Author of ‘Taxi Driver’ finally talks about the ending of the classic – and makes clear what film fans have been discussing for 50 years

‘Taxi Driver’ is all about Vietnam returnee Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro), who makes his living as a taxi driver in New York City. Driving people around town at night, he visits porn cinemas in his spare time, scaring off his new acquaintance Betsy (Cybill Shepherd).

Severely traumatized by his war experiences, Travis becomes increasingly delusional about clearing the streets of New York of human scum. When he simply fails to convert an underage prostitute named Iris (Jodie Foster), Travis acquires several weapons, begins training, and plans his killing spree…

Is the ending just my imagination?

Note: If you still haven’t seen “Taxi Driver,” don’t read any further. At the end of Martin Scorsese’s masterpiece, Travis Bickle carries out his plan and causes a massacre at the love hotel where Iris works. He is also seriously injured and appears to succumb to his injuries shortly afterwards.

Cab driver

Starting date

October 7, 1976

|
1 hour 55 minutes

By
Martin Scorsese

Of
Robert de Niro,
Jodie Foster,
Harvey Keitel

Press reviews

5.0

User rating

4.4

Movie releases

5.0

On power

However, a sharp cut is made and a short time later we see newspaper articles in which Travis is celebrated as a hero, Iris’s parents thank him and he is chatting with his taxi colleague. Finally, Betsy gets into his taxi and he takes her home. We also see a large scar on Travis’ neck. A consequence of the confrontation with the pimps.

But can this surprisingly optimistic ending really be true, or is it just wishful thinking that occurred to Travis at the hour of his death? Paul Schrader, author of “Taxi Driver,” was asked exactly that on Facebook. Schrader’s answer is as follows: “It was not our intention, but it is a legitimate interpretation.”

For example, we know that the final, much-discussed scene of ‘Taxi Driver’ was not actually intended as a dream sequence and that Paul Schrader gave his script a surprisingly hopeful ending. However, the author is not opposed to the interpretation, but believes that the assumption that the ending only takes place in Travis’ head is very justified.