Food in Taxi Driver

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An under-discussed aspect of Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver is the role food plays within the film, and as a means to express the character of Travis Bickle. Though a small aspect of the film, food plays a pivotal role in informing the narrative, themes, and tragic nature of Travis's character.
Filmography: letterboxd.com/pgcooper/list/...
Works Cited:
Cinema in Seconds Episode 66: Food on Film. 2022.
David Marshall. "Food as Ritual, Routine, or Convention." Consumption, Markets and Culture. 2000.
Mimi Sheraton. "Food Builds Character, Movie Makers Discover." The New York Times, 1981.
Music Featured:
The Six Realms by I Think I Can Help You
A Gradual Descent into the Chamber of Darkness by Scott Lawlor
Dream Escape by The Tides
Love Him by Loyalty Freak Music
Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom
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[@EyebrowCinema]

This video was inspired by a podcast conversation about food in the movies. In that spirit, what is your favourite use of food in film as a means of expressing narrative, character, or theme?

[@juancarlossolargr]

Excellent, thank you! Now I remember: "Como agua para chocolate" by Alfonso Arau, "The thief, the cook, his wife and her lover" Greenaway, and Ferreri's "La Grande Bouffe". But i must think about another movies with the subtlety of your analysis. Thanks for the video. ¡Saludos!

[@chickencharlie1992]

"I don't drink...wine"

[@chickencharlie1992]

All of the food in Tarantino movies have specific meaning to the films. They also look goddamn delicious.

[@joshuaanolick3635]

In 2001: A Space Odyssey I always want to get a better look at what Bowman is eating before he knocks over his glass and sees himself in bed. I can see carrots, green beans, what appear to be mashed potatoes, and a large empty space on the plate which presumably had some kind of meat entrée he already finished. Is this meal a product of Bowman's desires, or something's best approximation of "human food"? The generic nature of the food suggests basic provisions, in an echo of the unappetizing space food - sandwiches with artificial meat, or mid-flight meals you drink through a straw- we see at the beginning of the film. Perhaps the absence of meat shows how far we have come since we saw the apes eating raw tapir flesh. At any rate, before we take the final step beyond humanity we will need to feed our human bodies.

[@Kusettajapoika]

Adam ragusea's godfather podcast?

[@jakewright2244]

In Travis' defense, if I could pay 2 dollars and get 3 boxes of candy, a bag of popcorn, and a coffee, then I would too.

[@EyebrowCinema]

I watched this movie in theaters about ten years ago and there were audible chuckles over how cheap the food was compared to now.

[@martitinkovich4489]

2 bucks then is like 12 bucks now. Think about that.

[@susannahs8533]

At the movie theater too, where such items are the most expensive!!!!!

[@p_potatochips2950]

He got a coke though not coffee

[@martitinkovich4489]

@@susannahs8533 Maybe, but a porn house is not a movie theater.

[@imscuffed]

I believe he also mentions something about "no more bad food" when he starts doing his training

[@joelhernstrom6060]

Too much sitting has gone on for far too long. No more snacks, sugar or poisionous pills. Something like that atleasr

[@shrimpflea]

No more destroyers of my body.

[@theconmantube3449]

@@shrimpfleaevery muscle must be tight, perfect organization

[@jacobishii6121]

Milk toast used to be a relatively common in poor house holds........white bread,toasted or not (helps stale bread taste better)in a bowl with milk and something to sweeten it if you got it. It was common place in great depression,it's definitely something that someone the characters age would likely be exposed to by their parents or as a kid.

[@captainbadd]

This is a very valid point.

[@zomp]

And its affordable/cheap

[@PossumWaffen]

yup, my grandmother ate this her whole life. Usually just the bread and milk, no liquor but sometimes sugar.

[@majesticfool]

exactly. this is just an excuse for a youtube video using rhetoric from this youtuber guys film school degree

[@Nomzai]

The whole reason toast ever came about in ancient times was for something to do with stale bread

[@LockeDemosthenes2]

I've probably seen this movie 20 times, but have never once considered or thought about Travis' eating habits or how it helps explain his character. Absolutely amazing video essay.

[@EyebrowCinema]

Thank you :)

[@MrUnicornsinmycereal]

agreed!

[@theterminaldave]

Yeah one of the few "heavy" movies that has rewatchablility. I've never really thought about it until now. Like the Joker, was on a very similar level, but I don't have a craving to watch it again.

[@holisterbruxly4554]

20 times n you never wondered why he was eating that shi in the bowl?

[@theterminaldave]

@@holisterbruxly4554 yeah sad to say I never picked up on it. Just cheese slice on apple pie

[@musstakrakish]

Its insane how well this movie understands PTSD

[@GenocidePanda]

how so

[@peterclarke7240]

Because Bickle, De Niro's character, is a Vietnam vet who's been psychologically damaged to such an extent that he can't readjust to civilian life. He's consumed by his conditioned need for violence, while at the same time desperate for human connection. However, he's lacking the understanding of how to achieve or overcome either because violence is not acceptable in civilian life, whereas human connection requires empathy and people who share common interests. He eventually attempts to achieve both by becoming a vigilante, one of the few avenues that enable violence in a way that, he hopes, will allow him to be seen as heroic by others. At the very least, he'll achieve "suicide by gangster," thus solving all his problems .

[@Marcjacobs97]

@@peterclarke7240 It’s not clear he was ever adjusted to civilian life. "All my life needed was a sense of someplace to go. I don't believe that one should devote his life to morbid self-attention. I believe that someone should become a person like other people." My understanding is that he was always “Gods lonely man”. I believe the war further detached him from the possibility of assimilation in American society, but he was damaged before the war. Then again he’s a fictional character so who cares

[@terrythompson6386]

Truth

[@dewilew2137]

A movie can’t think, feel, or “understand” anything.

[@chickencharlie1992]

The cashier at the movies was de niro's actual partner at the time and she was also in King of Comedy as her love interest Rita. She's actually a really good actress.

[@EyebrowCinema]

I love her in King of Comedy. Excellent performance.

[@chickencharlie1992]

I have not seen her in anything else really but she has a real spark in both roles. She has so much spite for Travis from the moment they meet, very memorable

[@kaliyuga1476]

Yeah, de niro is a known race mixer

[@JTD2001]

In Mean streets too

[@chickencharlie1992]

@@JTD2001 Omg I had no idea! It's been a long time since I've seen that one, I gotta watch it again

[@saltycastform2932]

As a combat veteran, I understand exactly how Travis feels. I struggle with PTSD and what I think is normal falls way out of societal norms. I try to also mimic, fit in, be normal but in the end I always seem to mess that up somehow. It is very frustrating, especially since this country could care less about metal health, let alone combat vets. But like Travis, I am trying.

[@NASkeywest]

I feel you man. I get it. Just have to fight to be present in the moment. The past is gone and nothing can change it so just gotta try and let it all go and look forward.

[@SofaPop.]

I assume you know not to take women to porn theatres

[@elchechar877]

Being nice to people helps. Usually if someone is staring at you and you smile at them. They will look away or smile back

[@not-soprivateplaylist1771]

Orange.

[@bottle1lack743]

Salty castform Just don't kill a bunch of people to save a hooker, that won't make you feel better

[@alecgolas8396]

"In even routine eating habits, Travis makes a concentrated effort to eat normally. Just imagine how exhausting that must be." Buddy I don't gotta imagine nothing, that's just me.

[@stormysoup1083]

I always try to eat outside of plain sight to avoid having to deal with stuff like that

[@CubeBizz]

I used to have mild anxiety and felt stresed putting a fork or spoon in my mouth when others are watching, to the point I would sometimes miss my mouth or a piece would fall of the fork. But that's fortunately no longer the case after gaining more social confidence over the years.

[@MK-vi2cm]

TFL

[@bigbrainbuck6295]

​@@CubeBizz eat with yo hands

[@Xezlec]

Keep up the efforts! Those are efforts in a helpful direction!

[@nathanmontgomery1516]

Never let Travis cook again

[@noodlery7034]

Taxi driver is still getting analyzed almost 50 years later. Truly a masterpiece of a movie

[@lorcan545]

You can’t miss all the junk food that he eats in the first half hour because the packaging is in loud colors. This point of his bad diet is not overdone, but it stops just short of being so. You definitely root for him to make the changes he determines to when he decides to get into shape, and you are mollified because not only does he eat better-no more noticeable loud junk food wrappers on screen anyway-but he starts to behave more confidently, and looks better after a haircut. Unfortunately this positive transformation is accompanied by a drift into psycho thoughts and behaviors as well.

[@JackdotC]

Wait, you think he looks better after the hair cut? He looks like he's about to lose it.

[@lorcan545]

When he talks to Sport first, and Sport calls him cowboy, he‘s more crew cut than earlier in the film. When his hair is longer, his behavior is also more recessive on the whole. Would Sport have called the Travis of the scene with the porno theatre cashier Cowboy? My impression when when I last watched the film is that Travis is both more purposeful and attractive after he has gotten into guns.

[@JackdotC]

@@lorcan545 He calls him cowboy bc he is wearing cowboy boots. Also Sport is a pimp for 12 year olds, I'm not sure you want to base your self worth, or anybody elses worth for that matter, on compliments from that guy

[@lorcan545]

@@JackdotC I think that Sport weighs in his mind whether the nickname of cowboy is suitable and decides that it is, taking in the whole character of Travis and not just referring to the cowboy boots. Sport acts everything out; he acts out his reading of Travis. Of course, the world of Taxi Driver is really upside down, twisted. It's not good for a loner, whose social interactions all have the potential to fly into violent conflict, to get really into guns. But the film, in subtle ways, also shows something that might well be true: that such a character getting into guns, as part of a more general regimen towards discipline, might become outwardly more confident-seeming and upstanding in society's eyes.

[@slygarci6138]

i completely disagree with your analysis....

[@ballisticcranberrypeat7777]

The part with the concessions girl always made me so sad. Mainly just because it’s such a great performance, but it reminds me of a kid with something they’re excited to show off getting dismissed. Just such a heartbreaking look of longing and confusion about why others aren’t responding the way you had envisioned and hoped.

[@Xezlec]

Welcome to my life haha

[@caesar349]

The slice of apple pie with melted yellow cheese is associated with Ed Gein- that is the meal he requested when being interviewed by police

[@derpanzermacher9094]

If you stop to think about it at least 3 of the ingredients could be used in making a cake (sugar, brandy and milk can be used in Tres Leches cake for example with the brandy being an optional ingredient), and using bread instead of a sponge would probably be something someone on Tik Tok suggests as a 'cooking hack' nowadays. Truly, Travis was years ahead of his time

[@juannaym8488]

My mom used to make some kind of pie from leftover bread. She called it "Scheiterhaufen", translated it means something like shard-pile. You take the stale bread, mix it with milk, lay half of it down on a tray, put peeled and chopped apples (sometimes raisins too, if my mom had some available) that were spiced with cinnamon, cloves and brown sugar, and you put the other half of the milk/bread mixture on top. She baked it until it was brown and the apples caramelized and then sprinkled it with powdered sugar. It's very delicious, genuinenly my favorite pie

[@stevekaczynski3793]

@@juannaym8488 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%BDemlovka

[@jackpayne1861]

I thought this would end up in over-analysis from the title alone, but it turned out being a nicely measured and thoughtful little commentary on an intelligent piece of character building dictated in the screenplay. It also fits into Schrader’s consistent position that Travis’ alienation, while framed empathetically, is largely self-imposed.

[@webstarr4542]

Is it self imposed? Because he seems to yearn to be accepted and tries to make social contact on different levels but constantly gets rejected with his clumsy attempts, but that's all he has so is he looking in the wrong places for social acceptance from people with more depth too themselves and not searching out social levels more in line with his own?

[@jackpayne1861]

@@webstarr4542 A quote by Paul Schrader from the 1990 Criterion LaserDisc audio commentary: “I realize[d] that I hadn’t talked to anyone in almost 3 weeks, and I had just been living alone, y’know, going to pornography and living in myself[…] And[…] it occurred to me what I had become was like a taxi driver-a man who is locked in this iron coffin, wandering around in this nightmarish world that he was inventing. And as soon as that metaphor occurred to me, it was relatively simple to find a plot that would adhere to the psychological reality. And the psychological reality is that this person is creating the nightmare, he is not subject to it. So therefore, you have a situation where the girl he desires he cannot have, the one he can have he cannot desire, so he tries to kill the father figure of one, and when he fails, he kills the father figure of the other. In his mind, it was all the same. The fact that one is a politician and one is a pimp really doesn’t make much difference. He’s strictly dealing with father figures. And the irony being then, of course, that society assigns him the role of a hero, because he got lucky and killed the right one… I think if you can find a theme, y’know, and find a metaphor which expresses the theme-so if the theme in this case is loneliness, then the perfect metaphor for it is the taxi cab, and the taxi cab driver. And then you just take that theme and you run it through your metaphor, and come out with a plot which expresses [that] theme. Then as you do that, you learn a lot more about the theme. You learn that the theme wasn’t, in fact, loneliness-the theme was self-imposed loneliness.”

[@TheKitchenerLeslie]

Fun Fact: Scorsese wanted to work with Bernard Hermann all his life and had a hell of a time trying to get him to score Taxi Driver... he turned him down several times. Finally, he read the script and the reason he decided to do it was because Travis puts peach brandy in his cereal. That really grabbed him for some reason.

[@dionysus6892]

Hermann also died the same night he finished that score. December 24rd, 1975. He finished the score in the studio, went out for dinner with another director, Larry Cohen, and went home. He died in his sleep that night.

[@JohnSmith-mx8wp]

It is a brilliant score, one of my favorites, though that may be because I like the movie so much. Used to have it on vinyl and hadn't listened to it in 30+ years. But literally just now played the whole thing on youtube. It really takes you to some dark places. I can hear hints of another of Herrmann's great soundtracks in it - the soundtrack to "Psycho".

[@TheKitchenerLeslie]

@@JohnSmith-mx8wp Have you ever listened to Bela Bartok? Hermann was clearly a fan, they sound very similar.

[@flyingcosmograma]

Missed opportunity to call him Travis Pickle.

[@EyebrowCinema]

Lmao. I can't believe I missed it.

[@erikbihari3625]

@@EyebrowCinema. Perhaps, next time.

[@rashonmygooch]

He turned himself into a pickle.

[@erikbihari3625]

@@rashonmygooch."I'm pickle_travis"!

[@greatcoldemptiness]

im pickle travis

[@whitebread940]

I remember watching this when I was working a night shift as a janitor at the local airport and feeling the loneliness and isolation during the daytime hours portrayed by Travis. Freaked me out a bit. That was over 30 yrs ago.

[@mjriemen]

The Milk/Bread concoction is mentioned in the novel Little Women… that was from like 1870. Its been around a while, the brandy is just a bonus.

[@zetastein6031]

WHO LET BRO COOK😩😩

[@hemlockoutdoors]

Holy shit he literally IS me!

[@GeoffreyBronson]

I actually laughed when I clicked on this video; "oh man, I'll watch anything" but I'm glad I did! Subscribed.

[@swedish_llama1356]

This was a really interesting video. To be honest, I didn’t even notice Travis’ diet during either time I’ve watched the film. One thing I did notice is Iris putting extra sugar on whatever she’s eating when Travis takes her out to eat, which I read was implying she had a drug addiction. It’s such a small thing the characters have in common, both eating food like that, but I think it is an important detail.

[@EyebrowCinema]

Interesting read with Iris.

[@bassguitarist2540]

Another thing to keep in mind is that Iris is still a kid, and is practically free to have whatever she wants. So, extra sweet toast is understandable. But incorporated with the drug addiction aspect, as you’ve stated, it’s still a solid assessment

[@mercster]

Yeah, I just thought it underlined the fact that she's still a kid.

[@contraband1543]

​@@mercster Thats all it is. Shes not a drug addict in the movie

[@mercster]

@@contraband1543 Yup, was just replying to this guy above. It's fun to try and find "hints" and "secret clues" in movies, but in this case, it's overreaching. Not everything is an esoteric puzzle to be solved. :-) Cheers.

[@user-zh4cp5tq8w]

His bowl of bread, sugar, and brandy is very similar to an old timey dish called "milk toast" and reminds me a lot of todays breakfast cereal.

[@moneywalrus2069]

i would like to point out that the food he's eating, while strange, is a real food called milk bread and has been around since the 1800's

[@DevoteeCT]

Indeed, I was just about to post this. Bread and milk is an actually meal, my father is 80 years old and he prefers it late night to cereal. He also likes the traditional Southern, cornbread and milk.

[@snowrunetunes6252]

it's also infamous as convalescent or poverty food, which adds even more depth to the very specific choice of dish

[@DTOLL9000]

I might try it

[@johansmallberries9874]

In the context of this video, I can see that being a childhood comfort food that he lazily recreated. All the elements are there for proper bread pudding, even the flavored brandy. He just does the child-like version of it.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

The oddity in it is the peach brandy, but otherwise it reminds me of bread pudding, which was food for the poor in, say, 19th century London.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

In the Czech novel "The Good Soldier Svejk", set in World War 1, the title character at one point soaks some army bread in sweet wine and eats it. It is not presented as something he normally does, nor is it considered abnormal.

[@SnapperChannel]

Dan posting this video just as I’m about to have breakfast. He’s a genius

[@EyebrowCinema]

I'm playing all the angles.

[@erikbihari3625]

@@EyebrowCinema. Speaking of wich, any idea why a movie with such Infinite potential as tron legacy faltered? Unlike avatar it has Style And Substance! If I may.

[@pierluigizappala1157]

Great video! I always thought that Scorsese’s italian background could have influenced this particular choice in food since it’s very similar to a very old and poor italian recipe called “zuppa di latte” (“milk soup”, usually eaten in southern Italy for breakfast or as a snack), which usually consisted of stale bread, milk and sugar (if you could afford it).

[@J_LHAO]

I'm brazilian, but my grandfather was a italian who came to Brazil in his 5 or 6 years. He used to eat this but he adds coffee to the recipe. Also, he called it "sopa de pão" which means "bread soup".

[@DwRockett]

Wow, this video is so good. When I saw the thumbnail, I legitimately thought this was some sort of early April fools’ joke, but I was 100% wrong. I’m amazed that even the food within taxi driver had such thought put into it. Fantastic video

[@EyebrowCinema]

I only just realized April Fools was coming up and worked like mad to make sure the video was out well before then.

[@EnvyOmicron]

"Imagine if, no matter how hard you tried to mimic acceptable social behaviors, you kept getting it wrong" I don't have to imagine it, I'm autistic lol

[@yourstrulyjohnnydollar8775]

Yeah, same. In general for all the ways I like Taxi Driver's filmmaking, I have trouble watching that movie. Nothing quite like seeing a dumber, more self righteous version of yourself circling the drain.

[@GodlyHype]

Fellow autistic here man I can relate

[@realsaddamhussain]

who asked

[@Cogu985]

​@@realsaddamhussain Me, duh

[@jonasbrm]

@@realsaddamhussain you should take a sky dive with a faulty parachute /S

[@danielbower1471]

It’s crazy how despite this movie being over 40 years old, there are still new perspectives and ideas to be discovered. Great video btw

[@captainbadd]

The mark of a classic.

[@infinidominion]

As a cab driver for years now, and yet to see the movie in entirety, it's unbelievable how archetypal and perceivably relatable to his mind it all is 😂

[@7ylerD]

I also think Travis’ super sleight build is interesting. He clearly doesn’t eat enough or throws up often. So he’s likely getting less than 2000 calories in pure junk. It’s like how a drug addict eats.

[@revati2545]

bros literally me

[@bentramer682]

Watching this as I prepare coffee for breakfast at 12:00 pm is probably not the best idea

[@EyebrowCinema]

Well, depends what you were eating for breakfast :P

[@bentramer682]

@@EyebrowCinema nothing...

[@yungmentalproblems]

Coffee is good eff breakfast

[@toddboughn5168]

There are times I've watched Taxi Driver when I've almost thought that Travis' eating habits were more disturbing than his behavior.

[@johncarroll772]

😮😂😂😂

[@martitinkovich4489]

I thought that too.

[@biggusdickus1689]

Wouldn't eating habits classify as a type of behavior? I agree though

[@fairfelis7]

Me liking pineapple pizza

[@anthonyrobinson6590]

I wonder if Schrader was eating like this when he wrote it . Apparently he wrote it while his girlfriend was on vacation for a few weeks. He left his wife for her but she didn't want him and told him he had to leave when she got back from vacation . I think that's how the story went.

[@Gravyballs2011]

It happened to Jeff Goldblum in The Fly as his transformation accelerated. He also went from normal social behavior into a sugar-based diet.

[@ericfranchi1354]

Great movie. Holds up well.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

But in that case he is starting to imitate house flies. The motivation of Travis is different.

[@jacklawrence2212]

Really smart analysis, seriously. And Travis sums it all up one sentence: 'I believe someone should become a person like other people.'

[@maryfreebed9886]

You can't, though. You'll exhaust yourself completely before you do, AND you will still screw it up.

[@huey7286]

Let him cook

[@aaronblaylock2092]

There was a scene in this film where DeNiro is talking to Jodi Foster and she is having jam on toast and she pours sugar on the jam. I was waiting for you to make a connection with her food choice and the personalities of the two characters...

[@jaibonaparte]

Apparently a Junkie thing Jodi picked up on from an actual prostitute

[@davidian2.024]

She was a junkie and heroin addicts eat nothing much apart from sweets and chocolate

[@frailty7280]

another small detail is that every time travis is eating in the film, the table or counter is uncomfortably small. Of course the bread cereal was on a stool and the table in the coffee date scene was crowded with plates to where he had to just lay his hands on his lap in between sips. And in the scene where he's buying snacks at the theater we watch him reach awkwardly past the popcorn to put down the cash. Whenever he eats, food dominates his environment.

[@desiconvicted]

one of the greatest movies to exist.

[@ABuffWizard]

Fantastic deep dive into something that could easily be overlooked or dismissed. Excellent editing and narration as well!

[@devil_pls]

Why was the first thing that came to my mind when I read the thumbnail "is this a reference to that what is thanos cooking meme or the LETHIMCOOK meme?" I swear to god that its gotten to the point that my brain is this rotten from all the meme shit lol.

[@Grim660]

Fascinating, I must have seen this film 20 times and never considered the food. I am now sat here reflecting on my own diet choices and what they mean. You sir have earned a sub.

[@ianmangham4570]

Then there's the wallpaper and carpets 😮

[@JJP316]

First of all, that's not powdered sugar. It's just a box of regular Domino's sugar. That scene, with the brandy, is also the reason Bernard Hermann agreed to do the original score. Also, not shown is when Travis goes into the bodega and kills the stick up guy with the Walther. Before that is the montage where Travis says "there is a change" and "no more bad food goes into my body" and he starts to eat healthy things like applesauce (seen briefly here as he's watching tv) and he starts exercising. What does he want to buy at the bodega? Some milk and Hostess cupcakes. Even he can't stick to his resolution. DeNiro stopped eating during the filming as he wanted a certain look. He got down to about 135 pounds.

[@JohnDoe-kq8dx]

Fantastic stuff, Daniel! I'll definitely hit the podcast up! Loved the contrast of the preformative and the hidden! In addition, as a person with food addictions, I can say a very large part of poor nutrition is background. The things you eat growing up, the habits (good or bad) you build, the lack of instruction or education or discipline from parents... not only do I feel like Travis is impulsive and self medicating, but just like his time in the service, the food lets you know he didn't come from a loving place that imparted structure or any of the norms he would misunderstand, but he is seeking them.

[@EyebrowCinema]

Thanks for the kind words, John, and I appreciate the insight.

[@LauDanielS]

Excellent video essay. Despite having watched Taxi Driver numerous times, I've never even clued in on this, but I think your analysis is spot on.

[@alg11297]

Eating the bread and the brandy mimics the eating of bread and wine of the Eucarist. Schrader having grown up as a Tulip Protestant must have subtly put the in.

[@frank19593]

Good analogy

[@BlueberryBlanket]

This is the kind of media analysis I die for. Thank you for such an interesting video!

[@erikbihari3625]

Don't get out mutch?

[@kostajovanovic3711]

​@@erikbihari3625 do it a second time too

[@EyebrowCinema]

Thanks for your kind words, Al. Cheers.

[@erikbihari3625]

@@kostajovanovic3711. What are you talking about?

[@clentonium]

I'm actually glad you made this video. I saw Travis make that one horrid concoction I had never seen before in my life.

[@ozricaurora6943]

Is it unrealistic that Travis is so skinny? When I started comfort eating, I gained a lot of weight pretty fast.

[@EyebrowCinema]

Maybe, but it's hard to say. Different bodies and metabolisms can see a lot of discrepancy. I know the mean at the core of this video is something Schrader really did eat during a bout of depression and he is not a thin man. Edit: actually, looking at photos of Schrader in the 70s, he was kind of thin at the time.

[@kg1392]

​@@EyebrowCinema I could totally imagine Travis skipping a lot of meals. Perhaps going entire days without eating. When he does eat, he eats horribly. All that really dictates weight loss or weight gain is calories in vs. calories out.

[@erikbihari3625]

@@kg1392. Examples?

[@swedish_llama1356]

@@kg1392I agree with this. While I’m not going to do some armchair psychology and try to diagnose Travis, I will say that he’s clearly mentally ill, and mental illness can greatly affect appetite. The idea that he barely eats, and when he does, it’s not any kind of healthy food, is completely in-character for Travis I think.

[@jacobb.9181]

Likely just has a good metabolism. I know people who have a bottomless hole for a stomach and are skinny as a stick.

[@snowrunetunes6252]

it's interesting they chose Milk Bread as the base dish for Travis to modify according to his desperations. it's an archaic recipe infamous as food for the convalescent, young children or particularly the destitute.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

It's interesting as he is not destitute - see how much he spends on guns. He could eat better if he wanted.

[@ProfessorKenneth]

Taxi driver is a masterpiece..👍🏻💯

[@luckyowl10]

while watching the movie I never noticed how bad his eating habits are and how they reflect his life overall

[@EyebrowCinema]

It only really clicked with me recently.

[@Dbzmad34222]

dont forget that travis uses a crisp packet as a plate. Lol

[@BrodeMaster]

i love this cinematic essay. This analysis is great and im grateful for your in-depth analysis at Travis

[@kurko3200]

This was a really good perspective of travis mind, i havent really paid any attention to the food itself but as you said it not only subtly describes travis' mind and his duality, but also it acts as a neutral and breaking point for him, travis after that "special meal" and the rejection of betsy makes him not want to be normal in a extroverted way, so he ends up being a killing machine, maybe the food,alcohol, and sugar he craved for that long was just a form of confusion of what he really wanted and end up becoming, the interest in the food and being socially "normal" became an interest in killing, interest in blood, craving for it, so seeing your perspective i think they show you his new interests when he starts buying guns, and also the 50 pull ups 50 push ups each morning scene. Again, fantastic essay, in my 3 times watching and criticizing this movie i have never thought about the food's role in explaining travis mind, bravo Sorry if i have bad english im not from the us

[@martitinkovich4489]

I think many of us related to Travis..........that's why the movie still finds an audience after all these years. perhaps today even more so.

[@ItsFelix112]

Hold up... Let him cook.

[@threethan1291]

Very insightful. didn't realize how painstakingly deliberate the food selection was but examining context is v nice, great vid

[@BFB_tg]

That is really great attention to detail, thank you for your work!

[@pmon8597]

Taxi Driver is the most influential movie for me. "He is trying his best" summarizes what the movie is all about. The film shows that instead of judging, we should try to understand. I think that if we would understand everything, we would see that everyone in this planet in fact is trying their best, from their own basis.

[@metsrus]

trying his best? taking a girl to a porn movie, what did he think was gonna happen?

[@pmon8597]

@@metsrus Travis is like an alien to this world, he does not understand social situations. A normal person acts with instinct. The problem with Travis is that he needs to think every action as he tries to "become a person". By the way did you enjoy the film, and if you did, why?

[@metsrus]

@@pmon8597 I always felt it was more like a trolling on his part. You don't have to be educated in social situations to know you don't do that. I mean he talks about the filth in the city, but takes her to see that "filth" in the theater. yes i love this film. I can relate with the isolation that he went through.

[@pmon8597]

@@metsrus Interesting, I have always thought that he is serious. A lot of people within autism spectrum (including Asperger's) have similar difficulties. These people may seem strange to other's and even simple social situations can be extremely stressful to them because they don't know what to do. This is related to loneliness but one can be lonely for other reasons as well. edit: I think his only knowledge/experience of sex is porn. But that can be seen as a humoristic element in the film, I agree.

[@metsrus]

@@pmon8597 yeah you're correct about autism. It always bug me if he was serious or not. I mean he's not completely devoid of social skills, he was able to land the date. Even guys with "game" would have some trepidation with approaching such a hot blonde.

[@DeadPixel1105]

I never thought the bread and milk meal was strange. From what I understand, way back in the early 1900s that was a sort of 'poor man's meal'. Torn up bread chunks in a bowl of milk with sugar sprinkled all over it. Apparently, that used to be a thing way back in the day.

[@bensneb360]

This video was perfect to watch on my lunch break at work, good timing

[@InnerCityX]

Such a wonderfully put together video!

[@A-gonzalez-2228]

Travis is a character of self-awareness yet flawed to truly fit in. He’s someone who knows better but misses the mark really hard when it needs to count the most. A flawed character perfected in film.

[@Morbutt]

I love film analyses like these. These are things I never really noticed nor considered when I watched the film. I still recall seeing a lot of the junk food and yes the bowl of bread cereal, and thinking there was nothing wrong with it; in the setting and atmosphere of the film and Travis' apartment, it all seemed too normal to really scrutinize. Oddly enough I do remember seeing the scene where Travis was having breakfast with Iris later on in the film and she doused her toast + jam with a bunch of sugar. I remember thinking that was bizarre, though. Maybe it goes to show how Travis and Iris were in similar situations, cut from the same cloth...

[@theeab1993]

Fantastic video man. I did always wonder about what he was eating in that scene, but never bothered following through so this was a very interesting analysis.

[@MovieEggman]

I need more of these Food in Movies video essays.

[@ultor__]

I was 300 lbs, now, 2 years later, I'm 200 lbs. I recognize myself in Travis' eating habits.

[@hoti47]

Amazing progres, man! I've also gained some weight and am working on losing it as well.

[@steverogers7601]

Thank god I don’t see myself in anything from travis

[@stevekaczynski3793]

Congratulations. It is remarkable Travis isn't heavier, with all those carbs.

[@varicosevaynes]

In regards to food in this movie, I initially thought the only noteworthy scene was with Iris eating the toast with jam AND sugar on top, reflecting her child-like pallet and nature, which she strongly tried to deny in that scene by telling Travis she has it good away from her parents and with Sport. It’s also juxtaposed by the fact that her line of work is extremely adult despite her age. Fundamentally it’s obvious that she shouldn’t be doing what she’s doing as young as she is, and the food she eats shows that regardless of what she says she’s still very clearly a kid. Her diet sorta mirrors Travis’s minus the alcohol, so maybe it’s a nod to the overarching theme of emotional and mental immaturity they both share but in different ways. It could also be closer to what’s being said in this video; that maybe the two of them are both eating unhealthy foods as coping mechanisms.

[@JapanischErfahren]

​@@turdburglarsarguewithme Adults don't eat sugar.

[@petegriffin4376]

excellent video. Thanks for putting this together.

[@sticktackman]

i went in to this not expecting much and just looking for background noise. but man.. i was totally glued to this video. very well done, very interesting. bravo 👏 👏 👏

[@fullmoonsociety7463]

Great video, someone had to do it. I actually noticed a curious pattern in all of Dirty Harry movies, where all his meals were unhealthy fast food as well, might be a good idea to look into it.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

Hot dogs. But no ketchup. For some reason.

[@grosezero8834]

I was expecting a video just making fun of Travis eating that weird milk toast bowl but it made me reflect on how i eat like shit Like ever since i got a horrible job that i hate i started eating biscuits and donuts and shit like that like every single day off that i have

[@TheMoose126]

You’re stressed. So you’re stress eating and comfort eating, which is fine, I’m guilty of it too. But if you find yourself doing that, opt for a healthier choice that you’ll enjoy. Try a few things and then have two or three for some variety. Increase your water intake and try to fit in some exercise if you can. A good pulse raiser will leave you with an endorphin hit that’ll make you feel like a million bucks. It’ll suck at first and there’s days when you don’t wanna do it, but just do it anyway and you’ll feel more accomplished for it, making downtime feel more worthwhile cuz it feels earned. All of that will make you feel better and improve your life overall. Cuz after all, You’re only as healthy as you feel!!

[@foxnoodles2458]

Fantastic look into such a small yet powerful scene.

[@ribtickle4143]

Brilliantly done video; I've seen this film several times but didn't previously take much notice of the food.

[@allanmcpherson9584]

Another great job!

[@EyebrowCinema]

Thank you, Allan :)

[@versetripn6631]

"Anyone want some pie?" -Waingro, 'Heat'.

[@skyfloryda5039]

who let him cook

[@JoshMaxPower]

This is amazing. Have read so many discourses, listened to so many podcasts about TD - and this is the first that's just about the food. WTG!

[@darrelltregear756]

I have high functioning autism and on the spectrum and I've watched the film a few times and I never picked up on the eating habits of Travis I just watched Travis practicing in the mirror and I remember watching that scene over and over again for over an hour .

[@whenthepicturesgotbigger]

Another great video! I rarely give Schrader credit, but it is deserved here!

[@EyebrowCinema]

Thanks you!

[@Milkman4279]

In the scene where Travis and Iris have lunch, she has toast with jelly, and then dumps a bunch of sugar on it. Maybe subliminally showing, Travis and Iris are of the same mold.

[@jimmytwo-times4394]

This was a great analysis, well done man.

[@TheMaddWatcher]

You’re the best really!! Glad I caught a video early so you might see this. You’re my favorite film essayist. And I will definitely check out your podcast

[@EyebrowCinema]

Thank you so much! Hearing encouragement like this means the world.

[@erikbihari3625]

Come on, don't be shy, tell your grievances! in a respectably calm manner of course, so future content could improve quality wise. Wanna end up like Star Wars or even M.l.p?

[@erikbihari3625]

@@EyebrowCinema. But musn't let it get to your head. That spells Doom for future content!

[@bartmann81]

Nice observations, as ever. Incidently, didn't Schrader drew inspiarion for Travis strange eating habbits from Bressons Journal d'un curé de campagne?

[@EyebrowCinema]

Quite possibly. I know he also drew from his own eating habits during a bout of depression.

[@OGzoose]

this video is awesome. glad i found your channel

[@noway8259]

This guy is asking the real questions here, this is the first video i've seen from him and I already want to subscribe.

[@wilkinscoffee8979]

Holy hell, there is so much in this movie that I haven't noticed before, great job my man.

[@madisonperry376]

One question I always had was, What pills Travis was always taking during the movie

[@DanTarrant1]

Just when I think there is nothing left unsaid about Taxi Driver...that was a brilliant analysis , great work,please do more Scorceses film

[@matthewmedley8532]

Great video and analysis. Taxi driver an absolute masterpiece.

[@Lolslss]

Yes, I always see his diet as the food of a kid. Snacks and sugar. Travis is just an abandoned and angry boy, that fall in love and hate the world without innocence.

[@LaddRusso91]

I think the body craves more sugar when you don't sleep.

[@Cullinyan]

My first thought was that we're really reaching if we're looking at the foods in Taxi Driver, but this was actually really great and didn't realise how much the script prescribed it. Kudos.

[@pjbrubak]

Dan White, who murdered San Francisco politician Harvey Milk, famously had his legal team concoct a "Twinkie defense" that was supposed to explain his descent into violent psychosis as a result of eating too much junk food. It didn't work in court, but that's what I thought of when I watched this video essay. I don't know if a psychiatrist or a nutritionist could explain the link between sugar overload and antisocial behavior, but it's food for thought :)

[@dogeshark204]

Let him cook❗❗

[@TaylorDelRey]

Hence Travis's headaches.....refined sugar and alcohol together are a migraine just waiting to happen.

[@Kettakelly]

Not to mention no sleep and popping speed pills