Taxi Driver - Sign Language

- It is a language you must learn and will continue to learn.

- It is a complex integration of visuals and sounds.

- Importantly, it allows you to add layers to the story that go beyond the words on the page of the script.

- it is a language you must learn and continue to learn

Taxi Driver:

- Great example of how the director can add layers.

- Made on location with no special effects he created a complex story through the simple use of what he had in front of him.

Travis:

Looks ordinary at the start of the film and does not complain about what he has been through in the army. We notice the scar on his back means that he may be hiding something, extra layer of the story.

The Mohawk shows that he ready to cause damage, something used whilst in the army. 101st division. Complete parallel to the start.

The build-up of an anti-hero, it’s so hard to support him by the end as he does so much wrong through the film. However, the film made us support him at the start of the film.

Betsy:

First we see of her is an innocent, clean person symbolised by the white dress. It shows purity. The colour red when she is at her desk when her and Travis first meet.

Iris: Starts off as the innocent person who seems to be trying to escape from someone. Then as the film goes on we know her as a friend to Travis who in a way tells him what he is doing, but he ignores her by turning into a monster.

Other characters are unique, distinct and invested. They are chosen specify for that role which means their performance is exactly what they would have wanted whilst shooting the film. 

Suit of Armor:

When someone is ready to go to war, they will wear this item of clothing or something to do with the clothing will be significant. 

Setting:

Time/Setting/Tone/Character/Mood/Authenticity/Story

A lot of the main locations in the film are confined showing us he is kind of trapped and cornered in.

The camera is always seeming to follow Travis; he is pretty much always the focus of every scene. He is only not the main character in a few scenes.

Scorsese use red in a lot of his films, in taxi driver it can many things, but for me it shows us that this could end up in a bloody mess and this red influence kind of tells us that before it happens.

If you can add a colour pallet into your film it could add that extra layer which is very important as it’s something you can’t tell from a script.

Continuity is broken a lot on Taxi Driver, sometimes it does not matter if you break it as long as it works.

Use of the soundtrack is like a heartbeat, as the film goes on this gets progressively more aggressive.

Perception/ Perspective: We give the key perspective on how the viewer perceives the film.

KEY MOMENTS:

Where you Film

How you frame and light the film.



How you edit via Rhythm/Tone/Mood/Sound