There are numerous factors into what breaks a person. The mundanity of
life for anyone can be taxing on the mind. Routines become torturous, and the
environment becomes a living prison, the mind becomes toxic. Is Bickle a product
of his environment, or has the environment influenced him?
Bickle struck me as a down
on his luck guy, an everyman, a symbol of lower middle class America. He seems
like swell guy, until you see his darkness creeping out early in the film. His
driving reveals his own disdain for other people: homosexuals, people of other
ethnic and racial backgrounds. These are likely contributing factors toward his
declining mental health, which from the start of the film is evident.
His interview, which may
have been an intricate and rehearsed lie, shows that he is an insomniac with
PTSD. PTSD can manifest in different ways, which does depend on the person and
their resources. Bickle is not a man of great wealth. His lack of anything
substantial, like a career, and a partner, had negative effects on him.
Loneliness is a painful
thing to endure, especially for long periods of time. Isolation, poverty, and
likely PTSD, are major contributing factors to Bickle’s stress.
Bickle has what I
consider a common trait in several psychopaths: obsession. His obsession with
women is a very disturbing part of his character. However, this shows another,
more vulnerable side to him: his timidity. He stalked Iris for what may well
have been several days. This is also indicative of his own self-doubts, poor
social skills, and lack of support.
Bickle’s environment
cannot be overlooked. He lives in near squalor, making what may have been
enough to live on in the time of the film, but given his living conditions, I
am forced to believe he is in denial about his own standing, or his is ignoring
it.
I can’t help but see some
similarities between Travis Bickle and Dandy Mott (American Horror Story,
Freakshow). Mott felt he deserved the best and he should get what he wants, a
very entitled existence. Whereas Bickle doesn’t have much, but he desires to
have what others have. Neither of the can have it, but for different reasons.
The theme is one that is
present in every generation: that poverty is a trap meant to deprive people of
their humanity. Or that is what I got from this film. Bickle’s struggle with
finances is a chaotic spiral, one that may be so gradual, he doesn’t notice it
until he sees the coils above him, and realizes how deep he has gone.
The music is one aspect
of the film that could not be overplayed, but it was effective. In some parts,
namely at the beginning, the score gave this dream-like quality to the film.
The score had underpinnings of distance and something is under considerable
pressure right from the start. Again, the score gave this dream-like quality to
the film that contributed to the feeling of being “there” but not really. In
some odd way, the score reflected Bickle’s mind. It had high notes and it had
the low notes. The moods changed as Bickle’s changed. The score added a sense
of instability, like it was about to fall apart at the seams.
This is such a unique take on the film. I have to admit that I did not see any of this. I'm not sure that he wanted things others had or was living in squalor because he was so penniless. He chose not to spend his money on "frivolities". After all, he spent plenty of money on the guns, he spent money on the pornos, flowers for Betsy, and on Iris. In fact he left her all of his savings. He had money but I don't think he cared to spend it. I never really saw him as hating all those individuals as much as maybe what they were doing. I could be wrong.
ReplyDeleteYour right about is disdain for certain groups, as he seems to focus on particular races when he is scanning the city around him. Originally, the pimp, Sport, was supposed to be cast as a black man. I think that would have made his racism more pronounced in the film, especially since the armed robber he shot in the store was black as well.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with Joe-la about the money though. He had plenty of money. He simply didn't find any use for it in what he considered unnecessary things. Near the beginning of the movie, Bickle mentions in narration that he can make around $350 or more, if he doesn't turn on the meter, in a week. Adjusting for inflation (yeah for the internet making this stuff easy), that would be about $1,500 a week today. His apartment and lifestyle doesn't reflect someone with that much income. He lived meager because I think he was disgusted by excess.
I do wonder how much of his money he actually sent to Iris. It looked like several hundreds, but I'm betting he had thousands saved up. I have my doubts he gave her all his savings. Even if he wrote he that he expected to die, I would guess he stashed a small fortune in case his plan failed or he managed to get away. Or maybe not. With his agitated mind frame, there's no way to tell what he was really thinking.
It's interesting you point out the comparison between Bickle and Mott. I would still think of Mott as being far more out of touch with reality and psychopathic than Travis. It's far too easy to relate to Travis. He appears to be living the way most veterans of that time would. While I find it hard to think of him as a psychopath, you're right about the obsession. I was thinking of it more as coveting the things he couldn't have, but the mental breaks left him crossing that border into obsession. You're right about all the various factors contributing to his descent.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that Bickle lived in squalor because he was poor. He said that he received a pension from the military (though he isn't the most reliable narrator), so driving was more of a hobby than a necessity. I think the state of his apartment was more of a reflection of his self than a message on poverty. However, I do think you're right in how money affected other characters. Betsey never gave it a second thought, but Iris needed every dollar.
ReplyDelete