Taxi Driver by Martin Scorsese - Essay Example

Taxi Driver Introduction Taxi Driver is a 1976 vigilante film that is directed by Martin Scorsese. It is set in the of New York immediately after the Vietnam War, and it is considered to be culturally, historically and esthetically significant by the U.S Library of Congress. The film features an honorably discharged U.S Marine who is lonely, depressed. The Marine, Travis Bickle becomes a taxi driver in an attempt to cope with chronic insomnia driving passengers around New York every night. He spends a lot of time in porn theaters while maintaining a diary. The purpose of the following essay is an examination of the film with an objective of the following: Where the film is in cinema history and terms of world history. The story that is portrayed and the various themes it shows. Furthermore, a look at what the film evokes about the nation it comes from and the formal decisions that the director uses in shaping the story and its various themes. The Cinema history The Taxi Driver film presents a true to life portrait of what the city of New York was and the inhabitants. The film is like an art house picture depicting the events and the 1976 historical, social, political and economic activities of New York (\Taxi Driver movie). It immortalizes the city through the eyes of the Taxi driver, even though, according to the film, the view is skewed and influenced by his perspective. It showcases the city as a vastly different one from the New York that is evident today. The film is a depiction of the events that occur during the late 1970s, a period that is referred to as the era of psychological portraits in cinematic history. It is called a psychological portrait because they are a personal vision and express the creative insights of the directors and the actors in depicting their views (Corrigan and White 79). The film showcases various scenes that indicate how the New York environment may have been at the particular era. For example, during the mid-1970s, there was a dramatic increase in the number of pornographic theaters that were aptly named “adult cinemas”. Their establishment and the dramatic increase are shown in the film because the Taxi driver Travis Bickle spends some of his time there. In the beginning as he was seeking the Taxi driving employment, the person conducting the interview urges him to spend time at the adult cinemas in order to pass the time. The beginning of the sexual industry facilitated the growth of the pornographic or as they were called “adult cinemas," however, these cinemas decreased with the introduction of VCRs at home. The VCRs enabled people to watch the films at their home. The film depicts an overly exaggerated view of the City as being filled with dirt and filth. The protagonist describes the filth as one of the things that bug him (Taxi Driver movie). He describes it repeatedly saying that it gives him headaches sometimes. The city had nearly filed for bankruptcy in 1974, so when the New York City trash collectors went on strike the filth and the dirt level of the city was much higher. The city did not have the funds to clean the city. During the same period, the city is filled with peep shows and prostitutes that are a true to life showcase of the city. During the same period, there were presidential campaigns. This was a true depiction of the time because it mirrors the U.S. the period see politicians trying to move away from the Vietnam War agenda that had officially ended in 1973. The ex-marine in New York is disgusted by the Filth and finding the politician who is supposed to help him being artificial. It indicates the general feeling that politicians were not sincere and all their promises were empty and without merit. The film in terms of National Cinema The Taxi Driver provides a window into the culture of the United States at the time. The national cinema provides an inherently dense wealth of information about the people, the places through which other global audiences gain knowledge (Shiel and Fitzmaurice 109). That is regardless of the story that is being told. The national cinema is based on the music, the cultural elements, and the settings among others. These are certain aspects of the New York culture that are portrayed to the world. For example, one of the most highly evident elements of national cinema is the high violence and the ease through which the protagonists acquire weapons. The Taxi Driver film has a high portrayal of violence. The case of African Americans uses of violence in robbing the shop and the protagonist using violence to achieve his goal (Taxi Driver movie). The protagonists also have an easy time in acquiring guns for which it perpetuates the violence. While the Protagonist was in a taxi taking a client to his destination, the client tells a graphic description of how he would like to shoot his wife. It is a rather violent way with a full description of the weapon he would like to use. The unnamed passenger’s full narration of his intention marks the turning for the film. The element of modern crime and violence is brought out through a violent person living on the fringes of society. The second national cinema element that is highly prevalent is the use of sexuality. The film is rife with elements of sex and how it has captivated the New York society that it has resulted in high prostitution. The film begins with a lonely protagonist who spends most of his time in adult cinemas and highly preoccupied with the idea of sex. The protagonist is overwhelmed by the high number of prostitution in the city and how clients use his taxi in fulfilling their sexual urges. He claims that he has to clean the back of the taxi from the actions of his clients. The highly prevalent prostitution has roped in a thirteen-year-old girl that the protagonist attempts to rescue (Iris). The film’s story and themes There are various themes that underscore the director and the film. These themes are highly prevalent throughout the film. For example, the glorification of violence. The film’s unexpected ending portrays the society’s glorification of the protagonist’s violence (Taxi driver movie). As opposed to dying from the shootout, Travis survives and becomes the hero. He is hailed despite having killed several people in cold blood. Ironically, Travis, living as a social outsider becomes celebrated in the same society through violating its rule. The law abiding Travis was invisible, but the murderous Travis is a hero. This validates Travis’ criticism of the city because it tolerates and praises criminal behaviors. Only through the violence did he escape the loneliness that looked like his fate. Secondly, the theme of loneliness in crowds. Even though the city of New York holds millions of residents, meaningful personal connections are few and far between. The film highlights such cases of urban isolation and loneliness. The city is full of people that do not pay attention to each. The protagonist resents the fact that the client in his taxi act as if he is not there. The taxi driver is not the only one, in this case because even though Tom and Betsy interact, they do not share any personal connection (Taxi driver movie). Betsy is lonely enough to consider a date with the taxi driver who is a stranger. Other taxi drivers congregate at the diner showing that they do not have families or any stability in their home lives. The view of the city echoes that of Travis’ isolated perspective because he is not alone in feeling alone. Thirdly, the theme self-directed versus predetermined fate. Travis often changes his view of whether he is in control of his destiny or whether it is predetermined. In the film’s beginning, he complains about his loneliness and not having any place to go. He tries to control his fate by getting a job and finding a girl. When his plan fails, he shifts the blame from himself by saying that he is meant to be God’s lonely man. In the second half of the film, Travis gives up on the idea of him having control over what he does. In leaving to go kill Palantine and himself, he notes that it is his destiny and that he never had a choice. He failed in this quest showing that his perspective was flawed. The nation the film comes There are various aspects that the film evokes and brings forward regarding the nation to which it is based on. The film highlights various aspects that are reminiscent of the city and the entire country. For example, the highly prevalent corruption in the city and the country. In the film, Sport tosses Travis a twenty-dollar bill to keep him quiet. Travis takes the money, but leaves it on the front seat separate from the rest of the money. Subsequently, whenever he sees the twenty-dollar bill, it reminds him of the filth and the corruption of the city. It shows that everyone can be bought, like a prostitute, for the right price. He later uses the twenty-dollar bill for paying Iris when he visits her in her room. He returns the money in an attempt to atone for his previous inaction. His role as a liberator begins here. The film also displays the country as becoming an increasingly lonely place. Cities are highly populated, but everyone is preoccupied with their issues and their pursuit of economic privilege. The film has many shots of crowds, each person going his or her direction. Reflecting a lack of concern for other people. The loneliness are further shown when another person mugs an old person. The women were standing near just watch helplessly. The loneliness are also shown in the way individuals exploit each other for their individual benefit. Iris is exploited in the film by Sport. He manipulates, uses and refuses to accord Iris the freedom of choice. Iris came to New York seeking independence. Instead, she ends losing control of it and her destiny. Other aspects of the country that the film evokes are the issues of a gun and the ease to which they can be acquired. The guns are a reflection of the increasing level of crime and the fascination with it (Taxi driver movie). Secondly, the development and the increasing sex industry. It has developed into a movie business with cinema halls. Furthermore, there is the feeling that politicians are not truthful in their words and they are artificial in their pursuits. The formal decisions used by the directors in shaping the story and the idea There are various distinctive features or dominant ideas that the director uses in the film. These distinctive ideas produce a succession of notes and flow that creates a single expression. For example, the use of the taxi. The taxi provides the windshield and the lens through which Travis views the city. The taxi also represents the loneliness and the isolation of the city. As the opening credits role, he drives his taxi through the city while it rain. The lights of the city are blurred on the windshield until the wipers display the scene. For a second time, the rain blurs the scene in the windshield, but this time the wipers are not making everything clear. The blurry view suggests that Traviss view of the city is skewed. Travis does not see the world as it is because his perspective is changed by mental illness. The taxi protects him from the outside world. The second distinctive feature is racism. Although Travis does not say anything that is racist besides the use of the work “spook” in his notebook, his racism is clear from the way he looks at black people. The taxi driver notices black individuals everywhere showing a deep rooted fear and hatred towards them. The constant shots of black people reveal his distaste. The camera focuses on black men passing through the streets or in the diner as if they are different elements or creatures. They are often shot with a slow motion camera indicating that Travis’ gaze lingers on them. His obsession and dislike separate him from society because most people have accepted it. While most of his colleagues can seat around their black colleague comfortably, Travis is uncomfortable. He is also seen to be jealous of their happiness when he watches an American Bandstand. There are two other people sharing Travis’ racism views. The first is the taxi client describing how he would wish to kill him. He uses racial terms in his descriptions. Secondly, the owner of the shop that was almost robbed. The owner beats the already dead robber with a crowbar as an expression of his anger. Conclusion The Taxi Driver film is a crime and drama movie that showcases the struggle of a person returning from the Vietnam War. He seeks employment as a taxi driver to cope with the case if chronic insomnia that he faces. The whole movie is based on his experiences as he drives passengers across the city during his night shift. He witnesses many things that he does necessarily like. The protagonist decides to take matters into his hands because he has grown disillusioned with the filth, the corruption and the environment of the city. He attempts to assassinate the senator, but fails because he believes it is his fate. Upon his efforts failing, he turns his attention to the Sport and those around him that are using a young prostitute for their gain. He acts as her liberator and eventually, he is hailed as a hero. The purpose of the above essay has been to analyze the film with a view to determining its place in cinema history, world history, the themes and what it says about the nation. Finally, it looks at the specific features the director uses in bringing out his ideas. Works Cited Corrigan, Timothy and Patricia White. The film experience: An introduction. New York: Macmillan, 2012. Print. Griswold, Wendy. Cultures and societies in a changing world. New York: Sage Publishing, 2012. Print. Shiel, Mark and Tony Fitzmaurice. Cinema and the City: film and urban societies in a global context. Vol. 48. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, 2011. Paperback. Taxi Driver. Dir. Martin Scorsese. Perf. Robert De Niro, et al. 1976. DVD. Read More