BFI Film Classic Taxi Driver by Amy Taubin
Taxi Driver is a powerful character study about “God’s
Lonely Man”, written by Paul Schrader and directed by Martin Scorsese. There
was a period of time when I watched this film frequently, which looking back,
probably wasn’t the best use of my time. However, I was so riveted by Travis’s
descent into madness, and how his inability to connect with others had him find
meaning in other ways, particularly through violence. Amy Taubin’s critical
study of this 1970s classic was great to read if you are a fan of this film.
She provides some background about Schrader’s influences on the screenplay, and
it was fascinating to see how existential works like Dostoevsky’s Notes from
the Underground and Sartre’s Nausea were influential developing
Travis Bickle. However, it was also the story of Arthur Bremer, the man who
attempted to assassinate George Wallace in 1972, and his diary, which focuses
on his loneliness, isolation and failed attempts at connection and intimacy,
that further inspired Schrader’s screenplay. Taubin also provides further
context for the setting of the film- NYC in the 1970s, that was dealing with
recession and economic problems, as well as America’s withdrawal from Vietnam. All
of these factors fed Travis’s sense of isolation and loneliness, and prompted
him to use his insomnia as a means of making money and finding connections as a
taxi driver. I wasn’t previously aware of Bremer’s role in influencing the
script, but as Taubin notes and many are aware, the film was also an inspiration
for a later assassination attempt. It’s interesting to read some of these
factors that went into creating the character of Travis since there continues
to be similar loneliness and isolation people experience. These feelings were
heightened by COVID and quarantining, but I also wondered how much social media
and our lives online are contributing to this sense of isolation. Although
Taubin’s book doesn’t address these kinds of questions, she does take a modern
lens to looking at the film and examining Travis’s character through race,
class, and gender. As Taubin notes, Taxi Driver, following in the footsteps
of other vigilante films of the 70s, may have been an attempt to reclaim the
urban landscape from Blaxspoitation films. She also notes that racism is one of
the problems that Taxi Driver never directly addresses, providing
examples of how seems distant from the other drivers at the diner, but sits
furthest from Charlie T., the only Black cab driver. From here, Taubin explores
the debt Taxi Driver owes to The Searchers, the 50s John Ford western
that pits John Wayne’s Ethan, a returning Civil War veteran, against the
Comanche chief who has taken one of his relatives. Although I knew this film
influenced Star Wars, I hadn’t realized it’s influence on Taxi Driver,
and it’s interesting to think about how Taxi Driver is kind of like an
urban western, where the hero’s actions and motivations are not always clearly
altruistic or good. Although Taubin explains that Travis’s mohawk was
influenced by Vietnam special forces soldiers who were out on lethal missions,
I wonder if there was some connection to the Searchers and the warrior
ethos of the Comanche. Although Travis somewhat identifies with Ethan’s
character as someone who is seeking to rescue a woman, it might also speak to
Travis’s identity diffusion and his inability to clearly define himself in the
modern world.
In addition to issues of race, Taubin’s analysis also
focuses on class and gender, specifically how Travis’s loneliness affects his search
for love and connection. During his night shift driving, he encounters lovers
and prostitutes, while also exploring the rough terrain of 42nd Street’s
theaters. Taubin notes that many of these scenes capture Travis alone in the frame,
or rather on the street near people, but seemingly isolated and distant from
them as the center of the shot. It isn’t until Travis encounters Betsy, a
volunteer working on the campaign for Palantine, a presidential candidate. Despite
coming from different backgrounds and seeming to share no real interests, Betsy
agrees to a date with Travis that goes horribly wrong. Once again, we see
Travis’s inability to clearly define himself, as he identifies immediately with
Palantine while not really knowing anything about him. It’s merely to appeal to
Betsy. As Taubin notes, Travis’s attempts to further connect with Betsy, eventually
leading him to consider assassinating Palantine, ostensibly to gain Betsy’s
attention, similar to Bremer’s attempt to assassinate Wallace (and later
Brinkley’s attempted assassination). When Travis’s half-hearted attempt fails,
he finds further purpose in another chance encounter with a girl, Iris, whose
pimp Sport Taubin presents as a stand-in for Chief Scar in The Searchers.
This was also fascinating to read as Taubin not only notes the similarities between
Ethan’s quest for Debbie and Travis’s obsession with saving Iris from Sport,
but also in noting that Iris and Sport are kind of like the remnants of the
hippies, the failed attempts at love and connection that gradually degenerated and
brought things to the mid 70s NYC. It was interesting too to see the parallels
in Travis finding meaning and identity through women. His inability to connect
with them and find appropriate ways of communicating gradually leads to his further
isolation and resorting to violence as a means of gaining attention. Throughout
the exploration of the story, Taubin also analyzes various aspects of the film
and characters, exploring how they emphasize the themes of loneliness, isolation,
and the kind of violence that occurs throughout the film. I absolutely loved
reading this analysis as it provided me with a new way to consider this
excellent film. It’s made me want to revisit this film, since it’s been some
time since I’ve seen it. I also appreciated how thinking about the film in
today’s world makes some of the issues and concerns that Taxi Driver raises
even more important and resonant. I’m thoroughly enjoying reading these BFI
Film analyses, and this one has been particularly enlightening and thoughtful
in its consideration of Taxi Driver.
No comments:
Post a Comment