Talk:Taxi Driver

Reservoir dogs / harvey keitel / Homage / Connection?

In the shootout scene harvey keitel is shot in the stomach in the movie reservoir dogs harvey keitel as mr.white assists his partner mr.orange who is shot in the stomach, i've priviously in the past that quentin tarintino makes connections and homages to movies could this be one? Just a suggestion.

Jimmy Stewart?

Near the end of the movie, we hear Iris's father or guardian narrating a thank you letter he wrote to Travis for rescuing Iris. The man is never seen. Is this the voice of Jimmy Stewart? He's not credited for having been in the movie, but it sounds very much like him.

High

Critcally noted as scorcese's trifecta with raging bull and goodfellas, oscars, IMDB 250. Andman8 04:21, 18 July 2006 (UTC)

Is Taxi Driver considered a pastiche?

Can you elaborate? -- Zoe

Jesus, what's the deal with User:Tarquin? She just deleted the link asking why anyone would care about what a taxi driver thinks of the film.

well it's like this: if you're going to link to one person's review on the web, you might as well link to them all. What makes that one special? Are they a well-known film critic? -- Tarquin 10:07, 23 Sep 2003 (UTC)

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"he takes her to a pornographic film"? Does he? I thought it was a sex-ed film, but those were often shown in porn cinemas in the US. // Liftarn

It's no sex education film I've seen, but yes, you are correct. The IMDB entry on Kärlekens språk, the Swedish "information film" that's Bickle takes her to, mentions it shows actual coitus, something I don't think like that is shown in high schools, even nowadays. However, I could see it being one of those things, because of the display of sexual intercourse, would be shown in a porno theatre in the '70s. Of course, it could've been the only thing Scorsese could get ahold of and figured he could pass it off as a porn flick. --YoungFreud 04:50, 7 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Actually, it was a sex education film, at least in Nordic countries. It was shown in local film theaters and even our teacher suggested us that we should go to see the film. This took place in Finland in the 1960s.

The film was called an "Information Film", but that was always code for Swedish skin flicks. There aren't many orgies in sex ed, for example. You have to remember that this was the early 1970's and even in Times Square things were somewhat repressed so they had to have silly double speak in order to get things by standards codes. --TheGrza 07:25, Nov 8, 2004 (UTC)

It comes under the sexploitation category, a film which claims it is educational, but is really a skin-flick. Until pornography laws in the UK were loosened in the early 2000s and high street newsagents were allowed to sell hard-core pornography, this 'rebranding' was often used as a way of getting porn into the country. Martyn Smith 17:35, 17 June 2006 (UTC)

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I have added references to the fact that Bickle is suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, plus a few key points relating to Vietman vererans in the 'critical response' section.--ChrisJMoor 02:26, 3 October 2005 (UTC)

Travis a marine?

I changed the line added "has recently been discharged from the Marines" to WHO CLAIMS THAT HE (has recently been discharged from the Marines) as the only evidence that Travis was a marine comes from Travis himself and throughout the film he is shown to invent stories about himself.

Interesting point. That he was a Vietnam vet was news to me, something that would make sense... given his age. But is there any other reason for asserting this—the patches on his jacket, perhaps? —Morning star 15:21, 26 December 2005 (UTC)

In the screenplay, Schrader indicates the patches on his sleeves, one of which is King Kong Company and the years. I can't recall the years at this point, but I'm pretty sure the patch is readable in the movie, which would confirm he is a veteran. Gohst 04:12, 2 February 2006 (UTC)

If I'm not mistaken, the word "Vietnam" is never explicitly mentioned in the movie. Which is interesting in and of itself. -MB (9 September 2006)

Check out the massive scar on Travis' back when he's working out. Admittedly this might actually be DeNiro's scar, but if it was meant to be a combat related scar from Travis' time in Vietnam it may also help to explain his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or if that's not adequate his simple disillusionment with society i.e. 'What was I at war for'. Phlippit (talk) 01:03, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

Small, but interesting detail is a Vietcong flag in his apartment, which appears on the screen for around 2 seconds in the first shot showing Travis' living space. 77.96.64.16 (talk) 05:13, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Travis a Marine?

Travis was definitely a Marine. There are several reasons I believe this. One, the burning of shoe polish is consistent with Marines spit shining their boots. Two, the way he wraps the cloth around his hand to shine his boots is consistent. Three, the tape he uses to secure his knife to his boot is consistent with the cloth type tape that was issued when I was in the Marine Corps. It's like athletic tape, but not exactly. I can't remember the name of the tape.

As for the word "Vietnam" being mentioned in the movie, it is actually mentioned by the Senatorial Candidate for the Presidency when Travis is sitting in his cab, watching the Senator give a speech, right before the cop comes up and says "Hey, cabbie. you can't park here."

Vicioustwist 08:48, 19 November 2006 (UTC)

I believe that Travis was a Marine who served at least one tour in Vietnam. In the opening scene when he interviews for the taxi driver job, Travis mentions his honorable discharge from the Marines in May of 1973, and that his age is 26. Assuming that the time line of the story is either 1975 or 1976, it would be completely plausible that Travis could have served in Vietnam as early as 1968. (The full-blown war in Vietnam ran from about 1964 to 1975.)

Travis wears clothing all throughout the movie which are apparently left over from his days in the Marines. Travis can be seen wearing a yellow faded Marine Corps PT T-shirt turned inside-out when he exercises in his apartment. Near the end of this movie, just before Travis picks up Betsy as a fare, the back of one of his green jackets can be clearly seen with "Bickle T" stenciled upon it in faded black ink. I was not in the Marine Corps myself, but I would say that names and initials being stenciled on the outside of clothing is quite characteristic of military service. --Kepiblanc 06:41, 3 July 2007 (UTC)

Jodie Foster's age

Foster's age was just changed from fourteen to twelve. If she was born on 19 November 1962, that would make her thirteen for most of 1975. —Morning star 15:21, 26 December 2005 (UTC)

If Jodie 's birthday is 19 November 1962 she turned 13 on November 19 1975 and she was 12 during almost the year 1975. The film was released in February 1976 so Jodie was 12 when it was filmed and just 13 when the movie was released to theaters. Ik.pas.aan 22:30, 8 March 2006 (UTC)

Ah! Duuh. Sorry for one of my dimmer moments. —Morning star 05:15, 9 March 2006 (UTC)

Was Foster's character really supposed to be 12 1/2? My impression was that her pimp said she was 12 to imply she still had virginal qualities. Regardless of appearance, she seemed to posses the composure of someone older than that. -Bantosh 21:20, 7 May 2006

External links

Before adding any further external links to this article, please discuss them here and let the community reach a consensus. I'm adding this dicussion here because this article is being repeatedly linkspammed lately with a link to sensesofcinema.com. Thanks --AbsolutDan ^(talk) 14:34, 12 May 2006 (UTC)

Dear AbsolutDan and other self-appointed Wiki-police: Perhaps if you read the article being "linkspammed", as you so elegantly put it, you would learn something useful about the film. Is not the entire point of Wikipedia that anyone who has something to contribute can do so? I do not feel that I should offer obeisance to your "community" or justify the article's inclusion. What you are doing in trying to centralize editorial control is a tremendous disservice to scholarship. This behavior is absolutely outrageous. http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/05/37/taxi_driver.html --crazyeyezkillah

Wikipedia is not the place to promote other websites. Linkspam is, simply put, links that are spammed onto Wikipedia -- added to promote a particular site, usually across multiple articles. If left unchecked, articles would quickly become "bottom-heavy" with more external links than content. I removed the links I saw to senseofcinema because they were posted by a spammer, and were added with no additional content. WP needs more content, not external links --AbsolutDan ^(talk) 03:29, 17 May 2006 (UTC)

DISCUSSION: Hello, is this website a positive contribution to the External Links part? It's a comparison on the famous 'Talkin' To Me' scene which is used in Taxi Driver and La Haine. Flash video footage of the both scenes is available. http://repcred.com/movies/talkin-to-me

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In the "Trivia" section, written is both:

" The only scene that doesn't feature Travis is the one between Sport and Iris talking in her room. This was added late into production."

and

" Harvey Keitel rehearsed with actual pimps to prepare for his role. The scene where his character and Iris dance is improvised, and is one of only two scenes in the film that don't focus on Travis."

By "focus", does that mean "not feature" or "he is not the most important character". If it is the latter, then surely there are many more scenes in the film which are debatable? 88.106.65.140 12:48, 17 May 2006 (UTC)

The only *scene* I can think of that does not feature DeNiro is the Iris and Sport talking and smooching one. Scene in filmic terms roughly equates to chapter in a book, a self-contained portion of the greater work, often with a verifiable beginning and end. DVDs are usually broken up into scenes in this way. I think the assertion that there is a second portion of the film that constitutes a scene not featuring Travis is incorrect, and will edited that line Martyn Smith 17:41, 17 June 2006 (UTC)

Sequel?

I remember reading something about De Niro and Scorsese working on a sequel a year ago I think. If I remember right, then someone should add that to the article.

Trivia section

The Trivia section is much too long, and much of it is probably pointless. If I don't pull a bunch of it out soon, someone else should. --Xyzzyplugh 23:31, 18 August 2006 (UTC)

I removed a few of the entries that were cut and pasted from imdb, but it's still too long. I thought about starting a production or background section and moving the relevant pieces from there, but the problem is that they aren't sourced, and in some cases seem contradictory (the inspiration for the character of Travis Bickle). If someone wants to verify the information, great, otherwise it should just be removed. - Bobet 09:33, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Why would Robert Deniro do a sequel what plot would there be, it would just be him picking up fares another reason is that Robert Deniro is now 65 what's he going to do pull out his bus pass and say "you talking to me". ---- matthew suter---- 18:33, 10 june 2008

Novelisation

I have what must be a fairly rare copy of the novelisation of Taxi Driver, written by someone called Richard Elman and published by Bantam Books in 1976. The ISBN is 0552101281. I haven't been able to find out much about the author although there's a little here. Where should this go? Trivia, or a separate section? Or is it even worth mentioning at all? Incidentally, the same author seems to have done the novelisation of Smokey and the Bandit... Lexo, 15.52, 27 August 2006 (UTC)

'Coke' movie

I remember julia phillips (who did have a drug problem) saying in her autobiography that this was a 'Coke movie' referring to the drug (cocaine) consumed every day by participants in the movie. Somebody could check this and then mention it in the article.

The ending

The ending is Robert de Niro successfully impressing a girl by getting famous then deciding he doesn't like the girl for liking him for being famous.

No it isn't. He just still feels detached from her and everything else; as well as holding resentment for her for rejecting him in the past.--Tainted Drifter 10:05, 16 February 2007 (UTC)

In the shootout scene, Travis kills a man who is an apparent mafioso. (I am referring to the man who wears the thick frame eyeglasses and plaid print leisure suit.) This man in the leisure suit is seen collecting a considerable sum of money from Sport just before he heads up to see Iris, and his holstered revolver can be briefly seen as he pockets the money. All of this would be uncharacteristic of an ordinary patron of prostitutes, but not of a mafioso who is making a protection money collection from a street pimp.

Since the mafia will typically seek to quickly retaliate against any outsider who kills one of their own, perhaps the reason that Travis quickly adjusts his rear view mirror just before the credits roll is because he catches a glimpse of a carload of hit men preparing to shoot him to death.--Kepiblanc 08:18, 3 July 2007 (UTC)

Well if someone was going to shoot him then they would of done it because when the credits come up you see Bickle driving through quite a few streets and pick up a fair,maybe he just saw something or someone he didnt like. ----matthewsuter--- 16:55 18 august 2008

Thelma Schoonmaker did not edit Taxi Driver

I have made the correction to the credits box per the IMDB listing.[1]
JohnC 14:58, 30 March 2007 (UTC)

If you notice in the shoot out that the mafioso shoots Travis in the arm at close range why not just shoot him in the head common of movies in this genre. ---- matthew suter ---- 18:38, 10 june 2008

Notes from Underground

someone should mention that the story is influenced by dostoevsky's notes from underground (ie. it quotes it directly "I am God's lonely man").

The quote is from Thomas Wolfe's essay, "God's Lonely Man", which is quoted and accredited to Wolfe at the beginning of the film. That's not to say that Dostoevsky's work wasn't an influence, but the quote is from Wolfe. PCLM (talk) 02:15, 6 July 2009 (UTC)

Alternative analysis

I dislike the new "Alternative analysis" section because any analysis violates Wikipedia:NPOV and there are several errors in that section. --Wasted Sapience 12:11, 9 April 2007 (UTC)

Agreed, it's original research, and tangential. Makes the article too long. Delete? --Nick 19:36, 21 April 2007 (UTC)

House Of Pain Lyric...

It's 'Holy Diver', not 'Holy Godiva'. 'Holy Diver' is a Dio song. I don't know what 'Holy Godiva' is. Someone please correct.

Shane reference

Isn't "you talking to me...I don't see anybody else here" a reference to a similiar line in Shane (film) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.24.120.123 (talk) 19:29, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Thus:

Shane: You speaking to me?

Chris Calloway: I don't see nobody else standing there.

—SlamDiego_←T 17:13, 8 September 2008 (UTC)

hi there

by the way i think this is a pretty good article and i want to congradulate the writer(s). i know not every one on wikipedia likes the trivia sections in articles but for a film like taxi driver which has made a huge imprint on popular culture, e.g. it was referenced on the simpsons, family guy e.ct. and every one konws the "you talkin to me" quote i think it should have its own popular culture section, just a suggestion. :) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Wannabe Wiki (talk • contribs) 03:48, 23 April 2008 (UTC)

Redrect

Why am I redirected here for Charles Palantine? --Arav the Undersith (talk) 09:51, 17 August 2008 (UTC)

A search for the string “Charles Palantine” within the article would answer your question. Googling for “Charles Palantine” would alos answer your question. —SlamDiego_←T 17:06, 8 September 2008 (UTC)

History

I removed a claim that the movie inspired John Hinckley Jr. to try to assassinate George Wallace. First, John Hickley Jr. tried to assassinate Reagan, not Wallace. Second, Wallace's would-be assassin was Arthur Bremer. Third, a movie that came out in 1976 could hardly inspire an assassin who struck in 1972. Whoever submitted that information, good job. Phanatic (talk) 17:40, 18 August 2008 (UTC)

The viewer's mind?

I am somewhat inclined to fact-tag this assertion

Any lingering doubt in the viewer's mind about Bickle's insanity is obliterated when he is suddenly and shockingly shown to be sporting a crude Mohawk haircut at a public rally in which he actually attempts to assassinate Senator Palantine.

for the simple, saddening reason that all three of my dorm roommates one term were convinced, at the end of the movie, that this character was a hero of profound inner wisdom. —SlamDiego_←T 16:55, 8 September 2008 (UTC)

Assassination attempt or protection?

My interpretation of the scenes involving Senator Palantine was that Travis was genuinely inspired by the Senator and wanted to protect him. While Travis is watching the Senator on the TV, the Senator says that "the people should rise up" and do something about helping to clean up the city. This contributes to Travis' decision to become a vigilante.

In the scenes where Travis attends Palantine's rallies, Travis sees himself as a protector to the Senator, helping to keep him safe from the "scum" of the city and he sees himself as similar to the secret service agents. This is why he tells his parents and Iris that he has secret goverment work to do, and he seems to believe it himself. When he reaches his hand into his jacket he is only getting ready to protect the senator as he passes through the danger of the crowd. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 220.239.220.162 (talk) 02:18, 6 May 2009 (UTC)

We would need a reliable source for any interpretation we find here. We can't, no matter how amazing, insightful or well thought out, provide original research ourselves. (John User:Jwy talk) 04:37, 6 May 2009 (UTC)

My friend, you have totally misunderstood the scene. --98.217.14.211 (talk) 02:57, 17 July 2009 (UTC)

Relationship to American Gigolo/Light Sleeper/The Walker

I recall hearing an interview with the screenwriter Paul_Schrader on the BBC in 2007 or 2008 (possibly to Mark_Kermode) in which he asserted, in a fairly unambiguous manner, that he intended the lead characters in Taxi Driver and those other films to be the same character. Of course, now I am having trouble locating that clip. Has anyone else heard this? There are suggestions that Schrader intended the characters to be similar, for example on the page for Light_Sleeper, but no assertion that the characters were identical. At any rate, there is no statement connecting Taxi Driver to the other three films, while there are statements about some sort of relationship to this movie on the pages for the other three. Any reason not to mention whatever verifiable relationship exists between the films here? KASchmidt (talk) 17:14, 9 May 2009 (UTC)

Well, after you find a verifiable relationship, let's discuss it. Dlabtot (talk) 17:16, 9 May 2009 (UTC)

Okay, this is a reference cited on the Light_Sleeper page: [2]. In it, the interviewer refers to Taxi Driver, American Gigolo, and Light Sleeper collectively as Schrader's "man in a room" films, and Schrader discusses the central character of those movies as though he's one character.

KASchmidt (talk) 17:25, 9 May 2009 (UTC)

And here: [3] is the (audio) interview between Kermode and Schrader I mentioned above. I'll hold off until someone else has listened to it so we can see if we agree that it means what I think it means, and where it would belong in this article if that's the case. KASchmidt (talk) 17:31, 9 May 2009 (UTC)

Yes, it seems worth mentioning to me. Go for it. Dlabtot (talk) 17:42, 9 May 2009 (UTC)

I'm not sure that it logically fits with any of the sections already in the article, so I'm tentatively making it its own section. If anybody wants to try to fit it in somewhere else after it's up, I'm okay with that. KASchmidt (talk) 17:47, 9 May 2009 (UTC)

Okay, it's in. It is however extremely short. I don't know if beefing it up or putting it in a different subheading is the way to go, but I'd be happy with either. KASchmidt (talk) 18:02, 9 May 2009 (UTC)

Controversies.

I have not read of Ms Foster being 'subjected to psychological tests' during the making of the Movie. People were appointed to study the scenes she was to appear in and adjudge with Mr Scorsese if they were appropriate for her well being. Ms Fosters sister stood in in some of the scenes where concerns about their appropriateness for a child as young as Ms Foster were raised.Johnwrd (talk) 14:34, 8 July 2009 (UTC)

citations

really, for a plot about a movie, occasionally there is a footnote referencing the movie? this is just silly, folks. --98.217.14.211 (talk) 02:58, 17 July 2009 (UTC)

If....

It says in the wikipedia article for the Lindsay Anderson movie if.... that "Martin Scorsese revealed that Robert De Niro's character in Taxi Driver, Travis Bickle, was named after McDowell's character in if....." Couldn't this be added in the Production section? I haven't been able to find citation for this though. Any help would be appreciated —Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.249.153.176 (talk) 01:47, 6 October 2009 (UTC)