Why did Travis Bickle try to kill senator Palatine?

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I've watched Taxi driver couple of times and some questions always come to my mind, why did Travis try to kill senator Palatine? Travis said he would like to clear the streets of New York, there is to many scums out there but I think he doesn't see senator as a scum, is it then because of Betsy? She refuses him, she doesn't look up to him, he is angry and I believe Betsy sees senator Palatine as her father figure, someone she admires and Travis knows that and he attempts to kill him. Thats my theory.

And also, I've read some stuff about ending not really being real, like all of that just didn't happend, that he imagined it because he wanted to be recognized by society as a hero. Scorsese said it was all real, but really when you think about it, you can't unsee some facts. After all he is a bit of a crazy man.

Would like to know what you all think about it



And also, I've read some stuff about ending not really being real, like all of that just didn't happend, that he imagined it because he wanted to be recognized by society as a hero. Scorsese said it was all real, but really when you think about it, you can't unsee some facts. After all he is a bit of a crazy man.
Scorsese didn't write it, i'd give more weight to Schrader saying so. Either way i think it's up to the viewer. I'm fine with either way. I kinda love the idea of Betsy being interested in him at the end purely for the story as he's now famous, goes with the "everyone is a parasite" theme. On the other hand it really amplifies his death scene and the final look into the mirror if it wasn't real.



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I've watched Taxi driver couple of times and some questions always come to my mind, why did Travis try to kill senator Palatine? Travis said he would like to clear the streets of New York, there is to many scums out there but I think he doesn't see senator as a scum, is it then because of Betsy? She refuses him, she doesn't look up to him, he is angry and I believe Betsy sees senator Palatine as her father figure, someone she admires and Travis knows that and he attempts to kill him. Thats my theory.

And also, I've read some stuff about ending not really being real, like all of that just didn't happend, that he imagined it because he wanted to be recognized by society as a hero. Scorsese said it was all real, but really when you think about it, you can't unsee some facts. After all he is a bit of a crazy man.

Would like to know what you all think about it

I think it was attempted murder by association.. When things went sour with Betsy, he went after the man she was working for.



Paul Schrader script

http://www.lc.ncu.edu.tw/learneng/script/TaxiDriver.pdf



I'm so glad this thread was brought up. I'm all for an ambiguous ending, but as a huge fan of Taxi Driver, I've always wished the film ended with the famous "pointing a finger gun to the head" scene and then Travis dying.

With the overall bleak tone of the film, the idea of a happy ending in which Travis lives and then becomes famous and loved has just never made sense to me. Therefore, I'd like to THINK he died at the end, and was just imagining becoming famous as sort of a dying wish fantasy.

If the happy ending truly did occur, once again, it just doesn't "fit" with the film as a whole and it does bring the film down a bit imo.

It's literally the ONLY thing that keeps Taxi Driver from being a perfect film.



I'm so glad this thread was brought up. I'm all for an ambiguous ending, but as a huge fan of Taxi Driver, I've always wished the film ended with the famous "pointing a finger gun to the head" scene and then Travis dying.

With the overall bleak tone of the film, the idea of a happy ending in which Travis lives and then becomes famous and loved has just never made sense to me. Therefore, I'd like to THINK he died at the end, and was just imagining becoming famous as sort of a dying wish fantasy.

If the happy ending truly did occur, once again, it just doesn't "fit" with the film as a whole and it does bring the film down a bit imo.

It's literally the ONLY thing that keeps Taxi Driver from being a perfect film.
It isnt a happy ending.

"Scorsese and Schrader intended the audience to believe that Travis really was greeted as a hero, with the city's madness and desire for vengeance against bad guys like Sport equaling or exceeding Travis' own madness. Schrader said it's not a dream sequence, but it ends where it began, with Travis driving around the city and fueling his hate, waiting to let it build up and explode again."

This is actually darker than if he died or was arrested.



I don't remember any of this



I always took Travis attempting to assassinate Palantine as an ultimate rejection of "the system", who he probably saw Betsy as apart of after their date went south.