Good insight, Noledge! Yous got quite an eye on yous! The only thing I might slighty disagree with is Travis' being mentally ill if you mean he's like "totally whacko." I DO think, yeah, he's definitely got somethin' loose upstairs, but I think more in the vein of simpletons; kind of like Rain Man with a magnum! But what I loved most about Taxi Driver was the dual nature of Travis, and how he was a "walking contradiction" (Cybil's label for Kris Kristofferson). I think it explains a lot of us (or maybe just me?!?!). We see scum and despise it; then we get off watchin' porno (or whatever)--just like Travis! Then we feel guilty about how we are, we direct our disgust for ourselves toward the scum, and the whole cycle starts over! "Not real life"? I dunno, it hit pretty close to home for me (or am I totally whacko?
