A Writer's Love

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I saw Taxi Driver with Robert de Niro on AMC this weekend. I had heard of this movie, but because it came out in 1976 and me being only twelve-years-old, my parents refused to let me see it. I don’t blame them. But at the ripe age of 48, I saw this incredible movie. Boy, talk about a lesson in writing!! Gesh!!! So here we are again, dissecting a movie.



Quick synopsis:


Travis Bickle is a Vietnam Vet home from the war. He’s now a taxi driver who drives only at night because he can’t sleep. He sees New York City as a home of sleaze and diseased people and after his ‘girlfriend’ dumps him, he decides to assassinate her political candidate employer. Why? Because he can’t and won’t ‘take it anymore’. In the process, he meets Iris, a twelve-year-old prostitute. He takes on the task of ‘saving’ her from the streets. He gets some guns, lots of guns, and slips into insanity while saving Iris in the process.


So what did Ms Kim learn?
1) Syntax is everything. Warning. Much profanity:

“I saw you comin’. I’m standin’ here. You make the move. You make the move, it’s your move. Try it, you F. You talkin’ to me? You talkin’ to me? You talkin’ to me? Well then who in the hell else are you talkin’? You talkin’ to me? Well I’m the only one here. Who the F do you think you’re talkin’ to? Oh yeah? Ok. Listen you Fers, you screwheads. Here’s a man who would not take it anymore. Who would not let. Listen you Fers, you screwheads. Here’s a man who would not take it anymore. Who would not let. A man who stood up against the scum, the C, the dogs, the filth, the sh*t, This is someone who stood up. Here is . . . .You’re dead.”

The above is a transcript of the scene. Notice Travis’ words. Simple, threatening, almost taunting. Look at his choice of words. No big words, no college words, just plain and thuggyish. Street talk. It’s all over the place. Travis is slipping away. We see it in his dialogue and his actions.


Here’s an excerpt from Rachelle Gardner’s blog:

In real life, it’s not what a person says that shows us who they are. It’s what they do. The content of a person’s character is revealed in action and behavior. Who a person says they are, or thinks they are, doesn’t necessarily reflect their true character.

In screenwriting, the challenge is to show a character in action, and have their actions reveal to the audience what kind of person they are—what’s important to them, what they want, what they love, and what they hate. You don’t want characters telling each other (and the audience) who they are. We have to see it.


Likewise, novelists need to allow their characters to show us who they are through their actions and behavior, rather than “tell” us who they are through narrative. Rachelle’s blog


Never once did Travis say, Man, I seem to just be slipping away, going crazy and I’m not for sure why? MMM . . . Maybe I should just buy a gun and kill a political leader and save Iris? Yeah, that’ll work.


Oh brother!!!!


Instead de Niro shows Travis slipping away, doing stupid things like taking a date to a porno movie. That’s why she left him. She was insulted. He’s watching a love scene on a TV soap. Travis stares at the screen, and begins to tip the TV with his foot until he pushes it over. Meaning: I’m mad because Bessie dumped me. I won’t take it anymore. He’s going mad.


Next, look at how Travis sees himself as opposed to how others see him. This is a great writer’s trick. How does the character see himself as opposed to what others see? At the end of the movie, he goes on a shooting rampage, killing Iris’ pimps. He sees himself as a hero, but we see him as nuts. Warning, much violence. Ick.

Travis changes his hair, his clothes, even strengthens his body. He watches Soul Train, while holding a pistol and points it at the TV, basically saying, I’m going kill them all. He does the same thing at one of his beloved porno flicks. He’s sees himself as a hero, a defender of the weak. The one who will save us all from the ‘scum of the earth’. Yet Travis loves porn movies, lives for them. He takes drugs to help him cope with his life. He wants to kill the African-American because he is ‘evil’. He even takes a sophisticated woman to a porn movie. And yet he still sees himself as the ‘hero’, the good guy. But we see him as worse than those he hates. His greatest moment in his life is when he tries to kill Palantine, the man running for the presidency. His ex-girlfriend’s boss. He pumps up his body and realizes he was here for one purpose, to save Iris. That becomes his almost shining moment.


Here’s the entries from Travis’ diary:

You can actually see him going from a bit nuts to complete insane by the end of the movie. Now imagine doing this in your writings. Jim sees himself as an idiot, but others see him as genius. Alice sees herself as a nothing, but others see her as needed. Mary sees herself as needed, yet others see her as dangereous. MISERY, anyone? Man, that’s where the fun begins.


I bought the movie from Amazon.com and it should be here in a week or so. I’m sure it’s better watching it without all the annoying commercials. I plan to really take this film apart and then I’ll share other tidbits with you. Cool, huh?


Oh, by the way, I’m starting a Writer’s small group/bible study in my church. We’re meeting twice a month at a book store. I’ll post my meeting notes for ya all. Peace, babies!!