Written by Robert Scucci | Published
The more I revisit classic anti-hero stories, the more I realize they are often celebrated for the wrong reasons. The number of depressing twentysomethings who put Patrick Bateman and Tyler Durden down tends to miss the point entirely. These characters are satires, cautionary tales designed to show exactly how not to behave. The same applies to Michael Douglas’ William Foster in falling down. Even if her anger sometimes seems understandable, she still reacts like the perfect Karen in her environment. The best example of the worst type of anti-hero to be celebrated, however, is Travis Bickle in Martin Scorsese’s 1976 masterpiece, Taxi driver.
Don’t get this wrong. I love all the movies I just mentioned, and I think they’re all culturally significant in their own twisted ways. The problem is how people talk about them. Discussions always lead to how “bad” these characters are, which couldn’t be further from the truth. There are some incel powers that have to do with how Taxi driver framed in these discussions, and completely misses the point. This is not a waiting wish fulfillment. It’s a picture of a very sad man who can’t handle adult life and yells at the public, while others in the same situation try to cope without burning everything down.
Travis Little by little
Taxi driver centers on Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro), an honorably discharged Marine who now works nights as a New York City taxi driver. He chooses a job because it suits the insomnia and isolation. His free time is spent wandering between adult movie theaters and restaurants and other off-duty cabs. The most important person in this loose circle is the Wizard (Peter Boyle), who is dismayed by the city’s decay but accepts it as a sad reality rather than anger.
Travis, in contrast, carries a permanent chip on his shoulder with no real desire to improve his situation until it finally boils over. He develops a brief romance with Betsy (Cybill Shepherd), which quickly fizzles out when he decides that taking her to one of his favorite X-rated movies is the perfect date idea. Spoiler alert: taking a complete stranger for a midnight surf is not a good date idea.
Defeated, heartbroken, and increasingly depressed, Travis returns to himself. This is where the power of the incel really takes hold. Travis is not attractive. He earns a decent amount of money. But when she falls in love, her answer is not self-centered. Anger. After an argument with Betsy, he buys guns and starts posing as a tough guy, ending with the now “you talkin’ to me?” principle.
Travis needs to vent his anger, but he doesn’t strike you as the type to take long walks or try to meditate. Violence becomes the method of least resistance. You know you want to hurt someone. Constant tension Taxi driver it lies in who that person will be, and whether any part of his thinking can be forgiven.
To Rescue or Not to Rescue? That’s the Question
Taxi driver ends on a deliberately vague note that often lingers, especially on first viewing. On the other hand, it is disturbingly easy to understand how isolation and obsession can push a person to the point of mental breakdown. On the one hand, the film serves as a masterclass on how not to behave when the world is hostile.
We saw the same difference in 1993 falling down by William Foster and Detective Prendergast. Both men were treated badly. One responds with violence. One makes a commitment to the community, which leads to better results. The dynamic in Taxi driver shows this with Travis and Wizard. They share the same work and the same loneliness, but their ideas lead them in very different directions.
This is not an argument against celebrating these films. On the contrary. Taxi driver it remains a strong case of what unbridled male loneliness can do when paired with entitlement and anger. Movies deserve to be celebrated. The actors don’t. Patrick Bateman, Tyler Durden, William Foster, and Travis Bickle were not meant to be role models. They are expertly crafted warnings, screened by professional filmmakers to show the consequences of growing up without accountability.
Taxi driver currently streaming on Max.
