Tarantino Thinks Travis Bickle Scraped His Military Jacket: Watch Taxi Driver Differently Now

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As a millennial, my perspective on Martin Scorsese’s “Taxi Driver” has consistently been influenced by its historical background. Acknowledging the film’s release in the mid-1970s and the character Travis Bickle‘s sleeplessness, disillusionment, military jacket, and service record, I’ve often linked his narrative to the post-Vietnam War soldier’s experience. This interpretation has been reinforced by countless analyses of the film, with many critics drawing similar conclusions about the iconic thriller… however, I recently came across a critic who contests that view: filmmaker Quentin Tarantino.

2022 saw the author releasing a book titled “Cinema Speculation”, which provides him an opportunity to critically evaluate several films from the 1970s – ranging from Peter Yates’ “Bullitt” and Don Siegel’s “Dirty Harry”, to Sam Peckinpah’s “The Getaway” and John Flynn’s “Rolling Thunder”, all the way to John Boorman’s “Deliverance” and Brian De Palma’s “Sisters”. This book delves into a significant period in Hollywood’s history, with some intriguing insights from the author, especially concerning Martin Scorsese’s 1976 masterpiece. One of his notable perspectives is that Robert De Niro’s character Travis Bickle in this film did not participate in the Second Indochina War.

Quentin Tarantino Posits That Travis Bickle Is Not A Vietnam Veteran

In addition to being framed by tales about his personal experiences with cinema, which offer fascinating perspectives for admirers of Quentin Tarantino’s impressive filmography, the book “Cinema Speculation” is filled with a collection of essays. Each essay delves into the analysis of a specific film, but special attention is given to the movie “Taxi Driver.” Beyond discussing the film’s history and exploring its narrative techniques, Tarantino also dedicates an entire chapter to explore hypothetical scenarios about what could have transpired if Brian De Palma had directed the movie instead of Martin Scorsese (as Tarantino claims, De Palma declined because it wasn’t considered commercially viable).

The piece delves into various themes from the film “Taxi Driver,” yet it primarily explores the overt racism depicted by Travis Bickle. This examination of his biases, in turn, casts doubt on whether his military service record is genuine and factual. In reference to violent films produced during the 1970s, Tarantino discusses potential concessions made by society or manipulations aimed at audiences to increase appeal.

As a cinephile, I’ve always found it hard to swallow the idea that Paul Schrader, in his portrayal of Travis Bickle, subtly paints Tom Foolery by hinting at Travis being a Vietnam veteran. Balderdash! There’s no way on earth Travis could have served in Vietnam. The depth of Travis’ racial prejudice towards black men only rings true if they are an alienated group he has minimal interaction with. But here’s the kicker – how does one do a tour of duty in Vietnam and have limited encounters with African Americans? It simply doesn’t add up. In my opinion, it’s an implausible narrative device.

Based on information from Library of Congress research guides, about 300,000 African Americans served during the Vietnam War, representing 31% of ground forces in 1965, which was a significant increase as they comprised only 12% of the U.S. population at that time. Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino expresses doubt about the idea that alienation played a major role in fueling Travis Bickle’s hatred, suggesting that he might still harbor racist views despite serving alongside black soldiers.

Quentin Tarantino, renowned for movies like “Reservoir Dogs”, “Pulp Fiction”, “Kill Bill”, “Inglourious Basterds” and “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood”, pens down an intriguing account of 1970s cinema through a captivating collection of essays.Check out this deal!

Regarding Quentin Tarantino’s opinion on the film in light of this aspect, he considers it an organic element of Taxi Driver as a character study: Travis Bickle’s viewpoint should not be accepted at its surface level, and this includes his accounts about his military service. The writer further explains…

I’m not objecting to Travis’ false claim about his military service in the film. The movie only provides two pieces of evidence: his story to Joe Spinell and his jacket, but no Vietnam flashbacks. However, throughout the movie, Travis consistently portrays himself as an untrustworthy narrator, delusional, and often deceives characters for personal gain. It’s worth noting that he purchased the jacket from an Army Navy store, not through actual military service.

Quentin Tarantino’s opinions about this topic leave no room for debate – and the certainty he exhibits has sparked my curiosity to watch again.

How Quentin Tarantino’s Theory Influenced By Own Recent Rewatch Of Taxi Driver

Since this perspective flipped my long-held belief about an essential social message in the movie, I couldn’t help but wonder how Quentin Tarantino’s viewpoint would compare upon rewatching the film. It turns out that my viewing of Taxi Driver will never be the same again.

According to Tarantino’s analysis, there isn’t much proof that Travis Bickle actually fought in Vietnam. In fact, the character himself never directly confirms it. During an early scene with Joe Spinell’s character (known as “Personnel Officer”), when Travis is attempting to secure a job at the taxi dispatch, he mentions serving in the Marines and receiving an honorable discharge in May 1973. However, he doesn’t explicitly state that he served overseas.

He dons a jacket with military insignia and his name written in a stencil, yet this detail seldom sparks conversation. A news article suggests that “he served in a special forces unit during the Vietnam War,” but the credibility of this claim comes from “the president of the taxi stand where Bickle was employed,” suggesting it may have been shared by Travis himself.

The movie doesn’t explicitly link the character’s actions to symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Instead, it implies that he stays awake at night for reasons not related to haunting memories from the jungle as depicted in Taxi Driver. His attraction to violence seems more like an obsession and a means to fulfill his dangerous hero fantasy, rather than a natural instinct or training. Moreover, his defiance towards authority, such as his failed assassination attempt on Charles Palantine (Leonard Harris), appears less about retaliation against the military chain of command and more about a frustrated reaction to being rejected by Betsy (Cybill Shepherd).

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The notion that Travis Bickle, from the movie “Taxi Driver“, was a Vietnam War veteran appeals to audiences due to its clear cause-and-effect dynamic: if not for the horrific events he encountered during warfare – widely recognized as an epic failure in history – Travis would have been a typical, well-balanced individual. However, accepting this idea also implies recognizing Travis as portrayed, and the film consistently presents him as a character who deliberately manipulates his image.

Disregarding the overly simplistic account associated with the Vietnam War makes Martin Scorsese’s film even bolder and more shocking, as this troubled character is a clear representation of contemporary society’s flaws.

If you’re eager to explore this topic further, consider purchasing “Cinema Speculation” by Quentin Tarantino. It’s available in hardcover, paperback, Kindle, and audiobook formats. Once you’ve finished reading it, you can watch Martin Scorsese’s “Taxi Driver.” You can stream it with a Max subscription, rent or buy it digitally, or opt for the 4K UHD version.

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2025-03-13 05:39