Now, this class from the start has been an intense learning experience. When I heard I had to take Arts in the City, I thought to myself, what the hell kind of honors requirement is that? It sounds too fun for honors. So although it’s been fun, it’s taught me a how to look past the superficial facts into what is behind the thoughts and motions of actors and the reasoning for the choice of such simplistic things as colors and clothes.
Taxi Driver. Sounds boring, right? Well that’s what some people thought the first time they watched it. But not me. I thought it was the sad and interesting tale of this man, Travis, who has lost everything he wants. He blew his chance with the girl he wanted, and because of this, turned a negative eye on life in general. Throughout the movie, the scenery is dreary and bleak, with the exception of Betsy and the voter’s office area, which is always bright, usually red. Travis tried to make himself less depressing when visiting this office by wearing a red jacket over his drab clothes. Now, personally, I never would’ve noticed this if it hadn’t been brought up in class.
Whereas I wouldn’t say this movie was life-changing, it definitely impacted me emotionally. Watching the movie, my heart tore for Travis when Betsy turned him away. Even though I thought it was hilarious that he tried to take her to a porno movie as a date, the poor guy didn’t know any better. After being turned down, he turned to a life of crime- buying guns and attempting assassinations…This seems a little extreme, but Travis had an almost childlike mentality about these types of things, throwing a sort of “tantrum” when he didn’t get his way. This movie taught me a lot about people’s mentality, and how people react to disappointment, rage and jealousy.
As a social critic, Travis is a prime example. He absolutely DESPISES society and all that it stands for. To him, society represents the love he lost, the brutal reality of prostitution and pimps, and the disgustingly boring lifestyle of a cab driver living in the city. Every chance he gets, he battles society. Whether it’s in the attempted assassination of a political figure, or the actual assassination of a pimp, he fights to the death…literally. I mean, Travis was always a loner. He finally tried to come out of his shell when he attempted a relationship with Betsy. But in his naive state of mind, he took her to an inappropriate movie, and ruined his chance. Because of this, he becomes even more bitter, and tries to kill Palantine, to whom he believes he lost Betsy. Despite his foiled attempt, he moves on to Iris’ pimp, Sport, and ends victoriously, and unexpectedly as a hero.
Travis acts rashly and emotionally, going with his feelings, and not caring about the consequences. He figured that since society was so horrible, and his life was destroyed already, how much worse could it get? So he buys some guns and heads out with plans to kill-plans to do what he thinks is right…even if he could end up in jail for it. His fury over the police’s unconcerned attitudes towards the prostitution rings caused him to take matters into his own hands.
Although his case is extremely rare-people don’t exactly go around buying guns and planning assassinations all the time because a girl turned them down-this movie shed light on the idiosyncrasies that all people have. This movie made me think about other people’s and even my own reactions to society and the people in society.
