"- You talking to me?
- Are you talking to me?
- Talking to me?
- You talking to me?
- I don't see anybody else around here.
- You must be talking to me?
Well, that was an antique."
- In this video, we're looking at the most iconic and quotable scene
from the enduring classic "Taxi Driver".
"- You're talking to me?"
- How did Martin Scorsese turn this brief moment of improv into legendary cinema.
"- Well, who the hell are you talking? You're talking to me?"
- The role of the director
is to take words in a script
and turn them into cinematic language.
"- Did I tell... did I do... did I tell you to do that with the meter?"
- But what does that process actually look like?
We'll be demonstrating how any filmmaker can think and plan like Scorsese.
- The film follows Travis Bickle.
"- My name is Travis. - That's nice."
- A dissolution veteran who spends his nights
driving the mean streets of New York City.
Travis's desire is to clean up the scum of the city.
"- Because this city here is
like an open sewer, you know?
It's full of filth and scum."
- But he is unable to integrate himself into a polite and normal society.
"- I got some bad ideas in my head, I just...
- Don't worry so much."
- His next step is to buy weapons
and prepare for battle.
This scene on page 63 represents a final tipping point.
"- The idea has been growing in my brain for some time.
True Force."
- This is an important step in Travis Bickel's transformation.
The last moment before he puts
his deranged thoughts and violence into action.
We begin with a pan from his mirror image to Travis himself
establishing both sides of the conversation to follow.
Travis's olive drab military jacket
is a key piece of wardrobe.
As his time in Vietnam undoubtedly colors his perception of the world.
The "King Kong Company" patch
not only signifies the unit Travis was a part of
but Scorsese has also mentioned the parallels
between Travis and King Kong.
We wanted him to look almost like a monster, a robot.
King Kong coming to save Fay Ray.
A creature with a capacity for violence,
who attempts to save women.
"- God damn it. Don't you want to get out of here?"
- This wouldn't be the unforgettable scene
without De Niro's iconic and improvised riffing.
Scorsese likened it to a jazz riff solo.
"- I'm faster than you, you f*cking sick...
I saw you coming, you f*ck.
Sh*theel.
I'm standing here. You make the move.
You make the move.
It's your move.
Don't try it, you f*ck."
- We want the audience to feel like they're in the room with Travis.
Let's keep the sound as natural as possible.
"- You're talking to me?
You talking to me?
Well, then who the hell else are you talking to? You talking to me?
Well, I'm the only one here.
Who the f*ck do you think you're talking to?
Oh, yeah?
Okay."
- Let's jump from inside Travis's room
to inside Travis's head.
First, we can cut to a wide shot
where Travis stares down his Palantine posters.
The posters along with news clippings
and cut-up sections of city maps
become subtle hints of Travis's plans.
This is where the editing of the scene
becomes even more important
as we dissolve in tighter on Travis.
"- Listen, you f*ckers, you screwheads.
Here is a man who would not take it anymore.
Who would not let...
Listen, you f*ckers, you screwheads."
- The jarring double edit can be seen
as an additional window into Travis's psyche.
Fracturing time is yet another way
to parallel Travis's deteriorating mental state.
"- Here is a man who would not take it anymore.
Who would not let...
Listen, you f*ckers, you screwheads.
Here is a man who would not take it anymore.
A man who stood up against the scum...
...the cunts, the dogs, the filth, the sh*t.
Here is someone who stood up."
- We'll use an overhead shot for Travis lying in bed.
The extreme angle and the jump in time
continue this fragmented sequence.
"- Here is..."
- The camera slides across the childish handwriting of his diary.
Another fracture thought.
Before jumping back chronologically
to the medium close-up in the mirror.
The juxtaposition of style between
the first and second half of the scene
is what makes Scorsese such a master
and makes this such an iconic scene.
"- You're dead."
- When you combine a compelling script
with purposeful production elements
and a deliberate shot-list
iconic scenes can be born.
"- Officer.
I swear I'm clean. I'm just waiting here for a friend.
You gonna bust me for nothing, man?"
- You'll find a link in the description to our breakdown
of "Taxi Driver" in StudioBinder.
Where you can download the script and storyboards.
We've armed you with the know-how,
now it's up to you to practice.
"- Are you talking to me?
Are you talking to me?
And who else are you talking to?
Are you talking to me?
Well, I'm the only one here.
So you must be talking to me?
And you are lying."