Taxi Driver

Movie: Taxi Driver, 1976; 113 min

Director: Martin Scorsese

Actors: Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd, Harvey Keitel, Peter Boyle, Albert Brooks, Leonard Harris

Summary:

Taxi driver Travis Bickle becomes sick of seeing the “scum” on the streets. He befriends a 12-year-old prostitute and is determined to help her. Wrapped up in cleaning up the streets, Travis turns into a violent murder.

Question 1: What color significantly stands out and catches the viewer’s eye? Tell specific scenes where this color adds to the storyline or plot.

            The color red stands out in many scenes and shots throughout the film. Red is used to set the mood for each shot, for example, when Travis and Wizard are talking outside the coffee shop, the red tone in the scene indicates the danger in the neighborhood. A red tone can also represent love and seduction. When Iris and Sport are dancing and he is seducing her, there is a red, romantic tone to the room. Also, the red in traffic signs is meant to catch the viewer’s eyes. Signs with red words such as “accident” and “this way” are used to foreshadow and tell the audience where and what to draw their attention. Except, many viewers will not notice the signs when they watch the movie, but if they pay close attention to certain details, they will gain a deeper understanding of the film. In addition, red in objects and places give a certain vibe to the film and location. For example, Betsy’s red dress gives off a sense of love. In the campaign office, the red carpets and walls, let off a feeling of tension to the politics and campaign activities occurring there. Finally, red plays a large part at the end of the film when Travis kills the three men and there is blood everywhere. The red from the large about of blood represents death and also Travis’ need for vengeance. Red can induce a numerous amount of emotions, and the director effectively portrays many of these emotions throughout the film.

Question 2: When does the saxophone (smooth jazz) music play and what significance does it have?

            Throughout the film, saxophone music plays at certain moments. When Travis drives in his taxi, this music tends to play for a majority of the time and usually stops right when he gets out of his taxi. The music gives the audience a sense of calm because of its smooth jazz feel. This music can represent how Travis feels when he is driving his taxi. The taxi is where he feels safe and calm in a world where chaos is occurring outside the cab doors. He drives through dirty neighborhoods with prostitutes and pimps, “scum” as he would call them, walking the streets. Yet, Travis is safe within his taxi and this is why the jazz music plays during this time. When the music stops when Travis exits his taxi, his feeling of safety is lost and the audience can feel it in the abrupt change in the music.