1

Matt Saracusa
Shot-by-shot Analysis, Taxi Driver
1. LA, MS of building steps. Travis; pale, with a Mohawk haircut, wearing a green army
jacket with a yellow and red patch on the left sleeve, and a white shirt, walks from
screen right, up the steps, towards the building, his back to the camera. TILT up to
large door as Travis enters. Travis opens and closes the door loudly.
2. MS of a dark, narrow hallway. Staircase in b/g. Camera TRACKS Travis from behind
and TILTS up slightly as he walks. A heavy, balding man in a brown suit walks
towards Travis, on the left half of the screen, down the stairs, with his left hand
over his mouth. Travis raises his left arm. He is holding a gun. The heavy man
raises his right hand and Travis shoots. HEAVY MAN: Hey!
3. CS of heavy man with raised right hand. His hand is shot and fingers explode.
4. CS of Travis holding the gun. He closes his eyes as blood splatters on his face.
5. LA, LS of staircase. Graffiti covers the walls.
6. MS of white hallway and brown door, with a light over it. A staircase is to the left.
7. CS of white hallway and brown door with a number two on it.
8. CS of Iris in her dark room. Shallow focus. She faces to the right. Candles in b/g.
She turns to face the camera, afraid. A man in a suit (?) stands behind her.
9. Same as #4. Travis holds his gun. His eyes are now open.
10. CS over Travis shoulder. The heavy man leans against the left wall. Travis moves to
the right. Travis is shot in the neck. His left arm drops and he turns to face the
camera. Camera ZOOMS out.
11. Camera ZOOMS IN to a MS of Sport, who stands at the end of the hallway, wearing
a bandana and brown vest. He is holding on to a pipe with his left hand and a gun
with his right. He is wearing several rings on his bloody right hand and has a long,
red pinkie nail. He shoots again.
12. Same as #10. Camera ZOOMS out as Travis raises his right arm and shoots. The gun
covers his face. Bright light bulb in the top middle of the screen.
13. Same as #11. Sport is shot. He falls back and crashes into a window, arms
outstretched. He slowly falls to the ground, slumped against the back wall.
14. HA, CS of Travis dark boots and floor with small, brown tiles. He drops his gun.

2
Camera quickly TILTS up to match the beginning of shot #10. Travis holds his
left hand to the wound in his neck. He turns to face the heavy man.
15. XHA, LS of the hall from the stairs behind Travis. The walls are decaying. Bright
light bulb in the top left of the screen. Heavy man in f/g, Travis in m/g, Sport in
b/g. Travis walks towards Sport and shoots him. The gunshot echoes. He walks
closer to Sport, through a shadow, and shoots him again. The gunshot echoes. He
turns around and walks towards the camera.
16. Same angle as #15, but closer. Travis stops and shoots the heavy man in the right
shoulder. Travis hand is still on his neck. Heavy man screams.
17. Same as #15. Travis walks and hits the heavy man in the left shoulder and head.
Travis walks up the stairs, towards the camera. Camera PANS left to follow him
up the staircase, which turns 90 degrees to the right. LA of Travis as he turns to
face the overweight man, who is following him. Travis large shadow is on the
wall to the right. Travis points his gun at the heavy man. HEAVY MAN: You
crazy son of a bitch!
18. HA, CS of heavy man, who looks up at Travis and crawls up the stairs. Shadows of
the railing look like bars. HEAVY MAN: Fucking son of a bitch! Ill kill you!
19. Same as end of #17. Slow-motion. Travis backs up the stairs, looking down at the
heavy man. HEAVY MAN: Ill kill you! (six times)
20. Same as #8. Slow-motion. Iris turns to face the camera.
21. MS of Travis at the top of the stairs, edge framed towards the lower right corner of
the screen. All in slow-motion. There is a light in the upper left corner of the
screen. Jesus Loves You and Bazin are written on the wall. Four ornate, white
tiles are on the wall to the left of Travis. HEAVY MAN: Ill fuckin kill you!
22. HA, LS of hall and door to left. The door swings open and a man in glasses, white
shoes, and a grey, checkered leisure suit reaches for his gun. He runs to the right,
out of frame.
23. HA, MS, over Travis shoulder, of the heavy man. HEAVY MAN: Crazy son of a
bitch! Ill kill you!
24. HA, MS of man in suit in profile. Camera TRACKS right as he comes from behind
Travis and shoots him in the right shoulder.
25. Same as #23. Travis drops gun down stairs. Camera TILTS down and follows gun.
26. Same as #24. Travis falls to ground and sits against the wall, to the right of the
screen. Heavy man screams.

3
27. CS of Travis, edge framed, from his shoulders down. He pulls the gun from his
right sleeve. Heavy man screams.
28. CS of Travis, edge framed. He holds his neck with his left hand and shoots.
29. CS of man in suits face as it is shot two times.
30. MS of man in suits face as it is shot again. His white shirt is bloody. Doorway with
bead curtain and lamp with fringe in b/g.
31. Same as #28. Travis shoots two more times. He blinks and winces as he shoots.
32. Same as #30. Man in suit holds up hands and falls backwards.
33. Same as #26. Man in suit falls out of screen. Travis looks right as he shoots left.
34. Same as #30. Man in suit shoots desperately towards the sky. He falls back and
shoots at the ground. He shoots at Travis and falls through doorway. Camera
TRACKS him as he falls through bead curtain. Iris standing in b/g.
35. H.A., LS as man in suit stumbles back into the room and falls at Iris feet, on a large,
oriental rug, arms spread. A piece of wood is under his chin. Iris screams. A white
bed is in the upper right of the screen, and a lamp is in the lower left. Orange
carpet covers the floor.
36. Continuation tracking of #34. Iris, wearing short white shorts and a small,
peach-colored, v-neck shirt, looks down at the man in suit.
37. CS of Travis at left of frame, holding his bloody neck. He stops holding his neck.
Camera TILTS up as he struggles to get up. Camera TRACKS as he walks. Heavy
man in b/g. He places his bloody hands on Travis shoulders. HEAVY MAN: Ill
kill you! Crazy son of a bitch! Ill kill you!
38. MS of Travis in profile. Camera PANS quickly to the left, behind Travis as he walks
towards Iris with the heavy man on his back. Travis turns and hits the heavy man
in the right shoulder. HEAVY MAN: Ill kill you! (six times)
39. MS of Iris. She is pale and crying. She places her left hand on her head. Camera
TRACKS in as she looks up at Travis and backs away in horror.
40. HA, MS of room. Travis walks in, in profile, with heavy man on his back, towards
Iris. Camera PANS right and TILTS down as heavy man and Travis fall on top of
man in suit. Iris is in m/g on the orange couch. Travis rolls over. Candles on
mantle behind the bed, and fashion magazines on ground behind Travis and the
heavy man.

4
41. CU of Iris. She screams and places her left hand on her head.
42. CS of Travis, edge framed in the lower half of the screen. Candles on mantle and
Mick Jagger (?) poster on wall in b/g. Heavy man hits Travis in left shoulder.
43. Same as the end of #40. Travis and the heavy man struggle for the gun. Man in suit
in f/g Travis and heavy man in m/g, Iris in b/g on couch.
44. CS of Travis arms and legs. Travis reaches for the knife in his boot as they struggle.
45. Same as #42. Heavy man has right hand raised. Travis stabs him through the palm.
46. Slight HA, CS. Shallow focus. Looking down at Travis and man with knife through
hand. Travis in is the left half of the screen, the heavy man is in the right half of
the screen, and their hands are in the upper middle of the screen.
47. Same as #41.
48. HA, CS of Travis getting up. Camera TILTS down, leaving Travis momentarily and
focusing on the gun in the man in suits outstretched arm. Camera TILTS up as
Travis picks up man in suits gun with his bloody left hand. Iris in b/g on couch.
49. CS of heavy man, looking scared. Iris screams.
50. MS behind Travis as he puts the gun to the heavy mans face. Iris, in the middle of
the screen, in b/g, looks away. IRIS: Dont shoot him!
51. MS of Travis profile in the left of the screen, holding gun to heavy mans face. Iris is
edge framed on the right of the screen on the couch. She wears red, high-heeled
shoes. Window in b/g. Travis shoots heavy man. Blood splatters on white wall
behind the man in suits head. Iris moves out of frame, to the right.
52. CS of Iris. Camera slightly TRACKS as she moves to the right and down, turning
away from the camera, her arm still on the couch. She turns back, in profile,
hands covering her face. Sound of heavy mans blood dripping down the wall. Iris
cries. Candles to the right, in b/g. She looks towards candles and covers her face.
53. Same as #51. Travis looks down. Puts gun from right hand to chin and pulls the
trigger four times. Sound of four clicks. He turns away from camera and drops
gun. He turns back, points other gun at man in suit and pulls the trigger three
times. Sound of three clicks. He lowers his hand and head, points the gun at the
heavy man, then lowers his hands and head again. He leans on the couch and
drags himself onto the couch. Camera TRACKS slightly right. He faces the
camera and sits on couch. Heavy man to left, Iris to right. Bright red pillow on
couch in center of screen. Travis settles himself and leans his head back. His eyes
are closed. Iris cries.

54. Slight LA, MS of doorway, at angle. Lamp with fringe in top left of screen Police
officer enters, holding gun pointed at Travis. Another officer follows him.
(MUSIC: Ominous horns, fluttering harp)
55. HA, LS over cops shoulder. Lamp in top right of screen. Travis looks at cop and lifts
his head up.
(MUSIC: Score continues)
56. CU of Travis bloody left hand. All in slow-motion. Camera TILTS up as he lifts his
hand. He makes his hand into a gun and puts it against his head. He smiles and
pretends to shoot three times. TRAVIS: Boof. Boof. Boof. (He lowers his hand
and looks up. His eyes are almost completely closed.)
(MUSIC: Score continues)
57. XHA, LS of room, which is framed at an angle. Travis lower left, Iris upper mid-left.
Bed and mantle with colored candles to right. Camera ROTATES left and
TRACKS away to show heavy man and man in suit, three police officers with
guns drawn in doorway, into dark hall, with green and red lamp in center of
screen.
(MUSIC: Crescendo with drums, then back to horns and harp)
58. DISSOLVE TO: CS of steps and blood-stained white wall. Camera TRACKS down.
Rail divides screen diagonally.
(MUSIC: Main theme kicks in with tribal drums)
59. DISSOLVE TO: CU of steps. Camera TRACKS right to gun at bottom of steps.
(MUSIC: Theme continues)
60. DISSOLVE TO: CU of bloody walls with shadows from bars. Camera TRACKS left.
(MUSIC: Theme continues)
61. DISSOLVE TO: HA, CS of gun and blood spots on tiled floor. Camera ZOOMS in.
(MUSIC: Theme continues)
62. DISSOLVE TO: Gods eye, MS, from waist down, of Sport, legs sprawled,
holding gun at waist. He wears giant, black platform shoes.
(MUSIC: Theme continues)
63. DISSOLVE TO: Gods eye, CU of Sport. Camera TRACKS from Sports gun, in his
bloody right hand, to his arm. On Sports right hand is a pinkie nail extender, an
eye pinkie ring and a snake ring on the ring finger.
(MUSIC: Theme with fluttering harp)

6
64. DISSOLVE TO: HA, CU of Sport slumped against wall. Camera TRACKS up chest
to head.
(MUSIC: Theme continues)
65. DISSOLVE TO: HA, MS, outside the building. All in slow-motion. Camera slightly
TILTS down to show police man blocking doorway. Photographers and reporters
try to get in. Police lights flash against the building. Camera TRACKS to left, to
show the street, and TRACKS out to HA, XLS. People line the streets. A barrier
has been set up; a sign reads CRIME SCENE. A blue police car is parked and
another is arriving. A pimp and prostitute with a yellow afro run in front of second
police car. Doctors in white run from the bottom left of the screen towards the
building.
(MUSIC: Ominous horns with harp into theme, which fades out slightly)
This sixty-five-shot sequence is one of the most shocking moments in film
history. Travis Bickle, who calls himself Gods lonely man, stops communicating
through inner monologue and acts on his emotions. The violent end of Taxi Driver
completes Travis character arc; he has gone from troubled loner to vicious killer; or, in
his eyes, soldier sent from God to clean the scum off the streets. Travis dress and
behavior during the sequence reveal him to be a warrior on a kamikaze mission, and the
violent acts he carries out are highlighted by quick cuts and varying film speed.
Travis martial nature is emphasized throughout the film and this sequence. Travis
gets his job as a taxi driver because his employer sympathizes with Vietnam veterans. As
he travels the streets, Travis appears to be a soldier returning to a country that he no
longer understands. The final sequence establishes the full adoption of his military
persona. Travis prepares for his final mission the way that a well-ordered soldier would.
He first spends time in his apartment creating a device that allows him to quickly draw
and fire a concealed weapon. He also shaves his head into a Mohawk and wears his old
army jacket so that he can mentally prepare himself for battle. These rituals motivate
Travis and allow him to justify his actions. He has completely prepared himself

7
physically and he has the necessary technology. He must act. Additionally, Travis could
not kill Senator Palantine, which makes the mission to save the young prostitute, Iris, that
much more important.
Travis acts like a disciplined, focused soldier during this sequence. He enters the
building and moves immediately towards his target. The camera follows Travis from
behind in the opening shots of the sequence, which symbolizes that even the audience
cannot keep up with him. Nothing and no one can stop him from completing his mission.
The heavy man only says, Hey! when Travis briskly moves down the hall, but it is a
distraction, and Travis takes care of it quickly, by shooting the heavy man in the hand.
The way that Travis reacts to pain is repeated several times during this sequence,
showing his strength and determination. Travis is shot in the neck and shoulder, but he
will not be stopped. Not only does he fight through the pain like a true warrior, but he
reacts rapidly, turning to shoot the cowards who attack him when his back is turned.
Travis is introspective, living through an inner monologue, until this sequence. Now he is
silent; now there is no thought, only action and reaction.
Scorsese uses quick cuts and changes film speed to overwhelm the audience with
violence in the sequence. Many acts of violence occur at unexpected moments. For
example, when Travis shoots the heavy man in the hand, the audience is shocked, but
they expect to see it briefly, and from a distance. Scorsese, instead, moves to a close shot
of the mans hand exploding. Another unexpected moment of violence immediately
follows Travis shooting the heavy man in the hand. Travis is shot in the neck, from
behind, by a bloody Sport. Since Travis had just shot Sport before entering the building,
the pimps return is startling. The second time Travis is shot is also a shocking moment.

8
The man in the leisure suit comes out of a door quickly, walks right up to Travis, and
shoots him in the shoulder. By showing the man in the leisure suit walking out of frame
in a long shot, the audience anticipates that he will face Travis in a few moments. Not
only does he shoot Travis in the very next shot, but he comes from Travis blind spot. The
editors, Tom Rolf and Melvin Shapiro, do not add pauses between the actions in the
different cuts; the action is continuous; the audience has no time to react. In this way, the
audience becomes as desensitized to the violence as Travis.
Scorsese varies the speed of the film in the sequence, which adds to the
schizophrenic nature of the violence and shows moments of Travis heightened
perception. The first time Scorsese uses slow-motion in this sequence is when Travis
backs up the stairs, looking down at the heavy man. The audience expects some violent
act to happen, but the hopes are dashed. Scorsese cuts to another slow-motion scene, a
brief close-up of Iris in her room. He cuts back to Travis, now at the top of the stairs,
edge framed. Jesus loves you is scrawled on the wall. Scorsese slows the speed of the
film at this point to express a moment shared between Travis and Iris. It is also the last
moment for Travis to turn back.
Travis final appearance in the sequence is in slow-motion. He sits on Iris orange
couch, bleeding heavily, with his head tilted back. Several police officers stand in the
doorway with their guns pointed at Travis. Travis lifts his bloody left hand to his head
and, grinning, mocks shooting himself. Shortly before this scene, Travis attempts to kill
himself with several guns, but they are all empty. At this point, Travis realizes that he has
finished his mission and that he can now die. It can be argued that Travis dies at the end
of this sequence, and that the rest of the film is how he would have liked things to have

9
gone. This explains the bizarre voice over of Iris father that follows, in which he explains
that Travis has become a hero. It would have been difficult for Travis to survive a gunshot
to the neck. He loses a lot of blood, and becomes paler as the sequence continues
(Though Scorsese did have to mute the colors in this sequence to prevent the film from
getting a NC-17 rating).
To shoot one of the final shots of the sequence, Scorsese cut out the ceiling to
create a Gods eye tracking shot of the blood bath. The camera slowly rotates and
tracks out of the room as the score kicks in. If you adopt the theory that Travis dies, in
this shot Travis soul could be leaving his body and looking down over the scene. The
next several shots are dissolves that slowly track to express the enormity of the violence
to the shell-shocked audience. The shot that closes the sequence is a slow motion,
extreme long shot that tracks away from the crowd lining the street outside the building.
Taxi Driver is incredibly well-known for its violence. Martin Scorsese changes
film speeds and Tom Rolf and Melvin Shapiro make quick, jarring cuts to draw the
audience into a scene of carnage and keep them there, one eye opened. However,
Scorsese elevates this violence by adding a strong emotional undercurrent. Travis Bickle
becomes a warrior sent on a death mission to rescue a girl who does not want to be saved.
The shots and cuts in the shootout sequence are revolutionary not only because they show
violence of such an extreme level, but because of the motivation behind the violence.