Five most valuable Minutes of Taxi Driver

I chose the scene where Travis Bickle goes after the people keeping Iris as a prostitute. I chose this scene because it confused me and didn't really seem fitting when I had first watched it. I wanted to analyze it and think about what these five minutes could mean for the whole film. The anti-hero, justice, and a corrupt society are all shown in some way that revolves around Travis' decision making and his views.

The entire point of the scene is to give some closure that would be expected of Travis. For the entire film he is building up, getting weapons and preparing himself. On the other side, the city is running filled with criminals and other scum as Travis calls them. I see this as a constant fight between good and evil. "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."-Edmund Burke. This quote works very well throughout the film. As an anti-hero, Travis isn't the perfect hero but he definitely isn't a villain. He is basically in the sweet spot where he sees all that is wrong -like Iris being a prostitute at such a young age- along with other crime. Since Travis is so determined to "flush it all down" he is obviously more on the side of good than evil.

In particular find the scene were Travis is shot in the neck to be symbolic of the constant presence of good.

Regardless of any medical miracles, it is probably impossible that anyone could be shot the way Travis is, and continue to remain conscious let alone move. Regardless of that it shows Travis' determination, saving a young girl from prostitution may be the one good thing he has ever done in his life. He wants to save Iris and move on.

Iris' surprise shows that she is affected by Travis' actions. 

Later in the scene he tells Travis not to kill one of the criminals

which adds another layer to integration in crime. 

Travis tries to kill him self right after he saves Iris. His good deed is done and he is ready to move on, but he has no bullets left. Literally, Travis is likely trying to avoid prison, but this also symbolizes that he cannot escape what he has done. For the audience, they have been with Travis the whole time and can't help but see Travis as a hero. That is where Travis stands, he is good but worn by New York city and other problems with his life.



Here Travis is basically showing that he wants to die. Despite the close up, the blood on Travis' hand keeps the audience on the idea of what has just happened while letting us focus on Travis. The director is trying to show both of these aspects.

Overall this scene works as a climax to Travis' action against evil. It is important to note that Iris is returned to her family and Travis makes a full recovery after his incident. His good actions are all that kept him going and, could be the reason he is alive. Everything around him seems virtually unchanged, he doesn't even get to meet Iris' family he only receives a letter.


The directors intent seems to be something around the fight between god and evil, with the integration of an anti hero. This is not a new idea, it has been refined. Influence from westerns can be seen throughout the film. Travis and his taxi parallels a cowboy and his horse. The taxi is a generic car that isn't noticed, particularly in New York of all cities. Iris' pimp also refers to Travis as "cowboy", which seems to put Travis in a positive light since cowboys tend to be seen as heroes. Towards the end Iris' pimp also looks like a Native American with his long hair and bandanna, this goes hand in hand with Travis being a cowboy.

Overall I think the purpose of this scene is to give a fitting end to Travis' struggle and actions. Under the surface of the events in this five minutes is a lot that refers to the bigger picture of good and evil in the eyes of the director. Along with references to things that people recognize a certain feeling is achieved.