Taxi Driver Ending Explained And Taxi Driver Cast, Plot Summary
by Hemalatha R | Updated Feb 24, 2023
Taxi Driver Ending Explained
Taxi Driver is a classic film that has sparked a great deal of controversy and criticism over the years. The film's ending, in particular, has been the subject of much debate due to its graphic violence and ambiguous nature. However, it turns out that the original ending of the film was even more intense than what was ultimately released to audiences. One of the defining traits of the film's protagonist, Travis Bickle, is his intense racism toward black people. Throughout the film, Travis uses racial slurs, stares down black people, and even shoots an African-American man in the head. This racism is fueled further by the husband who hires Travis to spy on his cheating wife, emphasizing that she is sleeping with a black man.
In Paul Schrader's original screenplay for the film, the pimp character known as Sport was supposed to be black. During the climactic gun battle at the end of the film, Travis was meant to kill a number of black characters, making it clear that his racism had been building toward this violent outburst. However, movie executives were concerned that such a graphic portrayal of violence against black characters would cause riots in black communities, so they insisted that the villains in the film be white instead. This decision by the movie executives is somewhat patronizing, as it assumes that black audiences would be unable to separate fiction from reality and would be incited to violence by a work of art. Nevertheless, it is also understandable that the executives would want to avoid controversy and potential danger.
It's interesting to consider how the film would be viewed today if the original ending had been released. Given the current climate of racially motivated violence in America, it's possible that the ending would be seen as even more provocative and controversial than it was at the time. However, it's also possible that the ending would be seen as a powerful condemnation of racism, particularly in light of the Black Lives Matter movement and other efforts to combat racial injustice. Ultimately, the controversy over the ending of Taxi Driver speaks to the power of cinema to provoke strong emotions and spark meaningful conversations. Whether or not the original ending would have been too much for audiences to handle is impossible to say, but it's clear that the film's themes and messages continue to resonate with viewers today.
Taxi Driver Cast
The below table contains the cast of Taxi Driver.
Name
Character
Robert De Niro
Travis Bickle
Jodie Foster
Iris Steensma
Cybill Shepherd
Betsy
Harvey Keitel
Matthew "Sport" Higgins
Albert Brooks
Tom
Leonard Harris
Senator Charles Palantine
Peter Boyle
Wizard
Steven Prince
"Easy Andy", the Gun Salesman
Martin Scorsese
"Passenger Watching Silhouette"
Harry Northup
"Doughboy"
Victor Argo
Melio, the Bodega Clerk
Joe Spinell
TThe Personnel Officer
Taxi Driver Plot Summary
Taxi Driver, a 1976 film directed by Martin Scorsese, follows the story of Travis Bickle, a young, isolated man suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after serving in the Vietnam War. Travis takes a job as a night shift taxi driver in New York City, where he encounters crime and corruption, and becomes disgusted with the urban decay he witnesses. He keeps a diary in which he records his thoughts and dreams about ridding the city of its "scum."Travis becomes infatuated with Betsy, a campaign volunteer for a presidential candidate, Charles Palantine. He takes her to a porn theater on their first date, which causes her to leave in disgust. Enraged, Travis storms into the campaign office where Betsy works and berates her. He begins to experience an existential crisis and confides in a fellow taxi driver named Wizard about his violent thoughts, but Wizard dismisses them.
In an attempt to find an outlet for his rage, Travis begins a program of intense physical training and buys four handguns from a black market gun dealer. He practices drawing his weapons at home and modifies one of them to allow him to hide and quickly deploy it from his sleeve. He also attends Palantine's rallies to scope out their security. During his trips around the city, Travis frequently encounters Iris, a child prostitute, whom he solicits and tries to persuade to stop prostituting herself. One night, Travis shoots and kills a man attempting to rob a convenience store run by a friend of his. Later, he attends a public rally where he plans to assassinate Palantine, but he is chased away by Secret Service agents.
That evening, Travis drives to the brothel where Iris works and shoots her pimp, Sport. He enters the building and engages in a shootout with Sport and one of Iris's clients, a mafioso. Travis is shot several times but manages to kill the two men. He then brawls with the bouncer, whom he manages to stab through the hand with his knife located in his shoe, and finishes off with a gunshot to the head. Travis attempts to commit suicide but is out of bullets. Bloody and injured, he slumps on a couch next to a sobbing Iris. As the police responded to the scene, a delirious Travis imitates shooting himself in the head using his finger.
Travis goes into a coma due to his injuries. He is heralded by the press as a heroic vigilante and is not prosecuted for the murders, also receives a letter from Iris's father, thanking him. After recovering, Travis returns to work, where he encounters Betsy as a fare. They interact cordially, with Betsy saying she followed his story in the newspapers. Travis drops her at home and declines to take her money, driving off with a smile. He suddenly becomes agitated after noticing something in his rearview mirror. The original screenplay by Paul Schrader had an even more controversial ending. In this version, Sport, the pimp, was supposed to be black, and during the climactic gun battle, everyone Travis killed was going to be black. This was supposed to be an indictment on Travis, a man looking for any excuse to unleash his racism on the world. However, the studio executives were worried that the massacre would prompt riots, so Schrader made the villains white instead.The film has been subject to criticism and controversy over the years due to its portrayal of violence, mental illness, and misogyny. Some have argued that the film glorifies vigilante justice and portrays Travis as a hero rather than a disturbed individual in need of help. Others have praised the film for its realistic depiction of urban decay and its exploration of the alienation and loneliness felt by many people living in cities.
Taxi Driver Ending Explained - FAQs
Travis Bickle is a 26-year-old Vietnam War veteran suffering from PTSD who works as a night shift taxi driver in New York City. He frequently goes to porn theaters on 42nd Street and keeps a diary in which he attempts to include aphorisms.
Travis becomes infatuated with Betsy, a campaign volunteer for senator and presidential candidate Charles Palantine, because he feels a special connection to her. However, he takes her to a porn theater on their date, which repulses her and causes her to leave. This leads to Travis berating her at her workplace.
In an attempt to find an outlet for his rage, Travis begins a program of intense physical training and buys four handguns from a black market gun dealer. He practices drawing his weapons and modifies one to allow him to hide and quickly deploy it from his sleeve.
The turning point in Travis' violent behavior in "Taxi Driver" is when he shoots and kills a man attempting to rob a convenience store run by a friend of his. He later goes on to shoot and kill Iris' pimp, Sport, and engage in a shootout with him and one of Iris' clients.
At the end of "Taxi Driver," Travis is in a coma due to his injuries sustained during the shootout at the brothel. He is heralded by the press as a heroic vigilante and is not prosecuted for the murders. After recovering, he returns to work and encounters Betsy as a fare, but becomes agitated after noticing something in his rearview mirror.