Taxi Driver

Homework- Barthes' 5 narrative codes.
'Taxi Driver'













Classic Image from Taxi driver
1. The actions within this opening are fairly limited it depicts Robert DeNiro, The taxi driver Travis Bickle, Driving through the city looking at the night life.

2. The enigma codes in this opening are simply why is he paying such particular attention to is surroundings, why do his eyes look tired, stressed and slightly deranged. And also where is he diving too because we don't see a passenger.
3. There is only one character so we can presume from the amount of camera time that Bickle is our main character and that the narrative will revolve around him
4.The first reference within the opening is more of a social reference, the yellow taxi typical of New York which can help us establish setting also the profession of our character.
There's a hint in our characters eyes that he has an agenda or some sort of motivation from the way he looks at the people around him so some form of political, social or cultural motive may be in part.
The camera focus on Bickle also helps the audience to understand characters.
5.Themes come across muddled in this opening because of how obscure the shots are the only thing that adds indication is his eyes, he doesn't look entirely 'With it' he would apper to have some problem with something to do with society.