I referenced There Will Be Blood just as another example of a film with an unlikable lead character. I wasn't trying to make a side-by-side comparison, but anyway, it boils down the same point about "relatability" since you once again brought up how you "can actually relate to" Plainview but not to Travis. So my initial question remains, is it necessary for us to "relate" to the lead character in order to appreciate or like a film?
As far as which character is more "interesting" or "fascinating", it all depends on how you look at it. So to entertain the comparison a bit, some would argue that the life of an oil baron is more distant and "unrelatable" than that of a mere taxi driver, who despite all the insanity we see in him, is pretty much an "everyday guy". And that's one of the things I find interesting and chilling about Taxi Driver. Everybody I interact with could be Travis Bickle, while not everybody I interact with could be Daniel Plainview. A regular guy like me wouldn't have much control over what a "Daniel Plainview" does from his distant "throne of power", whereas my everyday interactions could really have a positive/negative impact in dozens of "Travis Bickle"s around me.
Which brings me to another important point on the film, which is "control". What control do we have over our lives and reactions? Travis' friend thinks we don't; he says "we're all ****ed up", while Travis himself says later "there never has been a choice for me". And even though I don't think Scorsese fully answers the questions he asks, I don't think he needs to, but I do think it's interesting that he's asking them.
As far as which character is more "interesting" or "fascinating", it all depends on how you look at it. So to entertain the comparison a bit, some would argue that the life of an oil baron is more distant and "unrelatable" than that of a mere taxi driver, who despite all the insanity we see in him, is pretty much an "everyday guy". And that's one of the things I find interesting and chilling about Taxi Driver. Everybody I interact with could be Travis Bickle, while not everybody I interact with could be Daniel Plainview. A regular guy like me wouldn't have much control over what a "Daniel Plainview" does from his distant "throne of power", whereas my everyday interactions could really have a positive/negative impact in dozens of "Travis Bickle"s around me.
Which brings me to another important point on the film, which is "control". What control do we have over our lives and reactions? Travis' friend thinks we don't; he says "we're all ****ed up", while Travis himself says later "there never has been a choice for me". And even though I don't think Scorsese fully answers the questions he asks, I don't think he needs to, but I do think it's interesting that he's asking them.
And while I have no problem with down to earth movies, a movie shouldn't be too dull, it should have some semblance of the fantastic.