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Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver

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Film is an art form that has the power to move its audience emotionally and intellectually by creating impactful messages. Martin Scorsese creates depth and meaning in his 1976 film, Taxi Driver by employing various film techniques. There are many theories on the film Taxi Driver and its intended meaning. The films mise-en-scène invites the audience to enter Travis’ state of mind, arousing an array of interpretations on Travis, and consequently the central message of the film. However, I would argue that there is a dominant message of loneliness and alienation that is made particularly clear by the camerawork in the first scene in the night diner when Travis joins the other taxi drivers. In this scene, Scorsese utilizes the mise-en-scène, editing, …show more content…

As the camera follows Travis’ point of view, we see his withdraw visually. However, Scorsese uses psychoacoustics to further establish Travis’ withdraw. The audience is encouraged to cross over into Travis’ private universe when he opens a container of Alka-Seltzer tablets and drops it into his drink. The tablet fizzles and the fizzling sound eventually grows so loud that it overshadows all the other ambient sound around him. Loudness is often used to perceive distance; therefore, Travis’ proximity to the drink becomes exaggerated. However, when the camera cuts away from the Alka-Seltzer and to Travis watching it, the audience sees his proximity has not changed. Therefore, the increase in loudness did not result in Travis coming closer to the drink but rather him falling farther away from reality. The sound in this shot is significant to the films message of loneliness and alienation because it signifies Travis becoming increasingly closer to his isolation, and farther away from the world around him. It is a dreamlike example of Travis’ inner mind slowly losing its grip on …show more content…

The camera often takes on Travis’ point of view. By taking on Travis’ point of view the camera invites the audience into Travis’ mindset, which as a result, empathizes his disconnect from society. Travis’ attention often wanders in this scene and consequently, the camera wanders as well. After Travis gets done with his, first and only, contribution to the conversation by telling a story of a man who got his ear cut off, the camera cuts from a shot of Wizards point of view at an eye-level angle, to a close up of Travis at a higher angle tilted slightly downward. The difference in the two shots provides a feeling of disorientation, which was used strategically to suggest Travis is disoriented. Then the camera takes on Travis’ point of view in a tracking shot, which pans right, showing two pimps sitting across from him; it is slow and deliberate. The shot changes and pans left, stopping once the frame includes Travis, who seems oblivious to the conversations around him. This sequence of shots shows how Travis's attention is apart from the conversation and reiterates Travis’ inability to engage with others. Moreover, the camera continues to follow observed details by Travis as the scene progresses. There is a high angle shot of Travis as he drops an Alka-Seltzer tablet into a glass. As Travis’ attention becomes consumed by the fizzling glass of

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