John Hinkley, the man that tried to assassinate Ronald Reagan. Look into it.
I was wondering if anyone was going to mention this
If you two were cringing and hiding your eyes from this video, just think what it was like to watch this on the big screen with theater sound. Amazing.
You didn't show the critical last shot of Travis' crazy eyes. He's not healed, he's still messed up, he's still dangerous.
6:50 my local smut theater stopped serving concessions because- get this- they were tired of people leaving a mess behind.
'Taxi Driver' has a dedication in the film's final credits to Bernard Hermann. He composed the soundtrack and died before the completion of the movie. He is also known for composing the soundtrack for Alfred Hitchcock's 'Psycho'.
That Mohawk was actually a bald cap makeup by the master Dick Smith.
A movie that reminds me of this is Nightcrawler. The two characters are similar. I recommend watching that, and it's directed by Tony Gilroy.
You think Harvey Keitel is bad here, watch Bad Lieutenant 😂
Finally, the Reel Rejects watch a real film, a real piece of cinema, took them this long to react to Taxi Driver after watchin nothing but Marvel slop
These two should spend less time shilling for questionable websites and more time paying attention to the movie, because they really have no clue at the end.
You should spend less time getting triggered by people not agreeing with you/understanding the same as you
He blames the politicians for the downward spiral of the country and culture. And his motivations don't even have to make sense----he's a psychopath and wants to lash out, but also feel like some kind of righteous savior.
I don't believe Travis was rewarded. Yes, his actions "saved" Iris, while also traumatizing her for life (remember, he intended to blow his own brains out in front of her), although we have no idea why she was a runaway initially, and kids often have good reasons, and no one feels a moment of remorse for the brothel guys, but the media simply makes a call as to whether to call Travis a hero or a villain. If he'd killed Palantine, he would have been perceived differently. In other words, this is ambiguous intentionally. Unlike the audience, Travis himself didn't perceive much moral difference between his victims; he only wanted to go out with some kind of statement in a murder-suicide. We're not meant to be entirely on board with him, even if we feel bad for him in _some_ ways (his loneliness, mainly). Some audiences aren't comfortable with ambiguity, I get that, but it doesn't make the ending bad or wrong; it's just not for you if you prefer to think in more linear ways.
I think the ending is supposed to be his dream in his mind just before he dies.
What he did to the bullet was basically turned it into a hollow point... it'll expand wider on impact causing a bigger hole...
The ending isn't supposed to be "satisfying". If it was "satisfying" it wouldn't have done its job.
I always understood the ending as commentary on NYC, as depraved as Travis thought it was, he somehow underestimated its depravity because it was willing to embrace someone as unhinged as him because he happened to unleash horrific violence on the “right people.”
Did you forget that he was moments away from attempting to assassinate a politician because he was angry at a woman who rejected him? He chickened out and by pretty much pure chance he got his sights on a more "palatable" target. He's NOT supposed to be a role model in any way. It's just that this broken world made this broken person a "hero". You guys need to watch more challenging movies if you thought this was in any way wish fulfillment. It's not the Joker (a thoroughly disgusting movie).
The sequence at the end with Cybil Shepherd back in Travis’ cab isn’t a dream sequence. It’s basically a statement that Travis is back to normal only temporarily. He snapped and gunned down a bunch of people, but they just happened to be bad people so he’s hailed as a vigilante hero. As a result, he never gets the help he so desperately needs for his PTSD and underlying rage so it’s only a matter of time before he snaps again and kills more people.
I disagree completely with the ending being a dream. The final shot of Travis shows you the madness in his eyes and you just know he is going to do something again but who knows how that will end. They brought out a 25th anniversary DVD and there was a commentary from Paul Schrader in which he stated that Scorsese shot the film deliberately so that the last frame could be followed by the first thus showing a repeat behavior pattern. I saw this film when it was new and it was years before people started advancing the dream ending theory.
You guys might be the best combo on this channel. Hope you guys watch more. The back and forth was great.
Yes. The couple playing Iris’s parents were Scorsese’s mom and dad. They both are usually somewhere in his films. Both were in Good Fellas too.
I absolutely love these guys reactions together!
You guys are gonna love The King of Comedy.
I like some existential greyness. The parents think of him as a hero no matter what. Heroes are not what you think they are? Many questions. Love it. You can talk about it forever. Great
One of my all time faves!
Travis was going to shoot Palentine but he was stopped so his secondary mission was going to kill sport and the pimps. Also at the end you see travis see himself in the mirror and he is momentarily back to how he really is.
I hope you didn't miss Travis' paranoid glances at the end right before the credits -- that bit isn't in this video. It's clear that he's not OK.
Scorsese's masterpice. The movie was winning in the 1976 Cannes Film Festival.
One of my favorite single-scene screen roles ever, the gun salesman that can get you drugs or a Cadillac. He's so perfectly sleazy.
A classic tale of a disturbed loner driven to madness by urban decay. A key inspiration for Joker.
Cybil Shepherd was a total smokeshow Still fyne ya'll gotta react to Moonlighting.
True.
Last picture show. That's the one to watch.
"Does that make the bullet sharper?" 🤣🤣
I spent my childhood in Brooklyn in the late 60s/early 70s...I remember a lot about my childhood...I remember a lot about New York...it was a different world then...I am not condoning De Niro's character's actions...but you need to spend time in the kitchen to understand the heat...
Sometimes things don't make sense because they don't have to...they're just things that happen...I like this movie..yes it has faults...but it's still an excellent movie...
Great review...
44:00 I know exactly what scene you're thinking of, Andrew, and I love that scene
Came across this channel and was browsing it thinking, "hopefully they react to a true classic movie" And i started thinking of that saxophone theme from taxi driver, i clicked this video without making the connection that the song in my head at that moment was actually from Taxi Driver.❤ Havent seen this movie in a long time.
The lady behind the ticket counter is Diahnne Abbott (De Niro wife at the time). She a great actress.
Fun fact, the footage of the shootout at the end was desaturated (If you noticed the picture change) to avoid a X-Rating. XD I actually went to a 35mm screening of this down in NYC a year or so ago, was awesome.
Voicemail? Most people didn't even have answering machines when this movie was made.
Actually dialing a rotary phone, busy signal, hanging up and dialing again, rinse and repeat, is how you'd get a hold of a girl you were pursuing back then. Universal use of answering machines wasn't a thing until late 80s, maybe? Around the same time as Cool Ranch Doritos.
Scoring the tip of the bullet is the same concept as a hollow-point round, I think. I makes the slug break up and fragment so it causes more damage as it passes through. Not any kind of firearms expert, so take that speculation with a grain of salt.
Many people are confused by the ending including myself. On further rewatches and reading interpretations, I realize the open ending without a resolution makes the movie more interesting. It leaves it with the viewer to decided what it means. It reminds me how celebrity can bestow unearned credibility, attention and respect. Cybil Shepard rejects Travis earlier and now that he's got into the news, she takes an interest in him, yet he rejects her. Interesting how the power dynamic shifts.
IMO... dying dream sequence starts when Travis is on the couch and the cop walks in with his pistol pointing at him and Travis starts to mimic shooting himself. listen for the harp strumming sounds. He is actually dead on the couch. He sees the girl from the campaign as a dying vision while fading out.
This guy Coy rated Taxi driver 2 stars on Letterboxd💀💀💀
Personally I never took the ending as a "good" ending/wish fulfillment ending. Travis lived a completely broken life that led him to a mindless attempt of assassinating a political figure that had nothing to do with him other than a woman that he feels scorned him, worked for him. And when that didn't work he needed something else to fuel his lust for violence and need for purpose. The ending is haunting because Travis' completely flawed logic is then rewarded thus perpetuating his cycle. Who knows what he might do next. Who knows if the ending was even real or if that was just a fantasy he dreamed himself up for being a "good guy". Frankly, I find it terrifying.
Yeah, I've always seen the ending as more directly attacking society. Throughout the movie, *Travis* judges society, but it's more a condemnation of him than society. I think the ending is a way of directly blaming society... for encouraging and forgiving his behavior.
The woman selling tickets at smut theater was Diane Abbott, De Niro’s first wife
Jodie Foster's older sister was a stand-in for the explicit scenes as she was 19 at the time.
That unsettling feeling you had about the ending, I believe, is EXACTLY what Scorsese was going for. Society rewarded him for the murders he succeeded in but we as the audience saw the other murders he failed at: namely Palantine and himself. The society is just as detached from reality as Travis is.
This movie is amazing! 👍
1:01:06 I'm someone who thinks the same about the ending. Either still in coma or - more likely - his last brain activities and thoughts while dying. His wish for the best possible happy end, the thought of having succeeded as a hero, being back with his buddies, the girl having interest again, etc.
This is my favorite movie of all time. I'm glad y'all checked it out.
Travis was cutting the cross to his bullets so they would expand upon impact. This makes them more deadly since the expanding bullet tears more flesh and causes bigger wounds. That practise is illegal and goes against the international rules for war. It is literally a war crime to cut your bullets like that, because the damage is so severe. On the other hand, for hunting that is encouraged since it ensures a cleaner kill for the animal.
Albert Brooks is awesome. Hank Scorpio forever!
If you want to check another 70s/80s New York movie there is Fort Apache The Bronx. It makes Taxi driver look tame in comparison.
Not sure if I heard you correctly, but Kings of Comedy, is not a sequel to the King of Comedy.
You guys should do Midnight Cowboy 💜💜💜