MovieChat Forums > Taxi Driver (1976) Discussion > Palantine scenes

Palantine scenes

posted 8 years ago by diederik-saxofoon
2 replies | jump to latest

Why was he at the rallys, talking to FBI agents, stalling for time, saying suspicious figures are around, and then returns dressed as one.
Did he really want to assasinate Palantine, and why if he agreed with him?
Or did he want to kill the guy that stole his love interest?

[–] Anorensic 8 years ago

Did Travis wanted to assassinate Palantine....during the rally, as Palantine is being escorted by secret service, Travis approaches him in the crowd and reaches inside his coat (as if to draw a weapon!)...but he could just have been trying to take out a letter or something, to give to Palantine (as he was soon to "going away for a while" as he said to Iris).....then he runs from the secret service (when they yell to "get him")...that may have been because he was carrying a gun (or more on him, without license), that would have gotten him into a lot of trouble and distracted him from his mission.

There is nothing, no definitive scenes in the movie (from Travis point of view or without) which suggested that Betsy was having an affair (or even dating) either Palantine or her office coworker.

Travis had issues but he was certainly not a psychotic serial killer type, who just killed people without any good reason (if so he would just become one of the "filth and scums" he so despised)

Only reason I can think why he might have wanted to kill Palantine was maybe that he stared to think that Palantine was just another crooked politician who made promises just to get elected..

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[–] Kompressor_Fan 8 years ago

Did he really want to assasinate Palantine, and why if he agreed with him?

He didn't agree with him. He even said he didn't follow politics, but he was sure that Palantime's positions were good ones (without even knowing what they are.) On this set of issues, he is utterly clueless. He is only interested in Palantine because Betsy works for him.

There is nothing, no definitive scenes in the movie (from Travis point of view or without) which suggested that Betsy was having an affair (or even dating) either Palantine or her office coworker.

Very true....but Travis Bickel is severely mentally ill. My guess he is a paranoid schizophrenic (I know the symptoms...unfortunately, I have an uncle that is one of these people.) They are very paranoid, and highly delusional. So, the fact that there is no evidence of any such affairs, such facts mean nothing to a delusional person.

Only reason I can think why he might have wanted to kill Palantine was maybe that he stared to think that Palantine was just another crooked politician who made promises just to get elected..

Nah....TB's mind does not operate that way. I think he bottom line was that when he liked Betsy, he felt protective toward Palantine. Once he turned on Betsy, he turned on Palantine as well.