"He barely talks unless someone brings him into the conversation" *Ok that's actually literally me*

"Some won't even take Redditors. Don't make no difference to me." Damn Travis, that speech hit different

I feel like Rambo is being a little over looked as a “literally me” character. In the first movie, he’s an outcast, a drifter just trying to pass through a town harmlessly. A man who has limitless potential but is seen as an undesirable by society.

This is me. Literally me. No other character can come close to relating to me like this. There is no way you can convince me this is not me. This character could not possibly be anymore me. It's me, and nobody can convince me otherwise. If anyone approached me on the topic of this not possibly being me, then I immediately shut them down with overwhelming evidence that this character is me. This character is me, it is indisputable. Why anyone would try to argue that this character is not me is beyond me. If you held two pictures of me and this character side by side, you'd see no difference. I can safely look at this character every day and say "Yup, that's me". I can practically see this character every time I look at myself in the mirror. I go outside and people stop me to comment how similar I look and act to this character. I chuckle softly as I'm assured everyday this character is me in every way. I can smile each time I get out of bed every morning knowing that I've found my identity with this character and I know my place in this world. It's really quite funny how similar this character is to me, it's almost like we're identical twins. When I first saw this character, I had an existential crisis. What if this character was the real me and I was the fictional being. What if this character actual became aware of my existence? Did this character have the ability to become self aware itself?

This is the most optimistic reading of Taxi Driver I've ever heard

I’ve always interpreted the ending way less positively. Travis is about to kill Palentine, but then he gets spotted with his gun and flees. It’s less him choosing a better path and more like him rolling the dice on who to let his anger out on. That’s why the ending is so dark. People are calling Travis a hero in the paper where in another universe he’s being called a monster because he executed a random politician to spite a girl that rejected him. How long is it gonna be until Travis needs to engage in violence again and who will he take it out on next time?

Travis bickle is the main man of loner cinema, the dude is literally a Vietnam War veteran, dude has practiced what to do under an attack, he's always planning, always getting organizized, that's why he's literally me

Fun fact: Scorsese wasn't originally supposed to be in the back of the taxi. The actor who was going to be in the scene was in a car accident earlier that day and marty stepped in

The ending isn’t Travis becoming a better person or a productive member of society. He’s still a ticking time bomb underneath the facade of a hero. As he drives away from Betsy and looks in his rear view mirror, his reflection still shows the same old self deluded, self isolating, self sabotaging Travis. Even through all the events that take place he’s learned nothing.

She's not lonely, he projected his loneliness onto her. She has a life, hobbies, passion, and friends

I believe if every 18 year old man was given an opportunity to watch this film, there’d be a bit less anger and a bit more understanding from younger men who experience social anxiety. It humanizes him at first but shows how dealing with issues in the wrong way can lead to absolute horror and destruction. Like the screenwriter Paul Schrader stated, he chooses loneliness as a coping mechanism.

if Taxi Driver took place today, i can imagine Travis posting his training progress on /fit/

The literally me story type really started in the 1800s with Fyodor Dostoyevsky's books, specifically Notes from the Underground and his magnum opus Crime and Punishment. These books are extremely relevant today and if you like these kinds of movies I highly recommend you to look into these. The roots of 'literally me'

The taxi driver Netflix remake is gonna take place in L.A and it's gonna be called Uber Driver

I first saw Taxi Driver way back in 2007 at the age of 17. Even all these years later, such a simple story about a lonely, angry young man somehow still feels so ambiguous and elusive. Like, it's one of those films that even though I've loved it for years, I still always feel like there are so many things I'm missing about it, huge gaps in my understanding of Travis Bickle and what drives him. Pretty fascinating, or I'm just really dumb.

the salo clip had me dying

Travis didn't change is mind about killing Pallentine. He was found out and chased away by the Secret Service guys, so he redirected his rage at the pimps.

"Some won't even take Redditors. Don't make no difference to me." *Updated for a modern audience* Great video Kino, you're one of my favorite filmtubers!

I’m incel, I’m groyper, I’m kek, I’m Patrick Bateman, I’m Ryan Gosling from Drive (2011) and the Place Beyond the Pines, I’m Joker, I’m Miles from Baby Driver, I’m Bruce Willis in Die Hard and Looper, I’m Travis Bickle. There is no voluntary or involuntary, the world just is

When I heard that Joker was inspired by Taxi Driver, I checked out Taxi Driver first. It's definitely one of Scorsese's classics. Great review

dude, I literally found your channel from the previous video not even an hour ago lol. I was wondering when the next taxi driver one would come out!

Idk, killing child traffickers sounds pretty based...

When talkig about him being lonely almost on purpose I couldn´t help but remember the character of Rustion Cohle from True Detective i think he also fits the "Literally me" niche quite nicely. Great video man

This is probably the only film I've seen where a training montage is a bad thing

You read that opening monolog and I immediately thought "so this is what Maynard Keenan was going for with Aenima and that mohawk and aviators look"

I love this movie. And while Patrick Baleman is literally me, Travis might be me if I was born a generation earlier.

Interesting to know that in the original scrip all the “villains” that Travis killed were black. I agree that the choice to change this was the right one, and the way that Travis’s racism is portrayed in the film is much more subtle but impactful. However also knowing that the screenwriter wrote this characters as “literally him” and chose to only kill black people in his version is an…interesting choice lol

Literally me is basically the cinema version of TikTok's Empaths.

Notice how he looks himself in the eye at the very end of the movie and then quickly looks away from the mirror. He still doesn't like what he sees.

I first saw this movie in the latter end of the 70s when I was in my late teens and saw it many, many times (it played in repertory theaters and midnight shows almost monthly in pre-video days) and played the soundtrack album often (which had tracks of Travis’s monologues included). As I got older, made friends, got married, this movie, as a powerful metaphor for loneliness and alienation,became a mirror of a very difficult past. It is a masterpiece and I admire the artistry of Scorsese, DeNiro, and Schrader (and love some of Schrader’s variations of the themes here: American Gigolo, Mishima, Light Sleeper) but revisiting this movie hurts, and I think that speaks to its power,

"He didn't eat, but he did drink a lot...The event that put an end to his self-destructive lifestyle, the formation of an ulcer." Literally me and a lot of college folks who are headed the same way who risked their guts for a destructive lifestyle. Schrader-sensei HAD to walk through it, too.

Shit bro. You’re gradually becoming one of my favourite film analysis UKpostsrs. Keep it up dude. Looking forward to the next one.

thankyou for making a video about me 🙏, I'm truly honoured.

I watched The Room on a first date once. Her loss honestly. But yeah it probably wasn't a great choice. The more disturbing part, is she didn't see anything wrong with Lisa's actions. In retrospect in may be a good test of character...

There is a political dimension to the film, too that adds to the complexity of this masterpiece. It's part of the "American paranoia" films of the 1970s, dealing with the feeling of exterior and interior crisis (most prominently among other events: Vietnam and Watergate) shattering the positive view on America those film makers grew up with (prominent titles include THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR, ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN, THE CONVERSATION, FRENCH CONNECTION, APOCALYPSE NOW, PLATOON and the first RAMBO). From this perspective, it is also a movie about a Vietnam vet, who's disillusion worsens back home when he sees that the supposed American values he was told to be defending in Vietnam don't seem to exist. He also cannot adapt to the life back home as there is no care/help for the vets coming home and a society that refuses to look at the consequences of the war and often rejects the Vietnam vets and their experience for they are a living reminder to the uncomfortable truths about the war (see also FIRST BLOOD for this part). The hate for Palentine is the hate for people who (in Bickle's eyes) talk about values, but don't mean it - like the politicians sending them to the war. Finally, Bickle finds something (someone) worth fighting for, but the only way he knows how to do that at this point is in the way the war has told him: with violence (again similar to John Rambo). All this is not meant to contradict anything said in the video, it's just a try to add another layer.

To me Travis felt like he was wasting away after Vietnam and was desperate to do something that would make people remember him. That's why he was gunning for the politician but ran away once spotted. So he goes with option B, be a vigilante and go out in a Blaze of Glory instead. Then he survives and is left still feeling like nothing has changed.

This channel is a diamond in the rough! Hope you blow up soon man. Excellent work

I still don't know if i should be worried or laughing that so many say Travis is literally them.

When I was younger and I would have a mental breakdown, I would shave my hair into a mohawk. Even before I saw this and it became one of my favorite films

I think you're totally right about Bickle being self-destructive, yet I always thought him taking Betsy to a porno was just a result of his social inabilities; but perhaps he was purposely and/or subconsciously sabotaging the relationship - as you stated. After watching it a couple times, I began to find that a lot of Travis's inner-turmoil is bred by a lack of purpose. Although he has his job as a taxi driver, he states that the days seem to blend together "each one indistinguishable from the next," and as a result tries implanting purpose where there isn't or shouldn't be. This is especially apparent when he proclaims himself to be "God's lonely man," thus characterizing his isolation as the will of Providence and thus out of his control. I think your interpretation compliments this scene very well, as you state that Travis finally chooses to change something he can control. Great video man!

I saw this film recently. It's honestly amazing. Personally, I'd be interested in seeing you do a video on Luchino Visconti's Death in Venice next

He didn’t reintegrate at all. You can see it in his eyes at the end of the movie

I’ve been looking forward to this one ever since I first found your literally me playlist

Swap out the Taxi for UberEats, and yep...Travis is literally me.

What I find interesting is just how close Bickle's fate was from being a villain rather than a hero. The town praised him for saving Iris, but if he carried out his assassination plan, he would be seen as a monster.

I really enjoyed your input, especially on the mental health stuff. I think I haven't seen a single video talking about Literally Me™ characters and saying "hey, you have a choice not to be like Travis." he himself is a walking contradiction for the majority of the film. Like how he says he'll work any time with anyone. And then does nothing but complain about the seediness of the city. He made that choice. I think you were right about depression and wanting to steep in it. Great video Kino!

great video kino, you're pumping out bangers left right and centre bro, loved the skits too

I really like this interpretation; you did a good job!

The reason why I relate to Travis bickle is because I attempted to assassinate a presidential candidate due to the girl I was going out with voted for him. Literally me

This is one of the only film channels that are worth watching

IDK I did not at all feel that his attack on brothel was in any way path of creation. His attempt to assassinate Palantine has failed not because he changed his mind, but because bodyguards spotted him. But he still wants to "go and really do something". So he turns to last he has going for him - Iris and her abusers. He doesn't really care what is he going to do. I think he just wants to make some, ANY impact on this world. When Travis comes to the brothel after failed assassination, first thing he does is trying to have a friendly conversation with Sport. But when he doesn't recognize him, he gets pissed off. I'm not sure if he had an intention to kill everyone there up until that point. I think that shows that Travis just wants some connection, as does his attempt to have a conversation with bodyguard at the first Palantine's demonstration. I also don't think he ever admired Palantine before deciding to kill him. He always says he's "Not interested in political matters" and everything he ever has to say when he's asked about the senator is "I hope he wins" - the most generic shit you say when you don't really care. I think Travis picks him as a target just because he's important and he knows him because of Betsy, that's it. And also he probably did not like that "I learned more about America from driving in taxy cabs than all the limos in the country" bullshit. And about that last sequence, after the masacre at the brothel, where they show a letter from Iris' parents. I think it's all Travis' hallucination or imagination or something he expected whould happen after he 'freed' Iris. But I don't think that's how it would play out in the real world. Even though Iris' parents might have seen him as a hero of sorts, I think court would have different opinion on that. If I remember correctly, you cant go around killing pimps, even if they are criminals. He would probably go straight to prison, if he survived that night at all. What I find interesting is that in that final scene Travis is happily talking to cabees, from whom he only hears "dumbest things he's ever heard", Betsy, that he concluded was "just like the others", acknowledges him, newspapers are calling him a hero. And he likes it. To me that showed that all his righteous anger towards the 'filth' of the city isn't as fundamental to him and he doesn't mind it. As long as he is being accepted.

I relate to Travis Bickle so much

awsome video i really want to see more. Taxi Driver is one of my favorite movies of all time. cant wait to see where this series goes!

I watched Taxi Driver for the first time 2-3 years ago , and i think i watched it at the perfect moment of my life , i couldn't help but relate to Travis on a personal level (still do)

The fact that out of the 9 movies I've purchased on this platform, 7 of them are literally me movies, is a bit concerning to me lol.

Bro I was literally binging your channel and you upload

I’ve always seen travis as a cautionary tale more than literally me trope. Yeah there’s similarities between him and lonely dudes but he goes about it in the wrong way. It’s one of my favourite movies because I relate to travois’s loneliness until the cinema date with Betsy then it becomes a character study of spiralling self destruction

8:20 I didn't think salo could make anyone laugh but you got me with that one!

Great analysis, but you may have missed something a lot of people do when analyzing this film. Travis doesn't know Iris is still with the gangsters. He thought she left for home with the money he gave her. The scene of the head guy swooning Iris to stay is one of two scenes in the film not from Tavis's perspective. He kills the gangsters just for the sake of killing due to his pent up anger after not being able to kill Palantine. We see this frustration in the scene where he takes pills and shakes his head. He's still on a murderous warpath, and decides to direct it towards the only other people he thinks deserve it. Iris just happens to still be there. Great video, though!

That was too optimistic: what about Travis' sudden look into his rearview mirror, as if he's spotted another damsel in distress/object of obsession or projection.

Just watched your samurai v cowboy video, after watching a few other videos of yours :p I just wanna let you know that your channel is quickly climbing the ranks of UKposts channels I enjoy❤️ keep up the good work!

My favorite movie of all time. I think I've watched it over 10 times at this point.

this really made me think about my life. especially the end . thank you

I've seen all the literally me movies and I relate to Travis at my soul. I think any alienated man would. No friends, no family. Just existing and wanting things to be different but feeling powerless to cause that change. I still try, but it is hard to not just quit.

This video is literally great

But the last scene, the one with him looking at himself in his rearview mirror only to suddenly push it away shows that Travis was not reborn. He was still manic and was on a self destructive path which was also why he didn't take the opportunity to make a connection with Betsy at the end even though she was interested again. He still wanted to be a loner.

Travis Bickel isn’t literally me. But I can definitely see a bit of myself in him, and I can imagine a lot of other depressive introverts like me can too. I think that’s what I like the most about Taxi Driver; it’s not just a film, it’s a warning

You deserve more subs!

Taxi Driver is based on John Ford's The Searchers. Paul Schrader has explained this in interviews. In The Searchers, John Wayne is a veteran of the civil war and has to save a young girl who has been abducted by Indians. He's driven by hatred of the Indians more than concern for the girl as he tracks them down and this is revealed when he threatens to kill the girl when it becomes clear she doesn't want to be saved, the Indians having become her new family. He returns the girl to her parents, but the scene is ambivalent because we're unsure if she's actually happy about having been returned home. So, is John Wayne the hero or the villain? That's the subversive subtext to the film. The western presents an idealized heroic masculinity, but Ford's film turns this on its head and suggests the hero and villain are actually reverse. In Schrader's script, it's the same confusion. Travis only becomes the hero who "saves" Iris because he failed to be the villain that assassinated Palantine.

Taxi Driver is my favorite movie of all time simply bc of the relevance I felt when I watched it. I watched it at a time in my life when Travis Bickle was literally me. I struggled talking to people especially women. To me Taxi Driver became my comfort movie where I didn't feel out of place and could relate. Now for me the movie is a warning about the dangers of loneliness. Travis' views on the world become skewed bc of his lack of sleep and all the things he saw. His frustration grew w his advances on him and correlated to his thoughts on society as a whole

This movie is a pure masterpiece/ classic perfect/accurate analysis of this movie.

Really excellent video kino

I heard the music, the music from the cultist card game, I love that music and the fact you included it in your video made me leave a like

5:35 "Intoxicated! With the madness. I'm in love with My sadness -Smashing Pumpkins, Zero

"It's drivin time!" And he taxid all over them.

I loved the SALO cameo u added😂😂😂

"We have to make ourselves better before we make the world better". AKA clean your room before you get any grand ideas about saving the world (jordan peterson).

Thank you for this analysis . Simple and understandable:)

Alienating yourself from others stems from a lack of self respect and awareness of yourself, finding ways to self reflect and making the decisions to better yourself are completely up to you

This is a great video.

That Salo scene is the first time I've laughed out loud to a UKposts video in a long time. Thanks

The Kino Corner awesome video. ty.

I mean, I think this film just makes it all the more clear how important mental health is. How being disconnected from everything makes us rot.

I'd love to see one of these videos on Mayhem (2017), it's definitely not nearly as subtle as a lot of other "literally me" movies, but it definitely does enough interesting things worth analyzing.

Taxi Driver is still so much better than Joker.

I thought the camera panning to the right when he is on the phone is to say that even the camera is embarrassed for him.

He is based off of the person I am named after. He literally is me

Cool video. These types of movies are always niche but are well made. At the end of the day its all just a product that is made to make a profit. Being a deep and interesting movie is just a bonus.

Missed the point of this video essay and took the movie message literally. I'm taking justice into my own hands, see you fellas on the headlines.

Damn this dude got the point Thanks man I feel like I'm becoming a better version of myself after watching this Thanks again

I always thought that the morale of the story was that Travis' change was only superficial. Because of his actions society chose to condone him as a hero, but inside he was still a delusional unstable man.

Watching Salo with a date is literally me. One time I showed it to a group of friends and served them all chocolate ice cream.

This is kind of a meme at this point but when you mentioned being alone because if you don't have anyone it's easier to control your own life it was like you were reading my mind when I was at my lowest point, you hit the nail on the head.

i love when the taximan said "im the taxi driver" and drived all over the bad guys, one of the moments of all time

I'm so grateful I found your channel, today is a good day.

This is genuinely a movie written about my life

SHOUT OUT TO MY MAN ARTHUR BREMER FOR INSPIRING THE CHARACTER OF TRAVIS BICKLE AKA LITERALLY ME!!!!

Great video, can't wait for the Driver and Blade runner.

I've never seen this movie, but I've seen some videos analyzing it and explaining it. From what I've seen, I can relate to Travis with loneliness, barely talking, not being able to connect with anyone, and the built up rage. My rage did come to a boil in 2019, but it calmed down the next year. I've seen the ending of the movie and how Travis adjusts his mirror after seeing his eyes light up with rage. To me, that symbolizes the restarting of the cycle. I do think Travis could have Existential Loneliness because of what the movie showed of him and his feelings. I know I have some form of Loneliness but I don't know what kind. I do know I can relate to the character of Travis.

Inserting 120 days of sodom was epic