Taxi Driver (1976) - The psychosis of violence as a motivation.

As the investigations of the Boston Bombings continue, despite the complete overwhelming internet presence of amateur sleuths - however messy and over the top it was - that would include the conspiracy theories which were way off the scale. This time it appears that the professional analysis will be focused more on the sociological and psychology makeup of the two young men responsible for the Boston Bombings.  Which so far with the reporting (sensible) has indicted a degree of social isolation, marginalization, whether  induced or encouraged by a divided society.  With a quote, that would indicate the building psychosis of the Boston Bombers (eldest brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev): "An amateur boxer, he was arrested in 2009 on a domestic-violence charge and was quoted as saying in a photo essay, “I don’t have a single American friend. I don’t understand them.”

A psychosis wrapped up in so-called Islamic radicalism, for all intents and purposes was embraced by two very Americanized young men from Russia.

I don't want to draw parallels with popular culture references regarding the tragic events that occurred in Boston, but Martin Scorsese's 1976 classic Taxi Driver is probably the closest movie documentation of male psychosis in modern society.  As the main character Travis Bickle (Robert De-Niro) slips further into extreme violence - as social isolation and paranoia reach a crescendo, albeit vigilante orientated.


Taxi Driver: