Here Is A Man...

                Martin Scorsese’s 1976 film Taxi Driver, which stars Robert De Niro as Travis Bickle, presents an image of a Vietnam veteran trying to realign with society. Travis’ attempts at integrating seamlessly back into society fail as he is repeatedly rejected by the people around him, specifically the idealized “angel” Betsy. The scene that takes place at 1:05:48 to 1:07:48 shows Travis creating an image for himself after his efforts to rejoin society fail.

            As a member of the Marines who has seen combat, Travis was cast in the role of the protector during his time in the military. He was the protector for American rights, American interests, and American freedoms. When Travis returns home to find he has no place in the society he fought to protect, he latches onto the only role he knows how to do. Throughout the scene, Travis wears his military jacket which highlights his violent and aggressive tendencies by affiliating Travis with his war days.

            Travis wears the jacket without a shirt underneath which also may symbolize that the life of a Marine is the only way he knows how to live. His attempts to fit into society were another one of Travis’ temporary solutions to a long term problem as noted in Wednesday’s class. He cannot survive on fast food and pain killers, but instead he must find an escape from the pain. Travis creates the role of the vigilante to provide himself with a place within the society he must now live in.

            This scene shows Travis practicing possible scenarios that require him to use the guns he has purchased. The way that he keeps replaying the same scene and trying out different lines is reminiscent of a child playing pretend. Through his play acting the role of the vigilante that Travis has created takes on a fictional or unrealistic sense providing him with a sort of superhero element. But the scene slowly degrades and leads into a repeating loop of consciousness hinting at Travis’ decaying mental state.

            Travis narrates the scene and describes himself saying that “here is someone who stood up.” This notion that he is the man that is able to stand up against the crime and indecency running rampant in New York City is challenged by Travis’ position on the bed during the narration. He is lying on his bed in a fetal position, defenseless and sleeping. This juxtaposition shows that although Travis believes he can fill the role of the vigilante/protector to satisfy both his and the city’s needs, he is inadequate possibly because of his mental instability.

            In the final seconds of the scene, the camera focuses on a line in Travis’ journal that reads “Here is…” which is followed by a shot of him pulling his hidden gun and announcing that the pretend villain is dead. This statement hints at the notion of perceived infallibility that Travis maintains about his violent tendencies.  A scream is heard as this scene shifts into the next scene foreshadowing the possible implications of Travis’ play acting being applied to real world situations. The scene from 1:05:48 to 1:07:48 shows how Travis constructs a place for himself within a society that does not know how to handle him. This self constructed safe zone which offers Travis appreciation and adoration is questioned by the juxtaposition of his strong words but weak body language. Although Travis portrays himself as a strong protector, he is already inadequate for the job that he has created.