Taxi Driver

Throughout most of the Taxi Driver I thought, "What is the point to this movie?" I could not figure out what a deranged taxi driver was doing with guns and who exactly he was after. So, since I was left with so many unanswered questions (which by the way is starting to become a common theme for me in these movies), I've decided to come up with my own answers. I have come to the conclusion that Travis was after no one but himself. He is his own worst enemy. He is the one who runs off Betsy, and he is the one who eventually gets himself killed. He buys the weapons before he has even met Iris or the pimps, for no other reason besides the fact that he likes to practice and play with them in his room. But, it is clear that Travis is planning on committing some kind of violent act before these characters are even introduced into his life. So, why does he do this? Well, I think it all stems back to the scene called the "Curbside Cuckold". I think Travis sees the power the cab rider holds just by carrying a gun and decides he wants that power. He is a man lost in society with no power over anything in his life. He can't sleep, he has little money, and his love life isn't going so hot either. So, he finds an excuse to gain power. His excuse is Iris. He barely knows Iris and I honestly think he did not kill the 3 gang members out of the goodness of his heart. I think even though he died (yes, I think he died), he wanted to die with power and dignity. He was, in a twisted way, a hero. And, after all the awful things he had done to himself throughout his life, that was the only way to save himself. It is fair to say that Travis was partly psychotic. But, I guess, in a way, everyone is a little psychotic.