curator's noteThis week our writers return to MUBIVIEWS with the classic American vigilante film TAXI DRIVER (Martin Scorsese 1976). As a regular favourite on lists of the greatest film of all time, what will our writers make of this critically acclaimed Neo-noir? "WHAT IS YOUR NAME?"SUMMER MANNINGIn TAXI DRIVER (Martin Scorsese 1976), we get a glimpse into Travis Bickle’s (Robert De Niro) relationship with women from an important interaction at a cinema concession stand. The attendant, De Niro’s then-girlfriend Diahnne Abbott, is credited as "Concession Girl", a name that suggests she is a child, lacking autonomy. She is hunched over reading a magazine when he approaches her and rarely meets his eye during their conversation. He repeatedly asks for her name and slowly leans into her, only backing away when she calls for her manager. Travis continually ignores her demonstrations through body language that his advances have made her uncomfortable until this moment. Travis later demonstrates an apparent lack of boundaries once again when he asks the object of his obsession Betsy (Cybill Shepherd) on a date, even echoing his earlier personal space breaching as he leans dominantly on her desk. He delivers a speech about how she is lonely, admitting that he has been watching her from afar. He seems to be completely unaware that his behaviour is inappropriate and that she has only accepted his invitation to go on a date out of fear of him. His persistent pursuit of her continues even when she leaves the porn theatre he has taken her to on the date and refuses to answer his numerous phone calls afterwards. Whether Scorsese believes that the way Travis treats women is a flaw or strength of character is somewhat ambiguous. While Travis is introduced and given a backstory, the woman at the concession stand is given no context and so the audience may be inclined to sympathise with the more familiar Travis. His relationship with the women he is attracted to is dysfunctional. He assumes that he is entitled to their time and romantic interest but he only ever makes them feel uneasy. Every day this week a different writer will provide their perspective on our MUBIVIEWS film and each post will be open to comments from our readers. Watch TAXI DRIVER on mubi.com until 4 July 2017 and join the discussion!
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curator's noteThis week our writers return to MUBIVIEWS with the classic American vigilante film TAXI DRIVER (Martin Scorsese 1976). As a regular favourite on lists of the greatest film of all time, what will our writers make of this critically acclaimed Neo-noir? VOYEURISTIC TENDENCIESJACK BISHOPIn Martin Scorsese’s TAXI DRIVER (1976), the morally ambiguous Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) is an outcast who lives in isolation. His claustrophobic apartment causes his obsessive thoughts to take over, forcing Travis to have restless nights. Subsequently, Travis becomes a New York taxi driver, endlessly driving through the darkness of the city to occupy his sleepless nights. While Travis navigates this tedious job he is able to keep himself alert by watching members of the public. The first time we witness Travis’s voyeuristic tendencies is when he first gazes upon the character Betsy (Cybill Shepard), a political worker. He admires her from afar from the safety of his yellow cab. After gaining enough courage, he takes her on an awkward date to a porn theatre in the hope of finding companionship and comfort with her. However, Betsy is disgusted with his choice of date and flees. Travis craves contact with others but, due to his unstable mindset, he scares off everyone he interacts with. Travis’s voyeurism reflects upon his mindset, implying loneliness and isolation. He stares at members of the public with a jealous eye. When he first lays eyes on Betsy, she is playing around with her colleague Tom (Albert Brookes). This is interpreted by Travis as her being flirtatious and contributes to his jealously directed at her co-worker. Later in the film Travis comes across the young prostitute Iris (Jodie Foster) and is immediately captivated by her. He watches Iris from afar with the intent of protecting her, stalking her in his cab to make sure she is safe from the “scum” of the streets. Overall, voyeurism demonstrates the instability of Travis’s mindset, it not only reflects his loneliness and isolation but also indicates a damaged and unstable mind. Every day this week a different writer will provide their perspective on our MUBIVIEWS film and each post will be open to comments from our readers. Watch TAXI DRIVER on mubi.com until 4 July 2017 and join the discussion!
curator's noteThis week our writers return to MUBIVIEWS with the classic American vigilante film TAXI DRIVER (Martin Scorsese 1976). As a regular favourite on lists of the greatest film of all time, what will our writers make of this critically acclaimed Neo-noir REFLECTING INSANITYSteven FeganIsolation is the most prominent and recurring theme throughout TAXI DRIVER (Martin Scorsese 1976) and Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) is a lonely and detached outcast throughout the film. In what is arguably the film’s most iconic scene, Travis practises with a gun in the mirror, evidence of his depressed and isolated mindset and represented by a subtle camera movement. While we are originally introduced to Travis in this scene as he sets himself up in front of the mirror, the camera quickly becomes the mirror, reflecting Travis exactly how he sees himself as he repeats the same words while confronting his own image: "You talkin' to me?" While at first Travis’s words could be interpreted as being directed at the audience, the mise-en-scène tells a different story entirely. As Travis asks his reflection who he is talking to, the noticeable de-centring of the character as he appears to the right of the screen, not looking ahead but instead to his left, combined with the diegetic sounds of the world outside creates a scene that echoes and questions Travis's psychological state. Furthermore, the hustle and bustle of the outside world reflects the demons that Travis battles as an isolated character with past traumas and his anger at society is represented by the recurring presence of these overwhelming sounds throughout the sequence. The scene in its entirety reflects insanity, as evidenced when Travis repeatedly asks his reflection the same question. This is followed by the repetition of words from his diary, intercut with scenes of him lying down and attempting to sleep. These moments signify a character with little grasp on reality, instead being governed by his thoughts with the same question running through his head. In this way, Travis is not confronting a potential antagonist in the mirror scene but rather himself as his grasp on sanity continues to slip away. Every day this week a different writer will provide their perspective on our MUBIVIEWS film and each post will be open to comments from our readers. Watch TAXI DRIVER on mubi.com until 4 July 2017 and join the discussion!
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