Travis Bickle Taxi Driver - BE@RBRICK
The film Taxi Driver remains one of Western media's most critically and fan acclaimed films of all time. Its dark vigilante fantasy themes have inspired psychological thrillers and character-driven dramas around the world. The film's protagonist, Travis Bickle, stands out as the landmark performance of Robert De Niro's career. His famous monologue and dramatic shootout scene have cemented his place as one of film's greatest characters. Medicom Toy honors this reputation in the "BE@RBRICK Taxi Driver Travis Bickle 100% & 400% Set."
Taxi Driver and BE@RBRICK Collaboration Background
Medicom Toy has only released one figure related to the movie Taxi Driver.
Collaboration Planning and Launch
In October 2018, Medicom Toy announced a BE@BRICK figure depicting the movie character Travis Bickle. The figure went on regular sale in March of the following year. The Travis Bickle figure is not part of a larger collaboration but represents BE@RBRICK's mission of memorializing pop culture.
BE@RBRICK Taxi Driver Travis Bickle 100% & 400% Set
This figure set from the BE@RBRICK line depicts one of modern cinema's most iconic characters. De Niro's Travis Bickle appears as he does in the film's climactic scene. He wears his hair in a mohawk, shaved down after his first attempt at heroic fantasy. The edges of the mohawk feature a realistic, feathered appearance to mimic the texture of hair. The bear-shaped figure's ears are translucent to complete the silhouette of his head. The aviator sunglasses feature metallic gold paint for added realism. Bickle wears his U.S. Marines jacket, complete with the "We Are the People" pin on his chest. The "King Kong Company" patch can also be seen on his left arm.
- Product Name: BE@RBRICK Taxi Driver Travis Bickle 100% & 400% Set
- Manufacturer: Medicom Toy
- Specifications: Set of 2 painted, articulated, non-scale plastic figures
- Height (Approx.):
100%: 70 mm | 2.8"
400%: 280 mm | 11"
About Taxi Driver
Taxi Driver is a 1976 neo-noir psychological thriller film by director Martin Scorsese. The story follows PTSD-riddled veteran Travis Bickle. Bickle takes a job as a nighttime taxi driver to cope with his insomnia. He becomes both fixated on and disgusted by the dysfunction and sleaze rampant in the city. His existential dread leads to increasingly violent fantasies which result in his increased physical training and purchase of four handguns.
Bickle regularly encounters a young girl named Iris, who he discovers is a child prostitute. He fantasizes about saving her from her exploitation and continuously tells her to return home to her parents. At the film's climax, Bickle storms the brothel where Iris works and kills three men, ultimately allowing Iris to escape prostitution. He's heralded by the press as a vigilante hero and seemingly achieves peace with his life. In the final scene, Bickle's quick agitation betrays his growth, signaling his persisting mental health troubles.
Taxi Driver Reception
The film was a critical and commercial success upon release. Film critic Roger Ebert praised it as one of the best films he'd ever seen. It premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 1976 where it won the Palme d'Or. At the 49th Academy Awards, the film received four nominations including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actress for Jodie Foster. Foster's role in the film was a source of controversy upon the film's release. At 12 years old, viewers and critics worried about the effects of the film's violent themes on her emotional health.
Taxi Driver famously inspired the assassination attempt of President Ronald Reagan in 1981. The attempted assassin's given motive of impressing Jodie Foster has become a pop culture reference in itself. The film and the character Travis Bickle have influenced future psychological thriller films. De Niro's "You Talkin' To Me?" speech is one of the most quoted movie lines of all time.
About Travis Bickle
Travis Bickle is the protagonist and titular taxi driver of the film. Bickle is a former U.S. Marine suffering from PTSD, depression, and insomnia. His late-night job distracts from his insomnia but puts him in contact with members of the city's underworld. He grows increasingly paranoid over the film and fantasizes about "cleaning" the city of its "filth." His attack on the prostitution ring earns him praise from the city. However, it appears not to have answered his existential crises as seen in the last moments of the film. Robert De Niro received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in this performance. Travis Bickle is considered one of the best movie characters of all time, often considered an anti-hero or villain in some cases.
Other Important Taxi Driver Characters
Other than Travis Bickle, the most notable character in the film Taxi Driver is the source of his heroic delusions: Iris.
Iris
Iris is a teenage prostitute living in New York City played by Jodie Foster. Travis Bickle develops an obsession with Iris, fantasizing about saving her from her life in prostitution. Iris initially refutes Bickle and views her life in New York as glamorous and independent. She confides in Bickle her desire to leave and start a quiet life in Vermont when he urges her to go home to her parents. In the film's climax, Iris views Bickle's actions with mixed emotions. She is grateful for the opportunity to leave prostitution yet resents her lack of agency. At the end of the film, Iris leaves New York for Pittsburgh. Jodie Foster portrayed the role at age twelve, sparking a lot of controversy. Later in her career, Foster reflected on how no one on set knew how to approach her role due to its uncomfortable nature.
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BE@RBRICK Taxi Driver Travis Bickle 100% & 400% Set
BE@RBRICK Taxi Driver Travis Bickle 1000%
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