Taxi driver-5 min

The 5 minutes of the film "Taxi Driver" that i will be focusing on is in the rising action of the film, directly after Travis Bickle talks to the other taxi driver in order to see his perspective on the taxi driving life. This aspect of the film is important because it illustrates Bickle's intent in wanting to be a taxi driver as opposed to any other job -- it highlights the problems that occur in New York, and the job gives much exposure to the filth that is within New York. It combines all of Travis' motives and heighten his anger that he releases in the resolution of the film.

Along with that, this highlights the intent of the piece: An outlier in a corrupted society tries to defy how society is ran in order to stabilize the city, even if by means of committing acts of destruction himself. Through creating such an unattractive and and almost cynical anti-hero, director Robert Dinero hopes to portray his own view on New York life. Perhaps he portrays it with such tormenting images and events because he may have experienced a similar life when he lived in New York himself.

This is probably the main reason why he was inspired to become a priest when he was younger. Through this film he and his anti-hero, Travis, he hopes to visualize the potential revelation that the city of New York can undergo, even if it is through the smallest units, such as an ordinary individual. Travis, in this sense, becomes Robert Dinero's icon; Travis begins the process of revelation, an act that Robert Dinero himself hoped to accomplish.
In addition, i chose this aspect of the film because it covers all of the main recurring motifs and images that are portrayed in the film. In this film their is many recurring images and motifs: drugs, sexuality, isolation, and racism.
These images and motifs seem to be popular in some of Robert Deniro's films. A prime example of this is the film raging bull as Robert Deniro stars as a boxer who breaks up from his wife and child and constantly shows his sexual jealousy and eagerness.

Similar to his attempt to date the campaigning women, in Raging Bull he is desperate to have a girlfriend by his side. Through this role of women in relation to the protagonist, Deniro hopes to create the dynamic of the complexity that society has through the intricate role of women. Travis is eager to love a women, but at the same time despises them for their degrading acts such as prostitution.
In this portion of the film, he combines both his negative portrayal of women and his racism; thus, enhancing his motives that are revealed in the resolution of the film. In this particular scene, a prostitute is being antagonized by a group of young adults; the focus is on the black kid who stares back at Travis.

Directly after Travis talks to a fellow taxi driver who helps convey to the audience why the job of being a taxi driver is so interesting and important and, in turn, essential to the plot. The man explains the complexity of the "night life" which implies why Travis was so fascinated with the job which also helps characterize Travis a bit further.

This portion of the film assembles all of the key components of the film to help create a pathway to the climax of the film, where Travis physically demonstrates his lingering intentions.