Robert De Nirois perhaps the most acclaimed living actor, as he has starred in a significant number of films that could legitimately be named as some of the greatest ever made. Although De Niro’s career spans many different genres and includes collaborations with multiple distinguished filmmakers, he will always bebest known for the crime thrillersthat he made withMartin Scorsese. Choosing the best of their work together is nearly impossible;Raging Bullis a modern work of Shakespeare,Goodfellasmay be the most rewatchable mafia film ever made,Cape Fearis deliciously frightening, andKillers of the Flower Moonoffered much-needed insight on generational trauma. However,there isn’t a De Niro film that ended on such a thunderous note asTaxi Driver, as the Oscar-nominated vigilante thriller continues to spark new interpretations.
‘Taxi Driver’ Ends With a Shock to the System
Taxi Driverbuilds up tension towards a horrific moment of violencein which Travis Bickle breaks into a seedy brothel and takes out the cruel gangster Sport (Harvey Keitel). Although this pays off all the frustration that Travis has been feeling throughout the entire film, he runs out of bullets before he can take his own life and instead raises his bloodied fingers to his head. It is evident that this moment serves as a caustic reminder of the ordeal heexperienced in the Vietnam War, as he is suffering from severe post-traumatic stress disorder.However, Travis’ attack ends up saving the life of the prepubescent prostitute Iris(Jodie Foster), who is then safely returned to her parents. Travis is hailed as a vigilante hero by the media and is able to resume his profession; he even shares a tender moment with Betsy (Cybil Shepherd), who had previously been humiliated when he took her to a pornographic movie theater on a date.
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Call it a happy accident.
Taxi Driverexamines the irony of how Travis is lionized by the public,as they consider his actions to be justified given that society casts aside criminals like Sport; it would certainly have been very different had Travis been successful in his attempted assassination of Senator Palantine (Leonard Harris). Even if Travis had to experience a moment of pure terror and emotional upheaval, he finds thathis inadvertent heroism is enough to convince people that he is honorable.Betsy even mentions to him that she has been following him due to the barrage of news reports and allows her to drive her home in a romantic moment. The irony of Travis’ fate is that the city was never willing to wrestle with the economic, political, and social issues thatturned him into such a deeply troubled person; however, they are more than willing to celebrate him when he does something that aligns with their goals.
What Does ‘Taxi Driver’ Say About Travis Bickle?
Taxi Driveris brilliantly ambiguous about whether Travis has actually changed, as evidenced by the striking final moments of him eerily looking out the windowas he observes New York City at night. Even if the laudatory letters from Iris are enough to convince him that he is a good person, Travis has not actually had to wrestle with the consequences of his actions. Instead, he has learned that people may accept him if he only exposes a component of his personality to them, ashis previous attempts to gain social acceptance were met with utter repulsion.Despite the elegant cinematography, which frames Travis as a folklike hero, it is entirely possible that he could have another outburst if his sensitivities are triggered.
Taxi Driveris deeply tragic in how it shows one man’s descent into emotional purgatory, as it appears that he has had to willfully deny the catharsis of admitting to his issues. Even though screenwriterPaul Schraderconfirmed that Travis didn’t die in the shootout, and that the final sequence is not a dream,the ethereal nature of the moment suggests divine forces were involved in his survival, even if only in a metaphorical sense. Films such asFight Club, Mystic River, The Player, Unforgiven,andAmerican Psychowould create similar anti-hero characters, butTaxi Driveris so poignantly wrapped up that its ending still warrants consideration today.
Taxi Driver
