Food in Taxi Driver

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An under-discussed aspect of Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver is the role food plays within the film, and as a means to express the character of Travis Bickle. Though a small aspect of the film, food plays a pivotal role in informing the narrative, themes, and tragic nature of Travis's character.

Works Cited:

Cinema in Seconds Episode 66: Food on Film. 2022.
David Marshall. "Food as Ritual, Routine, or Convention." Consumption, Markets and Culture. 2000.
Mimi Sheraton. "Food Builds Character, Movie Makers Discover." The New York Times, 1981.

Music Featured:

The Six Realms by I Think I Can Help You
A Gradual Descent into the Chamber of Darkness by Scott Lawlor
Dream Escape by The Tides
Love Him by Loyalty Freak Music
Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom

More Eyebrow Cinema:

[EyebrowCinema]

This video was inspired by a podcast conversation about food in the movies. In that spirit, what is your favourite use of food in film as a means of expressing narrative, character, or theme?

[jakewright]

In Travis' defense, if I could pay 2 dollars and get 3 boxes of candy, a bag of popcorn, and a coffee, then I would too.

[imscuffed]

I believe he also mentions something about "no more bad food" when he starts doing his training

[jacobishii]

Milk toast used to be a relatively common in poor house bread, toasted or not (helps stale bread taste better)in a bowl with milk and something to sweeten it if you got it.
It was common place in great depression, it's definitely something that someone the characters age would likely be exposed to by their parents or as a kid.

[LockeDemosthenes]

I've probably seen this movie 20 times, but have never once considered or thought about Travis' eating habits or how it helps explain his character. Absolutely amazing video essay.

[alecgolas]

"In even routine eating habits, Travis makes a concentrated effort to eat normally. Just imagine how exhausting that must be." Buddy I don't gotta imagine nothing, that's just me.

[chickencharlie]

The cashier at the movies was de niro's actual partner at the time and she was also in King of Comedy as her love interest Rita. She's actually a really good actress.

[saltycastform]

As a combat veteran, I understand exactly how Travis feels. I struggle with PTSD and what I think is normal falls way out of societal norms. I try to also mimic, fit in, be normal but in the end I always seem to mess that up somehow. It is very frustrating, especially since this country could care less about metal health, let alone combat vets. But like Travis, I am trying.

[musstakrakish]

Its insane how well this movie understands PTSD

[noodlery]

Taxi driver is still getting analyzed almost 50 years later. Truly a masterpiece of a movie

[lorcan]

You can’t miss all the junk food that he eats in the first half hour because the packaging is in loud colors. This point of his bad diet is not overdone, but it stops just short of being so. You definitely root for him to make the changes he determines to when he decides to get into shape, and you are mollified because not only does he eat better—no more noticeable loud junk food wrappers on screen anyway—but he starts to behave more confidently, and looks better after a haircut. Unfortunately this positive transformation is accompanied by a drift into psycho thoughts and behaviors as well.

[derpanzermacher]

If you stop to think about it at least 3 of the ingredients could be used in making a cake (sugar, brandy and milk can be used in Tres Leches cake for example with the brandy being an optional ingredient), and using bread instead of a sponge would probably be something someone on Tik Tok suggests as a 'cooking hack' nowadays. Truly, Travis was years ahead of his time

[ballisticcranberrypeat]

The part with the concessions girl always made me so sad. Mainly just because it’s such a great performance, but it reminds me of a kid with something they’re excited to show off getting dismissed. Just such a heartbreaking look of longing and confusion about why others aren’t responding the way you had envisioned and hoped.

[caesar]

The slice of apple pie with melted yellow cheese is associated with Ed Gein- that is the meal he requested when being interviewed by police

[jackpayne]

I thought this would end up in over-analysis from the title alone, but it turned out being a nicely measured and thoughtful little commentary on an intelligent piece of character building dictated in the screenplay. It also fits into Schrader’s consistent position that Travis’ alienation, while framed empathetically, is largely self-imposed.

[moneywalrus]

i would like to point out that the food he's eating, while strange, is a real food called milk bread and has been around since the 1800's

[TrevyTrev-andTheFunkyPets]

I remember watching this when I was working a night shift as a janitor at the local airport and feeling the loneliness and isolation during the daytime hours portrayed by Travis. Freaked me out a bit. That was over 30 yrs ago.

[TheKitchenerLeslie]

Fun Fact: Scorsese wanted to work with Bernard Hermann all his life and had a hell of a time trying to get him to score Taxi Driver... he turned him down several times. Finally, he read the script and the reason he decided to do it was because Travis puts peach brandy in his cereal. That really grabbed him for some reason.

[GeoffreyBronson]

I actually laughed when I clicked on this video; "oh man, I'll watch anything" but I'm glad I did! Subscribed.

[EnvyOmicron]

"Imagine if, no matter how hard you tried to mimic acceptable social behaviors, you kept getting it wrong"
I don't have to imagine it, I'm autistic lol