Paul Schrader’s internationally acclaimed film; Taxi Driver produced in the mid-1970s tells the story of an ex-Vietnam War veteran named Travis Bickle, a young man who desperately tries to search for the purpose in his life. The theme of the film revolves on Bickley’s attempts to suppress his inner demons in order to live a normal life. What makes Bickley’s attitude different from other protagonist was the fact that he had his own major psychological problems; first, he may be labeled as an anti-social since he detests mingling with people. Second, his training with the military was inadequate with his current lifestyle as a civilian in the movie. In this case, he becomes driven with desire to do something extra-ordinary again. He drives every night and even brings pistols wrapped all round him as if he was in actual battle. However, in relation to this, the main story concentrates only on the plight of one person but never educates the audiences regarding why they ended up that way. In this respect, Belton argues that Taxi Driver was never successful in portraying the reason why America ended up being entangled in the Vietnam War and other political issues. (377). The film uses the Vietnam War only as a side story to re-tell why the character seemed to act like he was always in the need for battle. The hippie culture of the 1970s was accurately portrayed such as the presence of prostitution and crimes. The main character acts like a man of justice, shaving his hair as a form of rebellion towards the lenient government and the pistols he carry symbolizes his intent to purge the country from vile scums that plague the community. The plot introduces the character as troubled but the audiences later know his personality in the middle of the film. What makes this movie unique was due to the deeper context presented by the filmmakers in the character of Travis; here, he was a troubled man and implied that he wants to be seen as somebody, therefore, he changes his personality and even helps the child prostitute to recover and abandon the whoring industry. In addition, the film managed to portray the impact of the war on Travis personality, a man who was unable to cope up with the things he went through the battle and desperately tries to cling to the sense of justice he perceived himself to be.
REFERENCES
Belton, J. (2013). American Cinema/American Culture. 4th Ed. New York: Mc-Graw Hill.
