I think I appreciate this film more as a reflection on and exploration of the alienation and cynicism of the post-Vietnam era than, as so many herald it as, a deeply personal character study. Travis Bickle is our lens into this setting, but I don't view the film as necessarily about him. It is through him, a PTSD-suffering, disaffected veteran, that we get a glimpse into the essence of this time period.

The film's narrative and themes meander all over the place; from a cynical political campaign supposedly built on "we the people," to the reactionary backlash against civil rights and women's liberation (as well as the failures of those movements), to a seemingly universal lack of emotional fulfillment, exemplified by Betsy, and the disadvantaged that are left behind by a society that has stopped caring, exemplified by Iris. Travis effectively serves as a vehicle (a taxi, if you will) that brings the viewer to each of the these themes that are universal yet so firmly rooted in the setting, most of which are echoed in Travis, himself.

I really enjoyed the ending because whether the events of the epilogue are literal and serve as a sort of postmodern joke about the nature of fate, or what we're seeing is simply the culmination of Travis' fantasies, they serve less as an ending to the narrative than as a thematic and emotional conclusion to Travis' story, which I think is the only way to end a film like this.

For whatever reason, I think mostly due to the nature of the narrative, the pacing at times, and its failures for me as an effective character study, I didn't connect with this film as much as a would have liked to, but ultimately there's a lot to like from a film as well crafted as _Taxi Driver_. The shot of Travis on the phone is particularly masterful in its subtlety and I'm sure it will stay in my mind for quite some time.