Subject: Travis Bickle
From: Sasha Stone (sstone@primenet.com)
Date: Mon Mar 03 1997 - 23:39:02 GMT
On Mon, 3 Mar 1997, Kerry O'Keeffe wrote:
>
> At the risk of upsetting some people because we are not talking about
> what Salinger's favourite sock colour is or something, Ill give my opinion
> on Taxi Driver. Before I do, I must explain that Im not a Catcher
> carrying lunatic or anything, rather a polite young thing who just happens
> to have a certain taste in things. I personally doubt if Bickle's motives
> in trying to kill Palentine are anything as deep rooted as anger at the
> Vietnam situation. For instance his attitiude towards the type of people
> who live in communes (remember the conversation with Iris in the cafe?) is
> pretty negative which kind of gave me the impression that hes not one for
> protesting. I do think a little of the reason is to do with having a stab
> at the bullshit of politicians, but I think its mainly due to his being
> spurned by Betsy that makes him target Palentine in paticular. After all
> why attack someone who isnt even in office yet?
>
I agree with you. Travis is angry at the world for sure but it seems to me
that this is more from his inability to fit in than anything else. He
doesn't fit in society - society rejects him - he rejects society. He's
completely crazy too. The scene in Palantine's campaign headquarters when
he tells Betsy that she will die in hell with the rest of them is a pretty
telling moment. It just so happened (ironically) that his anger got
vented in the right direction: "Suck on this." He killed the obvious scum
rather than the "functioning scum" like Betsy and Palentine.
> I guess no-one in their right mind could class Bickle as sane, but
> having said that we always confronted in the news with people killing
> others out of hatred or for money and yet their sanity is not such a big
> issue. Bickle killed a mafioso, a robber and pimps, hardly people who
> just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time like so many are.
> I guess he just sees himself as a Guardian Angel figure.
>
Yes. And that's a great way of looking at it. Had he been able to blow
Palentine away he would have accomplished nothing. As it turned out - and
it seems almost by chance - he got to be the hero and not the psycho - he
was finally accepted by society.
> As for the similarity between Holden and the prostitute I tend to think
> of them as quite different acts. Holden's is purely out of frustration
> whereas Bickle I think feels he has to save Iris from her situation.
> Anyway, let me know what you think about that.
>
Unlike Holden, Bickle feels like he has a purpose. He talks about how his
life has been leading up to this one moment - this climax. See, this is
classic stalker and mass-murderer stuff. But the thing that throws the
whole movie off and why people often think Travis is more like Holden is
that Robert De Niro plays him so well you have sympathy for him. De
Niro's own sympathy for the character affects us in turn.
Holden, to me, is not dangerous. Travis Bickle most certainly is..
Sasha
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