Taxi Driver Shot Analysis

Classic noir/chiaroscuro lighting is used here to convey the night life around some of the rougher areas of New York. This is a tribute to early noir thrillers and is definitely a signifier of the genre. The darkness is divided up by neon lights, depicting a seedy location, a dystopia, in which undesirable happenings take place such as prostitution and drug dealing. Dystopias are often used within the thriller genre because the darker representation of society helps to conjure fear into the audience, thus engaging them in the process. An example of a dystopia in a thriller film would be Drive or in a TV series such as The Killing.

During this scene, only the non-diegetic soundtrack is heard, this connotes the idea that Travis is inside his dreamscape when driving the taxi through New York, this is because he is separated from any exterior noises/distractions and left to his own thoughts. It is as though he is able to escape when inside the taxi, it is where he is able to be free with his thoughts without disruption. The soundtrack is also quite gentle, further suggesting the idea of a dreamworld.

Scorsese has used an excellent reference to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre being shown on the cinema boarding to give the audience a subtle sense of foreboding to the events that occur later in the film regarding Travis psychopathic tendencies. This is a brilliant connection because there is a clear link between the events of the films (in terms of the murders) and also in the characters, due to the mental unstableness of Travis. This type of film could also be seen as influential to Travis because of how easily he turns to violence, even more so after a passenger in his taxi openly talks about murdering his girlfriend.

The rule of the thirds shot is used to effect here, creating a depth of field between the bumper of the taxi and the faade in the background, adds another dimension to the scene. As the taxi is on the right hand side it suggests that the audience should be focusing on the taxi, in particular the yellow light, demands attention. This shot is also slightly lower, connoting the idea that the taxi is powerful/intimidating especially as Travis is contained within. The taxi is crawling through the shot slowly, suggesting that Travis is looking for something, this engages the audience as they want to know what.

The tunnel creates a vanishing point, this is used to add depth to the shot and to make the audience feel as though they are sitting with the characters themselves, thus engaging the audience. Tunnels are generic conventions within the thriller genre and are often used because of the claustrophobic spaces and the dark voids created by the lack of natural light, as can be seen here with the single strip of fluorescent lighting. The tunnel could connote the idea of a gun barrel, giving a sense of foreboding for Travis future in the film.

2nd Street Tunnel, Los Angeles, used in films such as Blade Runner and Kill Bill

Chiaroscuro lighting is used here, a generic convention of thrillers, Scorsese uses this to signify the genre to the audience. It also pays homage to the neo-noir genre that is closely linked with thrillers.

The tunnel could also connote the idea of moral darkness, the point at which the lines between right and wrong become blurred for Travis. This is a generic convention of thrillers as ambiguous characters are often used to create a sense of depth in the plot line, making the audience engage with the character in order to understand or attempt to interpret the actions of the character.

Scorsese has used a tilt shot here, this is often used in thriller films because it makes the audience feel uncomfortable, disorientated and intimidated. This is appropriate because it fits with the idea of Travis being mentally unstable and likely to snap at any minute. The reason the audience should feel uncomfortable is because it is also a POV shot, placing them with Travis inside the taxi, this confined space could be dangerous for any passengers

Travis is seen wearing different costume when he meets with his female interest, Betsy. The red colour of the jacket could mean many things. For example, it could connote passion, desire and love, all of which Travis could be experiencing when around Betsy. Alternatively red could symbolize blood and can therefore be associated with danger, power and determination. All of these qualities are possessed by Travis during different times within the film, but most importantly the idea of rage or blood gives the audience a sense of foreboding as to who Travis truly is.

When looking at Betsys costume it is very different to Travis in terms of colour. The white connotes purity or a clear conscience, this strongly contrasts Travis character as he is ambiguous and dangerous, signified by his darker clothing. The dress could be considered as a generic convention as it is similar to the usual attire of a femme fatale character, therefore Scorsese is using this to try and establish the character type of Betsy and also the genre of the film.

A POV (point of view) shot is used here to place the audience in the scene. The use of this shot makes it seem as though the audience are peering in to the bubble surrounding Travis and Betsy as they walk through the streets. The streets are busy and filled with noise but the two characters seem to be able to ignore these distractions, therefore creating a surreal reality which relates to the dreamworld of Travis.

Scorsese uses generic conventions of femme fatales here, with Travis dream girl, Betsy. She is blonde and beautiful, one of the common representations of women in films, not just thrillers. An example of a similar character and representation of gender would be Eve in Once Upon a Time in America. Scorsese uses this character to signify the thriller genre, but after doing so he also challenges the representation of women. He does this by making Betsy a strong, independent woman who does not need to rely on men in order to do things, this will help to attract a larger female audience due to the stronger female character which contrasts against generic representations of gender.

The use of car headlights amongst the dark is a generic convention and genre signifier, this can be seen in Witness also therefore Scorsese identifies the genre of the film. This lighting is also a good example of chiaroscuro, meaning light on dark. This pays tribute to classic noir thrillers such as Psycho and The Third Man because the kind of lighting is important in creating the fear that is vital to the thriller genre. Fear is what engages and intrigues the audience.

A scene from the film Witness directed by Peter Weir, showing the use of car headlights in the dark surroundings.

Once again a claustrophobic space is created by the interior of the taxi. This is to make the audience feel uncomfortable amongst the two characters present in the mise en scene. The use of claustrophobic space can be seen in thrillers such as Phone Booth and it creates the effect of confinement and the idea that it is harder to escape. This not only true for the characters but the audience also as they feel as though they are in the scene amongst the characters themselves.

The glass partition separates Travis from his passengers and the rest of society, thus keeping him from the scum and the trash. This interlinks with Travis emotions and views on society because he keeps his feelings to himself and sees the people around him as nothing more than animals. The glass surrounding Travis could also connote the idea that he is in a dream world, a reality for Travis that he created due to his psychopathic tendencies and mental unstableness. Using the glass between Travis and the passenger symbolizes Travis detachment from his emotions and portrays him as a cold character.

The non-ambient fluorescent lights challenge the generic conventions of black and white lighting (noir/chiaroscuro lighting) and help to connote a completely different atmosphere within the dystopian city. This is showing the nightlife of New Yorks streets, these cheap bars are what Travis despises and their blurred reflections could represent his opinions on them. The way that the reflections are blurred could give a sense of confusion or unclear conscience, something which Travis is familiar to, especially when talking about the scum that inhabit the streets.

Scorsese uses gleaming, wet streets, a generic convention to symbolize the genre. This immediately establishes that the film is a thriller and adds a non-ambient effect to the mise en scene. This is achieved by casting the light on to the wet streets, creating chiaroscuro lighting which can often be seen in thrillers, such as Once Upon a Time in America and A Clockwork Orange. This is effective because it means the streets hold their colour better on camera and contrast against the surrounds much more vigorously.

The machine city in The Matrix Revolutions could be considered is a dystopia.

A long shot is used here to establish the location and to place the audience within the mise en scene, this allows the audience to gain a better understanding of where the events in the film are taking place and what the environment is like. The location is a dystopia, an unpleasant/undesirable place in which crime can take place in the hidden back streets. Dystopias are quite common to the thriller genre, with prime examples being Battle Royal, District 9, The Matrix and V for Vendetta.

Travis Bickle shaves his hair into a Mohawk style towards the end of the film, this represents his commitment to the actions that he is about to/is undertaking. When Travis shaves his head the transformation from sane to insane is complete and this is clearly signified by his behavior. The 101st Airborne paratroopers made this a popular haircut for American soldiers to wear into combat when they flew in on D-Day in World War II, this links with the idea that Travis was in the marines but it could also fit with the idea that he made this story up in order to become the hero he always wanted to be viewed as. This style of haircut was also very popular amongst the punk culture at the time, therefore Travis could have just been supporting the whole anarchy movement. The fact that paratroopers had this haircut for the end of the war could also connote the end of Travis struggles, the end of his own personal war. 101st Airborne paratroopers sporting the Mohawk haircut.

The hand pointing to Travis head connotes a gun, a generic thriller convention. Travis is showing the audience that he doesnt care what happens, he wants the cops to shoot him and put him out of his misery. On the other hand it could be said that Travis is showing that this is not the end and that he will snap again at any moment. This scene has both diegetic (Travis making gun sounds) and non-diegetic (soundtrack) sounds, the soundtrack resumes the dream like state in which Travis has been living in and changes the mood of the once violent scene into one of tranquility.

A close up shot is used to capture/portray the expressions and emotions on Travis face, this is effective in engaging and captivating the audience. The way that Travis is also looking directly in to the camera makes it seem as though he is directly addressing the audience and sending them a message, this is showing a break from his dream world. This helps to create fear among the audience, or as Alfred Hitchcock said Always make the audience suffer as much as possible.

The way that Travis looks constantly in his rear view mirror could act as a visual metaphor for how he is encapsulated in his own thoughts or his own dream world. It shows that he is constantly amidst his opinions and reflecting upon these, as though viewing the world from an extrinsic point of view and he can remove himself from reality in order to remain trapped in his own mind. In other words Travis crosses over from fantasy in to reality and vice versa and therefore the difference between the two becomes increasingly hard to distinguish.

Most of the space in this shot is consumed in a dark void, this could connote Travis moral compass and the fact that he doesnt act with rational thought. The dark space also shows little of the surroundings, making the claustrophobic space even more daunting as much of the space is engrossed only by darkness and this helps to engage the audience as they begin to question what Travis is doing/going and what hides behind the dark space.

Casino Royale

The use of chiaroscuro lighting in this shot helps to add to the fantasy, it gives it a mysterious feel which is in keeping with much of the lighting throughout the film in order to maintain Travis mental state. Chiaroscuro can be found in other thrillers such as Sin City and in aspects of Casino Royale, particularly the opening scenes. This shows that Scorsese has effectively established the genre by using elements within the mise en scene to signify the thriller genre.

Scorsese uses the generic convention of the misrepresentation of women in the thriller genre, but in doing so challenges it at the same time. This is due to Iris being a prostitute who is reliant on the men around her, especially her pimp Sport, but as she is so young in comparison to the usual representation of prostitutes Scorsese is challenging the way that women are viewed in film due to shocking character that is Iris. Scorsese utilizes the idea of a femme fatale when Iris comes about in the film due to the way that she views her life in New York as glamorous and independent and dresses in a seductive way in order to seduce men, as that is her job. The element of danger that is usually found in the femme fatale convention can be seen in how street wise Iris is, this makes her seem more mature than she actually is.

Iris can be seen wearing clothing that doesnt really leave much to the imagination, this is most probably due to her job but it could also be her own personal choice due to the child's vision of adult glamour as torn from a magazine. This costume allows Iris to stand out amongst the dull inhabitants of New York and this is perhaps what attracts Travis to her, the idea of a fellow misfit or outcast. Iris costume is made up of a lot of red, this could connote seductiveness or perhaps passion which would seem appropriate for her character. Red can also symbolise love, which is perhaps what Iris is really searching for but she has become lost in the pretentiousness of her pimp. The colour of blood is also very similar to the red shoes that Iris can be seen wearing, this acts as a sense of foreboding to the events that later take place involving the men that rule her life.