I feel like parents are a lot like that - they don't know what their kids are going through all the time but they try their best to try and empathize or sympathize.
I just watched the movie again today and noticed that De Niro progressively looks worse and worse over the course of the movie. It wouldn't surprise me if he went full method and drank too much or deprived himself of sleep for the "look" and the performance.
@@paulfischer288 I read he took dr*gs under medical supervision and wore the very clothes (the green jacket, jeans and boots) Paul Schrader was wearing during these four years of depression (it's based on his life, he had a depression after his girlfriend left him).
I love the look of 70s films like Taxi Driver. They have such a raw real look to it. Modern movies just cannot capture that look - it looks too polished
This scene speaks to me alot. Being socially akward and not being able to explain things properly, the bad ideas and doubts creeping in , older dudes saying they envy your youth yet not elobarating on how to use this youth properly is just the standard "get laid, get drunk" as if there is nothing more to youth.
A guy once told me there are 2 things to remember about youth. 1. It's fleeting, and over quicker than any other part of your life, and 2. The steps you take now will determine how long you spend doing what you HAVE to do, instead of what you WANT to do. It took me along time to understand what he meant but it was true. I got older into my 30s and realized I should have tried for a diffrent job, or went to college in my 20s, and so now here I am in my 40s just finishing up school to be where I want to. I'm not saying that's what everyone should do, but at least start SOMETHING that will propel you forward. Even if your not sure what you want, pick something beneficial and start now. This scene always reminds me of that man's words.
First step. Adopt a dog and learn to take care of the dog. If you dont have one already. That dog will bring you more joy and comfort than anything else in life. Two make some goals.
This is probably my favourite scene in any film ever . It’s so achingly beautiful . His inability to express what is happening inside of him , his vain attempt to reach out for some sense of reality and understanding, that’s how I see it anyway. He doesn’t get what he wants from this , I think this is when his alienation really magnifies
i always thought travis was talking about if he gets any worse he's going to do something bad bad, and being so quiet, wizard of course is reading him wrong, just as if talking to some clueless kid who doesn't know what he wants in life and the bad things are just the figments of anyone with depression and knows better, but travis is so quiet and emotionless nobody would suspect him of anything other than being quiet and a loner. the whole movie itself if a good watch the first time but it's worth watching again. this scene seemed so normal that i thought there was significance.
Peter Boyle was an absolute wizard. He put on a CLINIC in this scene. He’s so natural, you’d think this was a documentary. They don’t make actors like this anymore or films like this anymore. That’s for sure.
Great actor! For decades, I didn't know his name. I just thought when I saw him in a film: 'ah, that guy!'. Such a memorable face with such great presence on screen. From what I've read about him and heard other actors say about him on DVD extras (e. g. Hale Berry on Monster's Ball extra), he was also a very decent person in private life. He could do funny parts quite as good. Loved him in Yellow Beard. Peter Boyle is missed, but will never be forgotten.
It’s not only the acting but the directing and film they used back then that made it so authentic. This conversation truly feels like it happened in the 70s on the grimy New York streets. I’ve seen modern directors try to recapture that 70s look and it doesn’t matter how good they or the actors are - they cannot recapture it. This is why I love watching 70s movies like this one
@@setaymada5023maybe some of the same actors but he's not making alienated character studies like this anymore. No Taxi Drivers, Raging Bulls, or Kings Of Comedy for that matter. Not saying I don't enjoy his movies but the content isn't really the same imho.
Idk why it would be hard to understand from wizard. Not excusing Travis just thinking about why. He says he is “down real bad”, ny colloquial here. That’s a little concerning. I wish someone had atleast more of an idea..
Any guy who ever tried to talk about their issues with another guy should get this scene. It's a perfect example of how men can not talk to each other, and even if they tried will find no sympathy or support from the other side, because they just don't know how. All you will get is "don't think so much" and "go get laid".
Imo it's usually poor timing. We often get something in our heads and look at our feelings as an issue that needs to be "fixed" or "corrected" so we can move along. Talking to talk or exchangw feelings is something we aren't really wired for. But whether that's society's doing or something specific to men is above my pay grade.
Well if you had read self help books like Dale Carnegie, which was around since 1936, men need need someone that's good at listening, no advice or comments. That's what even today what men still bad at listening to eachother. The only one who really understood Travis was Valentine, he tries to use diplomacy and reason with him about change, even though in order for Travis to see change he needs to have some emotional self control, it's hard to talk to people like Travis, you usually have to let those people suffer until they wake up and realize it or that they hit rock bottom. I once was able to relate to Travis, now I'm at were Valentine is at. Patience and faith is where people should want to be at
"I'm mean we're all fucked, more or less." I think this was the most important the part of Wizard's pep talk. Travis really is preaching to the choir. Everyone is dying inside from routine and you just have to suck it up and "Get drunk/ get laid. Because you got no choice anyway." The truth is all Wizard can offer and you can tell he does feel for Travis.
There's freedom in acknowledging God your creator and knowing Jesus. True hope from this dying from the inside that you speak of. It's available to you, God bless you
That’s the harsh truth for being caught in the working class cycle, most of us are dying on the inside working meaningless jobs, if you’re not gonna off yourself then just make the best of it, get drunk and get laid, enjoy the finer things in life that make this ride worthwhile. We have no other choice
Lesson in this scene is don't be wizard. He didn't ask questions, he assumed he knew the answer. If you want to help someone get them to tell you more, the whole thing. If you don't care, do what he did.
He is more emphatic than 70 percent than people lol, the best advice he could have given him. He doesn't even know travis that well, and trzvis admitted it in his initial talk.
The execution of the line is perfection haha One of those lines that sticks with you, and tells you so much about Travis going into the next scene with Wizard (money is not the issue)
The pivotal moment for Travis. His course in life is dependent on the hope he's crying out for. It's not about Wizard. Travis just wants direction from someone because he knows he's about to go down a dark path
You nailed it. The Wizard had a chance to help, but didn't. He knows what Travis **isn't** saying, but he doesn't want to go there. Travis is on his own
I think the wizard knew that he was going down a dark path regardless You said the way he looks at him when he puts his hand on the headlight before he gets back in the driver side of the cab like he knows.
This is the same situation for a lot of young who are genuinely good people but don’t have anyone in their lives who provide guidance, love, and affection.
I also think its a pivotal moment because Travis is fascinated with Leadership, hence his attraction to the Senator and the entire plot to kill him. At his heart, Travis believes there should be some order, some justice, some logic to the world, and there isn't. The Senator is corrupt in Travis' eyes, and there is nothing behind the curtain when Wizard pulls it aside.
Going down a dark path isn't predestined, it's a choice. We make decisions on a continual basis, and hope that the choices we make will be rewarded. Travis was trying to articulate a desire to do something effective, make a difference, but didn't know what it was, how to get there, or how it would look to others (like the pretty blonde girl). Vision is hard work, precognition is impossible.
Sad thing is, just as the conversation between Wiz and Travis feels awkward, the earlier convo between other cab drivers is also awkward and even meaningless, as if they're speaking languages slightly different from each other. Travis is lonely and tragic in this sense because he is the only person here who cannot let such meaninglessness slide naturally.
Interesting seeing the different takes on this scene. The way I see it is Travis is on the verge of snapping but still has enough sense that he is trying to tell someone, a cry for help - something many real active shooter types these days tend to do, there are often signs in advance just like this where they are crying out for help. And for many of them, they probably got to that point because they didn’t have a lot of support. In their desperation for support they turn to someone who is in no way equipped to advise them, the problem is already so big it would take a miracle for someone to give them good advice. This is a poignant scene because Wizard is someone is his life who seems to be wise, but the advice he give Travis is not relevant to the problem (partly because Travis can’t even articulate the problem). To me this just shows the fragility of humans in Travis, and the desire/inadequacy to help someone like that. You can tell Wizard wants to help, but by the end of their conversation it’s just awkward and Wizard seems like he’s trying to squirm out of it. Imagine if Wizard had been able to give a thoughtful answer that helped Travis to back down? Was that even possible? If it was, would it prevented Travis’s killing fantasies, or at least stopped him from acting on them? Is this a common situation/perspective/feeling the crazy active shooter types face before they go forward with their heinous acts?
Kinda weird how all these people snap like that, and none of them turn vigilante, none of them harm bankers that took their home or corrupt politicians or try to rob banks for profit. None of them try to get away either. Firearms,men,schools all have existed for hundreds of years together. It's very odd that the last 10 years there has been so many people doing that, and for some reason they all go after schools or churches that they have no connection to or reason to pick.
@@tobe1207 rage is something in everyone that needs to be vented in some way with social media, everyone (including kids) have access to information about just how screwed our world is. Climate change, resource wars, adults that can't calmly discuss issues anymore, constant misinformation... It really makes you feel like the odds are STACKED against you, that life after school will just be endless hell because of all of that. It's more than frustrating, it's soul-crushing, and there's an endless fountain of details and information about ALL of the things that make you feel that way, in your pocket or on your desk at home. At the same time, schools have cracked down on bullying harder and harder. In the 70's and 80's, before school shootings were "common," bullying WAS a widespread issue. Kids getting beat up, ostracized, etc. Yet, as we see "zero tolerance" grow in the public school system, so do the number of shootings. It's honestly counter intuitive, you'd think that more kids getting picked on would make them turn up with a gun.... But there's a lot to consider here, especially for a hormonal teen. When you have a direct, obvious source of malice in your life, suddenly all your paranoid worries about those around you, stemming from insecurities, is muffled or muted. When you know one person hates you, then you have to watch out around them. If you start to feel that you are ostracized by EVERYONE, not in a specific way but just "feeling it" (paranoia), then you have to watch yourself all the time around everyone.... and that would make anyone snap eventually
I used to be an Uber driver and worked a lot of nights. Theres a very particular, almost ineffable kind of alienation in that life, and this captures it perfectly. I know this was 70’s New York, far different than my experience in many ways, but the underlying themes and the attitudes of the characters still live on today. Timeless flick. Tip your driver, folks.
Yep. Same concept w/ almost any kind of public/customer or labor related jobs. The ones doing the actual legwork deserve it! Whether it’s an uber driver, salesman of some sort, or even the Walmart employee who helped carry the brand new tv you purchased into your car for you. It doesn’t hurt to at least give somebody $2-$5 minimum for something that you know is going to the right person anyway. Working for the auto sales/service industry since college and at Walmart prior to graduating (4 years employed there), has taught me to always tip something to the “little guy” because I was, and still am in that category, meaning I would appreciate (and always do!) when customers/clients actually tip *ANYTHING,* hell!’ I even love getting PBA cards instead from the many officers or familiy members of theirs as that gesture, as well as anything really that shows appreciation is always valued by the right person, who actually earned and deserves it. Even when I don’t buy something, but took up 10-20+ minutes of somebodies time, I still try to do it. Out of the two industries, idk which one I can say is more depressing, but in the end, having Wizard’s outlook type of attitude goes a long wat in going through the bs, as unfortunately life will always have it!! Lol That is why I really relate to both this scene and yourself as well. That doesn’t mean you have to stand there throwing 5,10, and 20 dollar bills at everybody you come into contact w/, but doing it maybe 2-4 times a week would make a huge difference.
You see people, all sorts of people. You're always surrounded by people. They're so close...yet so far. They don't want to talk to you, and if they do, it's nothing serious. They may have been right there, but you feel as if you might have been alone in your room. You're different. They have things to do, and so do you, but it's weird...You're an alien.
I've revisited this scene for years and heres my interpretation: The wizard is trying to say keep your options open, dont "buy the cab" and you'll never be a trapped as a cabbie, thats how he copes with the madness; he doesnt identify with it. The fact that he isn't losing his mind like Travis is evidence that he does have the answer, Travis just can't hear what hes saying. The wizard accepts whatever fate may come, whereas Travis is overly idealistic and thus cynical in this toxic environment, hellbent on changing it for the better. Travis was too in the moment and overly identified with the world around him; he didnt go with the flow. He couldnt see that he was more than his current circumstances. His righteous indignation turned him into the very problem he seen in the world. The irony is that Travis always thought he was 'different' from everyone else but he ultimately snapped and ended up just like the rest of them. His feeling of being trapped in his situation as a 'cabbie' in the post-industrial NYC dystopia ultimately led to him being as socially deviant as those he despised. His world was a reflection of his darkness within, and vice versa; a self-reinforcing feedback loop. He wants to save 'Betsy' from this dark world he sees, but he is that dark world. This is obvious when they go to the 'movie'. He was right in that she was pure, but he wasnt, because he wanted to fix the world. She had made peace with it. In the end his redemption comes as she sees the good in him, and that society in fact was much crazier than he ever was.
This is the optimistic take on this movie I hoped for. The ending isn't his dying dream. It's real. Travis tried too hard to be the bad guy and ends up the good guy. The shot of him viewing the rear view mirror is a hint that maybe Travis is still unhinged.
I don't think he really tried that much, I think he did the bare minimum. What Travis needed was someone to listen to him and have a real conversation. That's why this scene is tragic to me.
what part of "get laid get drunk" is consumerism? humans have been doing that since the dawn of time. his answer was hedonism. to replace real dangerous sins with the typical manageable predictable ones. not everything is "muh capitalism created all world problems ddurrr". and it obviously wasn't enough for TB he quits all drugs, rejects prostitutes and commits to vigilantism. Did we watch the same movie?
Peter Boyle is one of those actors who appeared in a very diverse group of films; but you can be confident that if he was in it it's probably not just a good movie, but a great one.
"You're alright, you're alright." I'm sure these words have been said many times to many people right before they go completely nuts and blow away a few members of the general public.
Well movies and TV are written for people to relate to, the characters, it is part of the writing if good. Archetypes we relate to at different points.
I love this scene. Travis finally draw his last card and lowered his sense of pride before snapping. In the whole movie, Travis only thinks himself as the righteous one in this city but here he was really genuinely curios on what other's opinion was. He went to the most experience guy he known but disappointed at the end because he was not satisfied with the answer. It all reverted back to him thinking he is wiser than the wizard thus materializing his evil plan.
4:08 is such raw advice that Travis should have taken. We’re all doomed however you turn, so you might as well just have some fun before the inevitable occurs
Great example of the male condition. You get to a certain point in life and you start trying to really figure out what it all means. You become keenly aware of your limitations and the dysfunctional patterns that keep playing themselves out. Theres anguish, loss, rejection, loneliness, depression, dejection. You get into a rut and start feeling a sense of hopelessness. One guy'll reach out to another guy and try to have a real conversation, talk about bad stuff they're feeling inside. But most guys don't have the patience for this, they don't wanna hear your troubles. Communications awkward, stilted, and ultimately pointless. Women can talk all the time with each other about this stuff, but men can't. Men gotta always show a strong front.
yeah it's rough. It happens around the 30s really when it hits you properly imo. I think the most important thing is to just look after yourself. Sleep well, eat well, do some exercise, avoid drugs / alcohol etc - and let the rest sort itself out. At least that way you set the foundation for a decent life, whatever you do.
Travis knows he's mentally ill but can't articulate it and doesn't know what to do. He's so isolated that the only person he can think to turn to is some guy at work he doesn't even know that well. Wizard is trying his best but really doesn't understand what Travis is talking about. Travis attempt to ask for help ultimately ends in him not being understood and once again failing to connect with another human being.
That's one of the better summaries I read here. Yet, I suppose he would've taken offence if Wizard had suggested to him, to see a shrink. There were a lot of things that Travis needed at this point in his life. Most urgently therapy, human connection and another job.
its sad seeing him struggle to give him advice because he knows what hes spittin out is coming from his heart but the truth is , theres not much else to life, theres a limit to everything, its all about occupying your mind at that point and just finding a purpose or hobby to make your life what it is.
I mean life is basically your brain experiencing a bunch of chemical reactions from serotonin and dopamine to make you feel “gud”, we’re all just meat computers
@@user-Kova15 Yea, women don't magically cure post-combat PTSD and a lifetime of untold psychological issues. Wizard's advice to "get drunk, get laid" goes right through Travis, clearly he's in a dark state of despair and confusion that a girlfriend wouldn't fix
That's what bothers me about this movie/Travis. He could have done anything. Why the hell was he living in NYC if he despised it so much. He had money, he could have called up Easy Andy and bought a cheap car and just pack up and move somewhere more rural, somewhere that's less "evil" and more welcoming, find a good job that he likes and find a girl. I'm sure ther were tons of women that would be interested in a Marine from New York City. Travis could have also gotten help with his demons too. But he chose to just keep living like a maniac and doing drugs and dining on hatred every night, and now he has to be in prison for a long time. He could have done anything, it was the 70s. Didn't cost much to start anew someplace else.
@@Townesvanwaits Actually, to get to Europe with the money he earned, would've even been a better idea. Maybe after getting in contact with a shrink first. It requires some insight into his condition and emotional literacy on his part to do so. That's a lot to ask for if you've never been shown in childhood how to get in contact with your feelings. Although it is said in the movie that both parents of Travis are still alive and living together, I'm going out on a limb here and say that he had less than optimal role models when he grew up, particularly not male role models. In practical terms, he just had that much money after he started working as a cab driver if I remember correctly. Although it is also implied that he didn't start the job out of sheer necessity. After he was 'loaded' with money as his colleague said, it would've as well been possible for him to look out for another apartment, but this was also difficult being in that treadmill of nightshift work. Of course, it was a bad idea to begin with to apply for this one of all jobs, which worsened his insomnia and depression. Being deprived of daylight is an additional curse. But who could've told him that? Finally, it would've made for a totally different movie if Travis had just packed his stuff and hit the road, wouldn't it? Then, there were no cinematic masterpiece named Taxi Driver, but maybe a decent road movie. They should make a remake as a musical though. Where all the cabbies start singing: "Always look on the bright sight of Life" when Travis walks into the diner. That'd be fun!
I think this is the only movie i ever watched that could represent human's mind and reactions,characther development etcetra, in a way so authentic it didn't feel it was written.Sopranos did it too but it's a TV show not a movie
The year before he was in Taxi Driver, Peter Boyle played the monster in Young Frankenstein and danced to Putting on the Ritz! He definitely did not allow himself to become stereotyped. He was one of the best.
Watching this scene, just realised Peter Boyle’s,Wizard must have been the inspiration for Randall in 2019 Joker, and the midget opening must have inspired one of the clowns being a midget in the Joaquin Phoenix movie too.
My father took me to see this movie when it came out and I've seen it about 3,444,000 times since. VHS, BlueRay, now NetFlix and scenes on UA-cam. I still want Travis to win; I want Betsy to date him, I want him to calm down, forget about guns, forget about cleaning up the city, maybe move to Westchester or Long Island and maybe start his own cab business. But then we wouldn't have the movie, eh?
The wizard said we are all kinda fucked in this broken society, so don't do anything crazy, relax, get laid to forget and you'll be alright. He's not wrong.
@@dollybizarro3982what do you guys mean by "bad thoughts"? Like Travis' bad thoughts/hurting people? Because my bad thoughts are usually just "start doing heroin again" or "pack up all my shit and live like a vagabond"
When I read 'The Stranger' by Camus, I thought that Paul Schrader must have been influenced by that great work. Travis Bickle and Meursault are like brothers (from a very dysfunctional household). But you're right, Raskolnikov's presence looms heavily in Taxi Driver too.
@@karsten9895 good point:) Also, I think the TV show 'Colombo' was possibly based off the Porfiry investigator character. Additionally I think Brett Easton Ellis was inspired by Raskolnikov when he wrote 'American Psycho'. The part where Raskolnikov revisits the pawnbroker crime scene reminds me of when Patrick Bateman revisits his old apartment and the realtor kicks him out. IMO.
He's an idiot. You wanna see barely concealed rage, go outside and talk to the average blue collar guy. Fluffer Hollywood losers can even come close. Good directing though.
Watch it again and pay attention to Boyle. He may not be playing an unhinged lunatic but his ability to portray the common man is so natural it’s almost uncanny. He put on a clinic.
I would argue that Travis Bickle was no mass shooter. Hi didn't kill indiscriminately and his intention was not to spread terror. His victims were child rapists! I don't wanna condone what he did. Also, he didn't solve anything for the Jody Foster character, who was forced back into her parents house, where she was evidently abused so badly, that she preferred the misery she lived in in New York. That's bitter! Then, Travis planned to assasinate the politician. Though that's an abhorrent idea it is by definition no planning of a mass shooting. Travis Bickle is neither hero nor monster. He's a deeply disturbed individual who descents into madness and violence. Still, he has some humanity left in him and I think it's not miss-guided to feel empathy for him.
So, here's the thing. Wizard isn't stupid, I don't believe, nor is he particularly wrong. But he isn't explaining himself in a way that is accessible for somebody like Travis, who can just barely get out of his own head enough to reach out for help. But because Wizard isn't able to communicate effectively with Travis, both guys end up leaving the conversation either with the impression that the other, themself, or both of them are just stupid or beyond help. And I don't think this is true. They say that Education is indoctrination. This is true, but it's the same with anything that is shared, including language, culture, slang, etc. People say that Education makes them smarter, and for some people this is correct, but loads of people don't need education to become smarter, but they do need it in order to communicate their ideas effectively with other people. *TL;DR* Don't neglect developing your communication skills, both conveyance of your own ideas in an articulate and accessible manner, and comprehending the ways and means that others employ to do likewise.
You are certainly right, as a college student I know that I am getting a toddler daycare treatment and I am certain that most of the people (including me) aren't smart as we think we are but one thing that education helped me with was getting to meet different kinds of people which certainly helps for social skills
I came back for this video 3 or 4 times during the last couple of days and read some comments again. The video poped up in my recommendations, like, I don't know; 4 or 5 days ago and since then, I'm thinking at various moments during the day about the character Travis Bickle and that movie. I remember, it hit me in the guts when I saw it the first time. It never left me. I read your comment the first time around here and probably thought: 'hm, well, maybe so'. I read it again now and must say, I find it excellently written and thoughtful. Cheers.
The whole movie's like that for me. Scenes that once made me laugh now put a lump in my throat and vice versa. I'll watch it once a decade and realize, damn, I've been on both sides of that conversation.
My favorite scene in the movie, I think. The moment when you do what everyone always says, you reach out for help, you open up and share your feelings, is the moment you realize that no one really understands you and that you'll have to face the deepest troubles you have alone. For me at least this realization made me stronger, I think, but for Travis is just pushed him further on down the cliff.
I feel sorry for Travis, as a man, talking about your own hardship to another man is incredibly hard, borderline impossible level of hard. And him trying so hard to open up here, spoke to how desperately he wanted to change his life.
I don’t know what the fuck people are saying in these comments, but I appreciate wizard’s effort, Travis’s effort to reveal some of his thoughts, and the fact that wizard knows his place in the overall grand scheme of things. Realizing his advice isn’t going to be the best coming from a cabbie lol
I remember when I saw this movie for he first time, like nearly 20 years ago - watching it alone on DVD - this scene in particular resonated with me. I was in a bad place mentally and I thought I understood both men perfectly and thought it was tragic that Wizard couldn't explain himself better to Travis. But that he showed real empathy somehow touched me. Don't know why, but this rather low key cinematic scene is one of the most touching ones I know for me personally. Maybe it's because shortly before I worked as a truck driver and during that time had a lot of problems; emotionally, financially and concerning my health. I knew guys like like Wizard. They are rare, but they're like the salt of the earth.
Wizzard tells something but this speech is a rambling for Bickle for audience for even Wizzard. Because Wizzard is trying to explain the Bickel's situation but he can't achieve that. İn this scene Wizzard symbolizes the men who give up finding a purpose. Bickle symbolizes the men who trying to find a purpose. Bickle looking for something to do purposeful and he doesn't realize he wants to do like that. And Wizzard is exact oppoiste. Wizzard doesn't need a purpose to live. He is like people living without any purpose. Actually this scene tells a lot.
@@sirbarnabyst.johntoffingto9017 Yes. So is the donut store on 14th and 3rd Ave where he and Agnes had breakfast. So is the Variety Photoplay theater where he first saw her under the marquee at 13th and 3rd. The whole buildings are gone.
I love how Wizard doesn't have a clue but still tries to help Travis in the best way he knows how.
such a realistic scene
I feel like parents are a lot like that - they don't know what their kids are going through all the time but they try their best to try and empathize or sympathize.
Yeah the whole time you can see he's just trying to get a read on Travis, amazing acting.
Or does he?
he actually does and everything he is saying here is pretty close to being a zen master.
The watery eyes Travis has when talking really shows everything frustration,loneliness,anger,depression,boredom
I just watched the movie again today and noticed that De Niro progressively looks worse and worse over the course of the movie. It wouldn't surprise me if he went full method and drank too much or deprived himself of sleep for the "look" and the performance.
Literally me
No. He looks drunk.
and fear!
@@paulfischer288 I read he took dr*gs under medical supervision and wore the very clothes (the green jacket, jeans and boots) Paul Schrader was wearing during these four years of depression (it's based on his life, he had a depression after his girlfriend left him).
I can't recall any movie that taps into that awful feeling of social isolation and helplessness more successfully than this one.
I love the look of 70s films like Taxi Driver. They have such a raw real look to it. Modern movies just cannot capture that look - it looks too polished
True. And even how the sound change with each cut; adds to the raw disorientation of being Travis. I don’t think that’s a mistake. Just brilliant.
Facts
Yes
I’ve always loved that look that 70s movies hold, too (Rocky, Cuckoo’s Nest, Jaws, French Connection, Outlaw Josey Wales)
Film versus digital
The last bit of advice is the best advice "don't worry so much ."
Every day above ground is a good day...
This scene speaks to me alot. Being socially akward and not being able to explain things properly, the bad ideas and doubts creeping in , older dudes saying they envy your youth yet not elobarating on how to use this youth properly is just the standard "get laid, get drunk" as if there is nothing more to youth.
A guy once told me there are 2 things to remember about youth. 1. It's fleeting, and over quicker than any other part of your life, and 2. The steps you take now will determine how long you spend doing what you HAVE to do, instead of what you WANT to do.
It took me along time to understand what he meant but it was true. I got older into my 30s and realized I should have tried for a diffrent job, or went to college in my 20s, and so now here I am in my 40s just finishing up school to be where I want to. I'm not saying that's what everyone should do, but at least start SOMETHING that will propel you forward. Even if your not sure what you want, pick something beneficial and start now. This scene always reminds me of that man's words.
@@ericthiel4053 Thank you sir. This means a lot, honestly.
@@mrsenkur613 No problem man and good luck and success in everything you choose to do!!
@@ericthiel4053 Thank you, success in finishing school and all else you want to do as well sir.
First step.
Adopt a dog and learn to take care of the dog. If you dont have one already.
That dog will bring you more joy and comfort than anything else in life.
Two make some goals.
This scene hits something hard in all of us.
Travis is the most human character Deniro ever depicted in its carreer, brilliant.
Awakenings
Meet the Fockers
Def his best performance
This is probably my favourite scene in any film ever . It’s so achingly beautiful . His inability to express what is happening inside of him , his vain attempt to reach out for some sense of reality and understanding, that’s how I see it anyway. He doesn’t get what he wants from this , I think this is when his alienation really magnifies
i always thought travis was talking about if he gets any worse he's going to do something bad bad, and being so quiet, wizard of course is reading him wrong, just as if talking to some clueless kid who doesn't know what he wants in life and the bad things are just the figments of anyone with depression and knows better, but travis is so quiet and emotionless nobody would suspect him of anything other than being quiet and a loner. the whole movie itself if a good watch the first time but it's worth watching again. this scene seemed so normal that i thought there was significance.
After all these years I finally realized Travis never went back to finish his cup of coffee and slice of pie.
For me the exact opposite 😅 since the first time I saw it 30 year s ago it always bugged me he never ate that pie it looks so good haha
That actually looks like biscotti
he didn't care if he is hungry for his haunting mood and he naturally cannot sleep at night
He just went in to speak to wizard I guess. Bought the coffee and cake to fit in
Peter Boyle was an absolute wizard. He put on a CLINIC in this scene. He’s so natural, you’d think this was a documentary. They don’t make actors like this anymore or films like this anymore. That’s for sure.
Great actor! For decades, I didn't know his name. I just thought when I saw him in a film: 'ah, that guy!'. Such a memorable face with such great presence on screen.
From what I've read about him and heard other actors say about him on DVD extras (e. g. Hale Berry on Monster's Ball extra), he was also a very decent person in private life. He could do funny parts quite as good. Loved him in Yellow Beard. Peter Boyle is missed, but will never be forgotten.
It’s not only the acting but the directing and film they used back then that made it so authentic. This conversation truly feels like it happened in the 70s on the grimy New York streets. I’ve seen modern directors try to recapture that 70s look and it doesn’t matter how good they or the actors are - they cannot recapture it. This is why I love watching 70s movies like this one
You are right about Peter Boyle he was a fine actor. When he got married his best man was a good friend of his from Liverpool England.....John Lennon.
Scorsese is still making movies like this with the same actors.
@@setaymada5023maybe some of the same actors but he's not making alienated character studies like this anymore. No Taxi Drivers, Raging Bulls, or Kings Of Comedy for that matter. Not saying I don't enjoy his movies but the content isn't really the same imho.
This is about as close as we get to a cry for help from Travis
Idk why it would be hard to understand from wizard. Not excusing Travis just thinking about why. He says he is “down real bad”, ny colloquial here. That’s a little concerning. I wish someone had atleast more of an idea..
Man, Peter Boyle was such a great actor.
Any guy who ever tried to talk about their issues with another guy should get this scene. It's a perfect example of how men can not talk to each other, and even if they tried will find no sympathy or support from the other side, because they just don't know how. All you will get is "don't think so much" and "go get laid".
Imo it's usually poor timing. We often get something in our heads and look at our feelings as an issue that needs to be "fixed" or "corrected" so we can move along. Talking to talk or exchangw feelings is something we aren't really wired for. But whether that's society's doing or something specific to men is above my pay grade.
exactly his advice was garbage
"Don't think too much" "Go out get laid"
... what more can you say?
Well if you had read self help books like Dale Carnegie, which was around since 1936, men need need someone that's good at listening, no advice or comments. That's what even today what men still bad at listening to eachother. The only one who really understood Travis was Valentine, he tries to use diplomacy and reason with him about change, even though in order for Travis to see change he needs to have some emotional self control, it's hard to talk to people like Travis, you usually have to let those people suffer until they wake up and realize it or that they hit rock bottom. I once was able to relate to Travis, now I'm at were Valentine is at. Patience and faith is where people should want to be at
We're all fucked, well more or less
Favourite scene from the movie.
Mine too. This one really stuck with me.
this scene made me realize this movie was a masterpiece
Mine too.
I love how Wizard is progressive for his day
Typical New Yorker from that time.
Right. Say what you want about him, but he's got a good heart.
“Not bad. They’re way ahead out there”
Such a good man that freakin Wizard
Progressive doesn't mean progress nowadays
"I'm mean we're all fucked, more or less." I think this was the most important the part of Wizard's pep talk. Travis really is preaching to the choir. Everyone is dying inside from routine and you just have to suck it up and "Get drunk/ get laid. Because you got no choice anyway." The truth is all Wizard can offer and you can tell he does feel for Travis.
There's freedom in acknowledging God your creator and knowing Jesus. True hope from this dying from the inside that you speak of. It's available to you, God bless you
@obkook7205 At least they can look it in the eyes, you pathetic, irrelevant automaton. Do not think you are above them in any way.
That’s the harsh truth for being caught in the working class cycle, most of us are dying on the inside working meaningless jobs, if you’re not gonna off yourself then just make the best of it, get drunk and get laid, enjoy the finer things in life that make this ride worthwhile. We have no other choice
@@obkook7205 Nope.
@@sublimelove23 that's fucking pathetic and on top of that what can u do if you can't even attract any woman?
Lesson in this scene is don't be wizard. He didn't ask questions, he assumed he knew the answer. If you want to help someone get them to tell you more, the whole thing. If you don't care, do what he did.
Wizard ain't Dad...
My own natural curiosity woulda asked, "what kinda bad thoughts?"
Sigmund Freud over here.
That was the 70’s tho wizard is probably doing better in that situation than any other man back then his age would. That’s why travis went to him.
He is more emphatic than 70 percent than people lol, the best advice he could have given him. He doesn't even know travis that well, and trzvis admitted it in his initial talk.
“My man is loaded, loaded…” one of the best “one liners” ever. When someone has got money this line pops up in my head haha
And I always wished that character had a bigger role in the movie. Memorable performance.
I love that line too haha, he was genuinely in awe of how much money Travis had 😂
The execution of the line is perfection haha One of those lines that sticks with you, and tells you so much about Travis going into the next scene with Wizard (money is not the issue)
Ha! Thought I was the only one. I say that line any time someone pulls out money.
😂
Deniro was already absolutely BRILLIANT at this age
This has to be one of the most realistic conversations in cinema. This whole movie is realistic as well. Very well done.
Wizard is right about a person becoming their job.
I recently lost my job and I felt like it really was half or more of what I am.
@@guillermo7298going thru this rn
Yeah I agree. I’ve finally reached a point in my life where I’m happy doing what I do and the person it makes me
Yeah... but he totally missed what Travis was trying to talk about. Travis thought that because he talks well he would also listen and understand.
@Yeen666 change jobs as much as you can it's great 👍
The look he gives when the one guy calls him “killer.”
The pivotal moment for Travis. His course in life is dependent on the hope he's crying out for. It's not about Wizard. Travis just wants direction from someone because he knows he's about to go down a dark path
You nailed it. The Wizard had a chance to help, but didn't. He knows what Travis **isn't** saying, but he doesn't want to go there. Travis is on his own
I think the wizard knew that he was going down a dark path regardless You said the way he looks at him when he puts his hand on the headlight before he gets back in the driver side of the cab like he knows.
This is the same situation for a lot of young who are genuinely good people but don’t have anyone in their lives who provide guidance, love, and affection.
I also think its a pivotal moment because Travis is fascinated with Leadership, hence his attraction to the Senator and the entire plot to kill him. At his heart, Travis believes there should be some order, some justice, some logic to the world, and there isn't. The Senator is corrupt in Travis' eyes, and there is nothing behind the curtain when Wizard pulls it aside.
Going down a dark path isn't predestined, it's a choice. We make decisions on a continual basis, and hope that the choices we make will be rewarded. Travis was trying to articulate a desire to do something effective, make a difference, but didn't know what it was, how to get there, or how it would look to others (like the pretty blonde girl). Vision is hard work, precognition is impossible.
I always come back to this scene, just something about it. It feels so real
Yea
Travis needed more help than a cabbie’s take on life.
Sad thing is, just as the conversation between Wiz and Travis feels awkward, the earlier convo between other cab drivers is also awkward and even meaningless, as if they're speaking languages slightly different from each other. Travis is lonely and tragic in this sense because he is the only person here who cannot let such meaninglessness slide naturally.
Interesting seeing the different takes on this scene. The way I see it is Travis is on the verge of snapping but still has enough sense that he is trying to tell someone, a cry for help - something many real active shooter types these days tend to do, there are often signs in advance just like this where they are crying out for help. And for many of them, they probably got to that point because they didn’t have a lot of support. In their desperation for support they turn to someone who is in no way equipped to advise them, the problem is already so big it would take a miracle for someone to give them good advice. This is a poignant scene because Wizard is someone is his life who seems to be wise, but the advice he give Travis is not relevant to the problem (partly because Travis can’t even articulate the problem). To me this just shows the fragility of humans in Travis, and the desire/inadequacy to help someone like that. You can tell Wizard wants to help, but by the end of their conversation it’s just awkward and Wizard seems like he’s trying to squirm out of it. Imagine if Wizard had been able to give a thoughtful answer that helped Travis to back down? Was that even possible? If it was, would it prevented Travis’s killing fantasies, or at least stopped him from acting on them? Is this a common situation/perspective/feeling the crazy active shooter types face before they go forward with their heinous acts?
Kinda weird how all these people snap like that, and none of them turn vigilante, none of them harm bankers that took their home or corrupt politicians or try to rob banks for profit. None of them try to get away either.
Firearms,men,schools all have existed for hundreds of years together. It's very odd that the last 10 years there has been so many people doing that, and for some reason they all go after schools or churches that they have no connection to or reason to pick.
@@tobe1207 rage is something in everyone that needs to be vented in some way
with social media, everyone (including kids) have access to information about just how screwed our world is. Climate change, resource wars, adults that can't calmly discuss issues anymore, constant misinformation... It really makes you feel like the odds are STACKED against you, that life after school will just be endless hell because of all of that. It's more than frustrating, it's soul-crushing, and there's an endless fountain of details and information about ALL of the things that make you feel that way, in your pocket or on your desk at home.
At the same time, schools have cracked down on bullying harder and harder. In the 70's and 80's, before school shootings were "common," bullying WAS a widespread issue. Kids getting beat up, ostracized, etc. Yet, as we see "zero tolerance" grow in the public school system, so do the number of shootings. It's honestly counter intuitive, you'd think that more kids getting picked on would make them turn up with a gun.... But there's a lot to consider here, especially for a hormonal teen. When you have a direct, obvious source of malice in your life, suddenly all your paranoid worries about those around you, stemming from insecurities, is muffled or muted. When you know one person hates you, then you have to watch out around them. If you start to feel that you are ostracized by EVERYONE, not in a specific way but just "feeling it" (paranoia), then you have to watch yourself all the time around everyone.... and that would make anyone snap eventually
Knowing what would happen later when Travis says “I got some bad ideas in my head “ it’s like a laugh line 😂
These are real actors they are so realistic. No glossy actors
I used to be an Uber driver and worked a lot of nights. Theres a very particular, almost ineffable kind of alienation in that life, and this captures it perfectly. I know this was 70’s New York, far different than my experience in many ways, but the underlying themes and the attitudes of the characters still live on today. Timeless flick. Tip your driver, folks.
Yep. Same concept w/ almost any kind of public/customer or labor related jobs. The ones doing the actual legwork deserve it! Whether it’s an uber driver, salesman of some sort, or even the Walmart employee who helped carry the brand new tv you purchased into your car for you. It doesn’t hurt to at least give somebody $2-$5 minimum for something that you know is going to the right person anyway. Working for the auto sales/service industry since college and at Walmart prior to graduating (4 years employed there), has taught me to always tip something to the “little guy” because I was, and still am in that category, meaning I would appreciate (and always do!) when customers/clients actually tip *ANYTHING,* hell!’ I even love getting PBA cards instead from the many officers or familiy members of theirs as that gesture, as well as anything really that shows appreciation is always valued by the right person, who actually earned and deserves it. Even when I don’t buy something, but took up 10-20+ minutes of somebodies time, I still try to do it. Out of the two industries, idk which one I can say is more depressing, but in the end, having Wizard’s outlook type of attitude goes a long wat in going through the bs, as unfortunately life will always have it!! Lol That is why I really relate to both this scene and yourself as well. That doesn’t mean you have to stand there throwing 5,10, and 20 dollar bills at everybody you come into contact w/, but doing it maybe 2-4 times a week would make a huge difference.
Learn to code
Nah. Self driving cars are coming.
You see people, all sorts of people. You're always surrounded by people. They're so close...yet so far. They don't want to talk to you, and if they do, it's nothing serious. They may have been right there, but you feel as if you might have been alone in your room. You're different. They have things to do, and so do you, but it's weird...You're an alien.
Peter Boyle was the best part of anything he was ever in. Rest well, Wizard
I've revisited this scene for years and heres my interpretation: The wizard is trying to say keep your options open, dont "buy the cab" and you'll never be a trapped as a cabbie, thats how he copes with the madness; he doesnt identify with it. The fact that he isn't losing his mind like Travis is evidence that he does have the answer, Travis just can't hear what hes saying. The wizard accepts whatever fate may come, whereas Travis is overly idealistic and thus cynical in this toxic environment, hellbent on changing it for the better.
Travis was too in the moment and overly identified with the world around him; he didnt go with the flow. He couldnt see that he was more than his current circumstances.
His righteous indignation turned him into the very problem he seen in the world.
The irony is that Travis always thought he was 'different' from everyone else but he ultimately snapped and ended up just like the rest of them. His feeling of being trapped in his situation as a 'cabbie' in the post-industrial NYC dystopia ultimately led to him being as socially deviant as those he despised. His world was a reflection of his darkness within, and vice versa; a self-reinforcing feedback loop.
He wants to save 'Betsy' from this dark world he sees, but he is that dark world. This is obvious when they go to the 'movie'. He was right in that she was pure, but he wasnt, because he wanted to fix the world. She had made peace with it.
In the end his redemption comes as she sees the good in him, and that society in fact was much crazier than he ever was.
Excellent!
Spot on 👏👏👏
I took a screenshot of your commentary, it's good
Nah.
This is the optimistic take on this movie I hoped for. The ending isn't his dying dream. It's real. Travis tried too hard to be the bad guy and ends up the good guy. The shot of him viewing the rear view mirror is a hint that maybe Travis is still unhinged.
Wizard is a good dude as he tried to help. His response was essentially consumerism, but that was not enough for TB.
I don't think he really tried that much, I think he did the bare minimum. What Travis needed was someone to listen to him and have a real conversation. That's why this scene is tragic to me.
@@ttd972 wizard gives basic advice, while travis was way off his rocker
You see Travis is descending into madness. Wiz tried to give him genuine friendly advice. Travis didn’t understand nor want to hear it.
what part of "get laid get drunk" is consumerism? humans have been doing that since the dawn of time. his answer was hedonism. to replace real dangerous sins with the typical manageable predictable ones. not everything is "muh capitalism created all world problems ddurrr". and it obviously wasn't enough for TB he quits all drugs, rejects prostitutes and commits to vigilantism. Did we watch the same movie?
Who tf writes travis bickle as TB
Peter Boyle is one of those actors who appeared in a very diverse group of films; but you can be confident that if he was in it it's probably not just a good movie, but a great one.
"You're alright, you're alright."
I'm sure these words have been said many times to many people right before they go completely nuts and blow away a few members of the general public.
Only in the us
@@DrLoverLoverYou’re right. Only in the US can a film like Taxi Driver be made.
absolutely. only in the US has that ever happened in the history of time. glad you're thinking rationally. @@DrLoverLover
The whole world has psycho killers. There worst weren't even American.
The whole conversation before Travis gets here about midgets, homosexual alimoney in California and cops and crutches is hilarious 😂😂
This is the best scene in movie history
Always loved the weak-ass handshake. If I were Peter Boyle, I'd have had a shirt made that said "I stole a scene from Robert DeNiro!" RIP
People may forget how revolutionary this movie was when it came out. It changed film forever
The bit at the end "we're all fucked", is so true.
"More or less, ya know?" 😂
This scene perfectly encapsulates the feeling of many young Men around the world when they experience loneliness and loss.
I was sure travis is literally me...but now I think Wizard is literally me
same in my early 20s i went into a really dark place.
Well movies and TV are written for people to relate to, the characters, it is part of the writing if good. Archetypes we relate to at different points.
Eyy forget yous
Anyone who's ever driven a cab in a big city can identify with this movie! You meet every type of person imaginable if you do the job long enough.
I love this scene. Travis finally draw his last card and lowered his sense of pride before snapping. In the whole movie, Travis only thinks himself as the righteous one in this city but here he was really genuinely curios on what other's opinion was. He went to the most experience guy he known but disappointed at the end because he was not satisfied with the answer. It all reverted back to him thinking he is wiser than the wizard thus materializing his evil plan.
4:08 is such raw advice that Travis should have taken. We’re all doomed however you turn, so you might as well just have some fun before the inevitable occurs
California! “Yeah they way ahead out there”
Aged like fine wine poured through a soiled loincloth
Scorsese truly captured the light and dark in Travis’ eyes .. amazingly
GENIUS. SCORCESE IS A GENIUS! THIS LOOKS SO REAL AND FITING THE PLACE AND DEEP IN SAME TIME.
Love the 70's style restaurant wish it was still around 😢
The turnstile and ticket kind of confuses me though. The cashier has too ring you up anyway, whats the point of a turnstile and ticket?
A lot of people forget, or don't realize, that the whole genesis of this film came from the mind of screenwriter Paul Schrader.
Great example of the male condition. You get to a certain point in life and you start trying to really figure out what it all means. You become keenly aware of your limitations and the dysfunctional patterns that keep playing themselves out.
Theres anguish, loss, rejection, loneliness, depression, dejection. You get into a rut and start feeling a sense of hopelessness. One guy'll reach out to another guy and try to have a real conversation, talk about bad stuff they're feeling inside.
But most guys don't have the patience for this, they don't wanna hear your troubles. Communications awkward, stilted, and ultimately pointless. Women can talk all the time with each other about this stuff, but men can't. Men gotta always show a strong front.
yeah it's rough. It happens around the 30s really when it hits you properly imo. I think the most important thing is to just look after yourself. Sleep well, eat well, do some exercise, avoid drugs / alcohol etc - and let the rest sort itself out. At least that way you set the foundation for a decent life, whatever you do.
@@lukej452 Thanks Luke, that actually sounds like a pretty reasonable reply to my comment. Are you sure you're not Bertram Russell?
Travis knows he's mentally ill but can't articulate it and doesn't know what to do. He's so isolated that the only person he can think to turn to is some guy at work he doesn't even know that well.
Wizard is trying his best but really doesn't understand what Travis is talking about.
Travis attempt to ask for help ultimately ends in him not being understood and once again failing to connect with another human being.
That's one of the better summaries I read here. Yet, I suppose he would've taken offence if Wizard had suggested to him, to see a shrink. There were a lot of things that Travis needed at this point in his life. Most urgently therapy, human connection and another job.
Travis isn't mentally ill, that's like saying Serpico is mentally ill
@@CatNerfer3000 today Travis would be diagnosed with schizoid personality disorder, he suffers from paranoid delusions
its sad seeing him struggle to give him advice because he knows what hes spittin out is coming from his heart but the truth is , theres not much else to life, theres a limit to everything, its all about occupying your mind at that point and just finding a purpose or hobby to make your life what it is.
It’s all a big nothing
@@sublimelove23i wish the lord would take me noww
I mean life is basically your brain experiencing a bunch of chemical reactions from serotonin and dopamine to make you feel “gud”, we’re all just meat computers
"Dont worry so much" points to his head the same way Travis does at the end
Oh yeah that's right
the means of lightning to add the effect. A perfect movie
Michael Chapman.
Life without woman is hell and travis is real example for this poor dude he just need love.
I don’t think so. It’s much more than that. Love means nothing when you have no reason to keep going
@@user-Kova15 there is no reason to keep going because he has no woman, duh
@@puerrodios8013 it’s not about woman, but okay. It’s much, much more than that
@@user-Kova15 Yea, women don't magically cure post-combat PTSD and a lifetime of untold psychological issues. Wizard's advice to "get drunk, get laid" goes right through Travis, clearly he's in a dark state of despair and confusion that a girlfriend wouldn't fix
this is kind of how every conversation i've ever had feels like
He wants his life to have meaning.
That's what bothers me about this movie/Travis. He could have done anything. Why the hell was he living in NYC if he despised it so much. He had money, he could have called up Easy Andy and bought a cheap car and just pack up and move somewhere more rural, somewhere that's less "evil" and more welcoming, find a good job that he likes and find a girl. I'm sure ther were tons of women that would be interested in a Marine from New York City. Travis could have also gotten help with his demons too. But he chose to just keep living like a maniac and doing drugs and dining on hatred every night, and now he has to be in prison for a long time. He could have done anything, it was the 70s. Didn't cost much to start anew someplace else.
@@Townesvanwaits Actually, to get to Europe with the money he earned, would've even been a better idea. Maybe after getting in contact with a shrink first. It requires some insight into his condition and emotional literacy on his part to do so. That's a lot to ask for if you've never been shown in childhood how to get in contact with your feelings. Although it is said in the movie that both parents of Travis are still alive and living together, I'm going out on a limb here and say that he had less than optimal role models when he grew up, particularly not male role models.
In practical terms, he just had that much money after he started working as a cab driver if I remember correctly. Although it is also implied that he didn't start the job out of sheer necessity. After he was 'loaded' with money as his colleague said, it would've as well been possible for him to look out for another apartment, but this was also difficult being in that treadmill of nightshift work. Of course, it was a bad idea to begin with to apply for this one of all jobs, which worsened his insomnia and depression. Being deprived of daylight is an additional curse. But who could've told him that?
Finally, it would've made for a totally different movie if Travis had just packed his stuff and hit the road, wouldn't it? Then, there were no cinematic masterpiece named Taxi Driver, but maybe a decent road movie. They should make a remake as a musical though. Where all the cabbies start singing: "Always look on the bright sight of Life" when Travis walks into the diner. That'd be fun!
@@TownesvanwaitsBecause he's convinced that his purpose is to combat the crime on the streets.
And the movie would have been boring 🙃
Bingo
@@Townesvanwaits Umm, Travis is not in prison at the end of the movie. Unless you are speaking metaphorically about his mental illness.
The color, the atmosphere, the dialogue it’s so beautiful yet so sad and raw only Scorsese
I think this is the only movie i ever watched that could represent human's mind and reactions,characther development etcetra, in a way so authentic it didn't feel it was written.Sopranos did it too but it's a TV show not a movie
The year before he was in Taxi Driver, Peter Boyle played the monster in Young Frankenstein and danced to Putting on the Ritz! He definitely did not allow himself to become stereotyped. He was one of the best.
Fuck this movie is fantastic
“Puttin’ on the Reeeeeeee” 😂
"My man is loaded, LOADED"
Little did he know he was saving for some guns
Wow! That all-night Belmore Cafeteria looked like a great place to hang out at 2.37am!
One of my favorite parts in a great movie. It's so New York. Never take advice from another person just listen and leave your options open in life.
Watching this scene, just realised Peter Boyle’s,Wizard must have been the inspiration for Randall in 2019 Joker, and the midget opening must have inspired one of the clowns being a midget in the Joaquin Phoenix movie too.
My father took me to see this movie when it came out and I've seen it about 3,444,000 times since. VHS, BlueRay, now NetFlix and scenes on UA-cam. I still want Travis to win; I want Betsy to date him, I want him to calm down, forget about guns, forget about cleaning up the city, maybe move to Westchester or Long Island and maybe start his own cab business. But then we wouldn't have the movie, eh?
"Don't worry so much!" That's something that I, and I'm sure many, many people, tend to always do. This world is a mess, and it's hard not to.
"You're all right kid, you're all right."
I dunno why but i remember wizard being a cop when I was a kid. Just rewatched recently and its so different from how I remember. Still amazing.
When Wizard says “not bad” and looks at the others it makes me laugh.
When the black guy goes “bye killer…” *boom!* that really unsettled me first time I watched…. 😬😬😬
The wizard said we are all kinda fucked in this broken society, so don't do anything crazy, relax, get laid to forget and you'll be alright.
He's not wrong.
Damn this scene used to get to me all the time not too long ago and now looking back its just crazy how things changed
Did u find love?
@@ExTrimEast_kpop_lover yep i got a beautiful girlfriend and just found out i got a baby girl on the way
Did u stop having bad thoughts in your mind
@@adude8424 well they’re always there I guess but you lnow you learn to stop dwelling so much on bad things and think about good things
@@dollybizarro3982what do you guys mean by "bad thoughts"? Like Travis' bad thoughts/hurting people? Because my bad thoughts are usually just "start doing heroin again" or "pack up all my shit and live like a vagabond"
I don't know why but the alimony bit cracks me up so much. It's this perfect balance of cluelessness and wisdom.
Travis does a great Raskolnikov.
When I read 'The Stranger' by Camus, I thought that Paul Schrader must have been influenced by that great work. Travis Bickle and Meursault are like brothers (from a very dysfunctional household). But you're right, Raskolnikov's presence looms heavily in Taxi Driver too.
@@karsten9895 good point:) Also, I think the TV show 'Colombo' was possibly based off the Porfiry investigator character. Additionally I think Brett Easton Ellis was inspired by Raskolnikov when he wrote 'American Psycho'. The part where Raskolnikov revisits the pawnbroker crime scene reminds me of when Patrick Bateman revisits his old apartment and the realtor kicks him out. IMO.
Well, Scorsese said besides Schrader's story, he also had been inspired by "Notes from Underground", the same author.
DeNiro is such a genius. You really feel like you are watching a guy who is about to pick up an AR and waste 20 people. Amazing.
He's an idiot. You wanna see barely concealed rage, go outside and talk to the average blue collar guy. Fluffer Hollywood losers can even come close. Good directing though.
Watch it again and pay attention to Boyle. He may not be playing an unhinged lunatic but his ability to portray the common man is so natural it’s almost uncanny. He put on a clinic.
@@HappierNowe I agree, it's much harder to play a nuanced normal citizen than the crazy guy. Boyle is excellent in this scene.
I would argue that Travis Bickle was no mass shooter. Hi didn't kill indiscriminately and his intention was not to spread terror. His victims were child rapists! I don't wanna condone what he did. Also, he didn't solve anything for the Jody Foster character, who was forced back into her parents house, where she was evidently abused so badly, that she preferred the misery she lived in in New York. That's bitter!
Then, Travis planned to assasinate the politician. Though that's an abhorrent idea it is by definition no planning of a mass shooting. Travis Bickle is neither hero nor monster. He's a deeply disturbed individual who descents into madness and violence. Still, he has some humanity left in him and I think it's not miss-guided to feel empathy for him.
@@karsten9895 actually Travis is by definition a mass shooter, so you’re wrong
So, here's the thing. Wizard isn't stupid, I don't believe, nor is he particularly wrong. But he isn't explaining himself in a way that is accessible for somebody like Travis, who can just barely get out of his own head enough to reach out for help. But because Wizard isn't able to communicate effectively with Travis, both guys end up leaving the conversation either with the impression that the other, themself, or both of them are just stupid or beyond help. And I don't think this is true.
They say that Education is indoctrination. This is true, but it's the same with anything that is shared, including language, culture, slang, etc. People say that Education makes them smarter, and for some people this is correct, but loads of people don't need education to become smarter, but they do need it in order to communicate their ideas effectively with other people.
*TL;DR* Don't neglect developing your communication skills, both conveyance of your own ideas in an articulate and accessible manner, and comprehending the ways and means that others employ to do likewise.
You are certainly right, as a college student I know that I am getting a toddler daycare treatment and I am certain that most of the people (including me) aren't smart as we think we are but one thing that education helped me with was getting to meet different kinds of people which certainly helps for social skills
Communication with the average human is futile
Excellent points
I came back for this video 3 or 4 times during the last couple of days and read some comments again. The video poped up in my recommendations, like, I don't know; 4 or 5 days ago and since then, I'm thinking at various moments during the day about the character Travis Bickle and that movie. I remember, it hit me in the guts when I saw it the first time. It never left me. I read your comment the first time around here and probably thought: 'hm, well, maybe so'. I read it again now and must say, I find it excellently written and thoughtful. Cheers.
@@karsten9895 Thank you, I appreciate your encouraging words.
This scene hits me harder now that im older.
The whole movie's like that for me. Scenes that once made me laugh now put a lump in my throat and vice versa. I'll watch it once a decade and realize, damn, I've been on both sides of that conversation.
True that
dialogue in this movie was brilliant. Very natural, very "realistic"
Because it’s a Scorsese Film where the subscript makes the Finale 😉
Most 70s movies were.
Bertrand Russell brought me here
My favorite scene in the movie, I think.
The moment when you do what everyone always says, you reach out for help, you open up and share your feelings, is the moment you realize that no one really understands you and that you'll have to face the deepest troubles you have alone.
For me at least this realization made me stronger, I think, but for Travis is just pushed him further on down the cliff.
Bothers me most about this scene is he left his coffee and sandwich in the shop and didn't even go back to eat it. Just headed to his cab.
cause he wasnt there for that really.
... Looked like a delicious sandwich.
lol I notice it too.
Maybe he would like cereal with alcohol.
I feel sorry for Travis, as a man, talking about your own hardship to another man is incredibly hard, borderline impossible level of hard. And him trying so hard to open up here, spoke to how desperately he wanted to change his life.
acceptance is what Wizard is preaching.
I like that I get wisdom in comment section to this film, and I love it, and I love this film
I don’t know what the fuck people are saying in these comments, but I appreciate wizard’s effort, Travis’s effort to reveal some of his thoughts, and the fact that wizard knows his place in the overall grand scheme of things. Realizing his advice isn’t going to be the best coming from a cabbie lol
I would disagree with you there .. very smuggish elitist comment
I remember when I saw this movie for he first time, like nearly 20 years ago - watching it alone on DVD - this scene in particular resonated with me. I was in a bad place mentally and I thought I understood both men perfectly and thought it was tragic that Wizard couldn't explain himself better to Travis. But that he showed real empathy somehow touched me.
Don't know why, but this rather low key cinematic scene is one of the most touching ones I know for me personally. Maybe it's because shortly before I worked as a truck driver and during that time had a lot of problems; emotionally, financially and concerning my health. I knew guys like like Wizard. They are rare, but they're like the salt of the earth.
Welk, Wizard did say he's not Bertrand Russell !
. . . and Travis didn't seem to know what the heck he was thinking!
Well he’s certainly not Bertrand Russell. Lol. (What a stupid line)
Everybody want a friend like Wizard, someone who is not particularly good with words but is always trying to give a good advice to someone who need it
Yea you know you’re alright. And yet he really knew he wasn’t alright.
This film feels like a big inspiration for the film lost in translation
Wizzard tells something but this speech is a rambling for Bickle for audience for even Wizzard. Because Wizzard is trying to explain the Bickel's situation but he can't achieve that. İn this scene Wizzard symbolizes the men who give up finding a purpose. Bickle symbolizes the men who trying to find a purpose. Bickle looking for something to do purposeful and he doesn't realize he wants to do like that. And Wizzard is exact oppoiste. Wizzard doesn't need a purpose to live. He is like people living without any purpose. Actually this scene tells a lot.
Dont quit your dayjob
@@DrLoverLover sup wiz
What a great film.
Love this movie
The idea had been growing inside me for awhile now-true force. All the kings men cannot put it back together again.
RIP Belmore. It was on Park Ave South and 28th. Long gone. The whole building is gone. The $20 Travis stares at is the 20 Sport threw at him.
It's gone!!?
That's a damn shame!!
Bloody progress!
@@sirbarnabyst.johntoffingto9017 Yes. So is the donut store on 14th and 3rd Ave where he and Agnes had breakfast. So is the Variety Photoplay theater where he first saw her under the marquee at 13th and 3rd. The whole buildings are gone.
@anthonytripp2251 tut! Terrible! 😰
Free will? Choice?
“Ya gotta be free! You got no choice!”
In this scene, we witness Frankenstein's monster give Frankenstein's monster advice.
splendid. man-made monster’s all.
"God's lonely man"