Taxi Driver: A complete in Depth Analysis of Travis Bickel

When watching Scorsese’s Taxi Driver above all else nothing is more critical to this film then the character development of Travis Bickle (Robert DeNeiro). Although this movie uses multiple tricks in cinematography, I believe the most important aspect of this film is the psychological developments of Travis throughout the film. In the begging we learn that Travis is a Marine veteran coming back from what is probably Vietnam. He comes back not to medals and glory, but the filth and scum of what is New York City. The more Travis drives around the more disgusted he becomes. When he meets Betsey it is almost a gateway out. She is so beautiful and perfect in the eyes of Travis. He writes in his journal “They can not touch her.” Betsey becomes everything to Travis he would do anything for her she represented good surrounded by bad at least to him. When she stopped talking to him for his stupid mistake of taking her to a porno film he becomes depressed and mad with hatred. He writes in his journal “She is like all the rest” meaning she’s no better then the rest of the scum in the city. Later on Travis is driving a man played by Scorsese in the back of his cab. The man warns Travis that he is going to brutally murder his wife and although this news would have shocked anyone else, I believe Travis agrees with what the man is doing which was the inspiration for Travis for the rest of the story. Travis starts to train and purchases illegal guns from the dealer Easy Andy. In Travis’s mind he believes killing Betsey’s boss, Senator Palestine will be a way to get back at her.  Although unsuccessful, he finds something new to obsess with after the failed assassination.  He turns his attention to a young troubled prostitute by the name of Iris (Jodie Foster). Travis sickened by the scum and wickedness of the city wants to take the power of good in his own hands. After meeting with her pimp Sport (Harvey Keitel), he meets with her at a local diner and discusses plans for the future. We can see how much Travis cares about Iris. If Travis can save her then his life has meaning. In the end of the film he kills Sport and the mob bosses running the pimp house. Although he suffers major injuries we learn he is alive in a letter Iris’s parents right to him while he’s in the hospital. Thanking him for his heroic actions. The last scene we see is of Travis driving his cab with Betsey who has entered as a passenger. This time we see Travis far more cool and relaxed as he drives the Cab around the City. Now that Travis has done something valuable with his life and been thanked for it, he no longer craves the need for human companionship. Now that he’s has been thanked and appreciated he is finally ok. Perhaps this need for thanks all goes back to his return home from Vietnam. After all everyone knows that the Vietnam vets were hardly thanked when they returned home from serving their country.