Taxi Driver Mise En Scene Analysis

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This approach is used by Scorsese as he mimics the long take in a pivotal scene in Taxi Driver. As Travis tries to reconcile and apologize for his poor judgement with Betsy in TD1a, the conversation grows more and more painful for the audience to listen to as it is for Travis to have it. The take isn’t as long as any sequence in Contempt, but Scorsese’s mise en scene stays true to the documentary form and the cinematic techniques by having the camera slide over in TD1b. Just as we watch Camile and Paul converse in Ctpt3a-d, as she grows tired of Paul’s continue apathy in their relationship, we grow more uncomfortable. Godard doesn’t give us a break by using the cut here in the same way Scorsese does not want to minimize the impact through a cut. We are simultaneously meant to be aware of the cinematic quality of just pointing and shooting, to remain engrossed by the fact that this…show more content…
Ford uses the incredible landscapes of Colorado, Godard shot on an Italian island, Scorsese has the carcass of a metropolitan city. The nitty gritty of the city is real in Taxi Driver and makes the documentary form so powerful with each shot. These are not soundstages meant to imitate the city. These are real cabs, apartments, storefronts, streets and people who inhabit it. There is no attempt to disguise Taxi Driver as a docufilm despite the style, in fact, the kinetic editing suggests the film has an even more cinematic quality compared to My Darling Clementine or Contempt. The zooms, quick cuts, the traditional techniques used from the beginnings of film, are unleashed as Scorsese does not allow you to focus, just like Travis can never focus, his narration often ends up all over the place. Contempt and My Darling Clementine take the slower approach to gradually lure you into the story, Taxi Driver is the maniac, a clash of styles just as the character
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