Yup, you've made me want to go back and watch Taxi Driver again, so job done... What fascinates me about Travis Bickle is how painfully aware he is that he's not a... complete person. That he's damaged. The problem is, he doesn't know what to do about it. He tries out different ways to make himself whole, but the only one that works is violence, so his personal growth through the movie is as much tragic as it is heroic.

Debbie, that is an excellent summary of Travis' psychological journey. In the language I use, he starts out in Disunity and does, indeed, go through a metamorphosis, trying desperately to fit in, to, as you as say, be "complete," but in effect what he is doing is donning a variety of masks, not of them really authentic to his true nature. So in the end, we are left to wonder: Has he achieved Unity by embracing his violent nature and become an 'avenging angel,' or has he devolved into Dissolution and become a beast? That final image of his expression in the taxi rear view mirror haunts us with both possibilities. Taxi Driver is a great movie for a plethora of reasons, but from a screenwriting perspective, perhaps most important is to remind ourselves that a Protagonist's metamorphosis need not have a happy ending, an uplifting resolution. There are as many potential metamorphosis stories as there are people. They work commercially [or don't] in the context of stories to the degree that audiences are prepared to read or watch them. Here's to audiences who want to see a wider variety of stories and Protagonist figures.

Thanks so much Debbie, I usually return to "Taxi Driver" at least once a year - truly transcendent piece of cinema, everyone's A-game ("A" for Authentic) was on full display. You are so right about Travis' awareness of feeling incomplete. Maybe without that it might be hard to sympathize with him. It reminds us that he is trying (unfortunately in a really disturbing fashion). Scott, I agree 1000% about Travis "donning a variety of masks." Socially, he is like an empty hard drive, willing to download any and everything, just to have something in common with other people: Kris Kristofferson records, Movies he knows nothing about, Palantine's political campaign. The scariest part about Travis Bickle is that he doesn't seem confident and completely sure of himself until he rocks the mohawk, military jacket, and mini arsenal. Its as if he is right back in the Vietnam War - facing a perceived "enemy" that has done nothing to him personally.

Hi - Where did Paul Schrader begin with his creation? What came first the name? How Travis spoke? His look? I have read this script so many times - the verbal pictures are amazing. Liz

This is what makes the scene between Travis and Wizard so tragic in retrospect - it's the last time he reaches out, and Wizard while sympathetic is unable to offer him any real solace, and after that Travis starts to let his insanity and homicidal impulses take hold.

I don't know if Schrader came up with the name first, but in SCHRADER ON SCHRADER he says that he used the name "Travis" to evoke somebody who "travels," i.e. has no real roots, and "Bickle" was meant to sound harsh and sharp, and came from a contemporary show called "The Bickersons."

Some great insights here, I especially liked 5.) Are his parents even alive? I've seen this movie a dozen times in rep theaters and god knows how many on VHS and DVD, and that question NEVER occurred to me. Maybe he killed them. This movie is truly one that keeps revealing itself, endlessly enigmatic... my fourth favorite movie of all time, actually.

Hey Liz, those are great questions that I didn't have an answer to. I came across a few Paul Schrader "TAXI DRIVER" inspirations: 1.) Harry Chapin song "Taxi," was a big hit at the time 2.) Published diary of Arthur Bremer - convicted of shooting presidential hopeful George Wallace. Ironically, Travis Bickle was 26, Bremer was 26 years old in 1976 "Taxi Driver" release date, and Paul Schrader was 26 when he wrote the screenplay, in 1972. 3.) Possible autobiographical elements Paul Schrader shared with Travis prior to writing "Taxi Driver": - Schrader fired from AFI (Travis fired from Marines) - Schrader stayed in ex-girlfriends apartment alone and isolated for months while she was away - Went to porno theaters -Developed a love of gun -Felt isolated as a guy from the midwest in an urban city Thanks Def Eaz for those excellent Paul Scharader insights: "Travis" = "travels" and "Bickle" = harsh/sharp sum up his character so literally. I love when writers chose inspired names for their characters. It makes for a cool "a ha" moment once we learn more about them. You guys are awesome.