Let me start out by staying I LOVED the Metal Children. I literally could not put it down. It was interesting. Unlike most plays I’ve read (including “The Indian Wants The Bronx) the language was accessible, the characters were intriguing, and the plot was exciting on paper. I know that plays are meant to be seen and not read but, with the help of great stage directions, I was able to visualize every scene.
The unique way the play begins immediately grabbed my attention. It took me a few minutes to figure out what the hell Tobin was doing. I think that the lovesick, drunken, self-pitying 38-year-old writer is a realistic portrayal of an artist’s lifestyle. While Tobin doesn’t always make the best decisions, like sleeping with Vera, I have sympathy for him. After losing his wife to a better looking, wealthier man Tobin is crushed and his self-esteem is in the gutter. Loneliness is a powerful emotion that drives people to search for love and acceptance in places they wouldn’t normally look.
I really loved Tobin’s character for two reasons. Firstly, because he was such a smart-ass and secondly, everything he says in Act Two, Scene 1 during the school board meeting completely supports what I said in last week’s blog! When he explains that he didn’t write the Metal Children for any particular reason and that the novel was a product of pain medication and an extremely trippy dream it made my day! I wish that I had read the Metal Children a week sooner so I could use it to support my ideas in last week’s blog!
While I loved the Metal Children, Taxi Driver was a completely different story. I know that as a Sicilian, hating any work of Martin Scorsese is blasphemous, but I couldn’t help disliking the plot-less time suck that is Taxi Driver. While I understand that the film is meant to highlight Travis’ mental instability, the storyline about a crazy, attention- seeking war veteran did not hold my interest. Like Tobin, Travis is extremely lonesome. He feels like an outsider, which is highlighted by the wardrobe, colors, and camera angles used by Scorsese throughout the film.
The difference between Tobin and Travis is that they both seek attention in different ways. Tobin writes a novel about his ideas in order to give his life purpose or meaning and Travis plans to assassinate a senator. Tobin searches for affection by having sex with random women and Travis prefers to watch other people have sex on a giant screen.
While Travis is obviously a nut job and Tobin seems to be sane, I find it ironic that the nut job receives praise for murdering a few pimps and Tobin is ostracized for writing his novel. While Tobin’s drug induced, accidental genius was written for “no particular reason,” Travis actually committed his actions for two reasons: for his own social advancement and to save the teenage prostitute, Iris, from her pimp. Even with the best intentions, to rescue Iris, I still feel that Travis should be treated as a criminal rather than a hero. Just because he murdered bad people doesn’t make murder ok. If Travis’ plan to murder the Senator had been successful, he would have been throne in the slammer. It’s only because he murdered pimps that society deems his actions acceptable. Are there exceptions to the law? Can murder ever be justified?
I really like how insightful your second paragraph is, when you write that loneliness drives people to search for love in places they wouldn’t normally look. That is something that comes up in a lot of books and movies. Great observation and great line!