tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610074516299275060.post554636307773265954..comments2024-01-21T11:18:54.087-05:00Comments on Lost in the Movies: Taxi DriverJoel Bockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11238338958380683893noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610074516299275060.post-15492640407103594292013-06-28T05:10:09.996-04:002013-06-28T05:10:09.996-04:00Thanks, though if you're still a teenager your...Thanks, though if you're still a teenager yourself you've got a jump on me in terms of writing & self-articulation!<br /><br />Taxi Driver remains my favorite Scorsese, and as for the ending it now seems clear to me from further reading that Schrader & Scorsese did not intend Ebert's interpretation at all. But for whatever reason, I still embrace it as the most compelling/justifiable explanation if the admittedly bizarre conclusion. Like you the "realist" reading just doesn't cut it for me, in a number of ways.<br /><br />Looking forward to your thoughts in other Big Ones. It was kind of a pain in the ass to do the series at the time, haha, but I'm glad I did.Joel Bockohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11238338958380683893noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610074516299275060.post-45043541925967618822013-06-27T20:42:51.014-04:002013-06-27T20:42:51.014-04:00So even as a teenager you were churning out great ...So even as a teenager you were churning out great essays? Haha, good stuff Joel, this is definitely a film that teenagers respond to strongly. Being one year older than you when you wrote this I can attest to this fact. As I mentioned in my comment on the Raging Bull post I do prefer that film but Taxi Driver is undoubtedly great in it's own ways. It's just the ending that troubles me, I kind of wish the credits would roll right after the overhead shot of the massacre in the red light district building. There's no way I can buy Travis being viewed as a media hero, as you say above he was already spotted trying to kill Palatine, so all that social commentary on how we can't separate our heroes from psychopaths kind of falls flat for me. <br /><br />I'm complaining too much though since this is a brilliant film overall. Dead on about De Niro's performance. The scene that really hammers home how great he really was is where he is talking to Wizard outside of the café. He tries to tell him his troubles and how he wants to lash out, but can't articulate himself. A tragic scene considering it's context in the film (look at Scorsese's cameo as the psycho in Travis's cab. Paul Schrader notes in the commentary track that this guy isn't a danger to society because he can get his "bad thoughts" out in the open, while Travis can't and thus is a threat to society. Not sure if I completely believe that but it's an interesting way to look at it). Will be dropping by some other Big Ones posts in the near future.Mikenoreply@blogger.com