Listing The Similarities

If you find yourself thinking the brief summary of Taxi Driver I gave sounds surprisingly similar to the plot of Joker, then you’d be thinking correctly. If not, allow me to illuminate

First and foremost the similarities between Arthur and Travis are extensve. Both are troubled men uncomfortable with the world around them. They have trouble holding relationships with people, are prone to extreme behaviors, and have an afinity for violence. Both end their respective films in a bloody act of triumph, a physical act of rejecting their respective societies. Hell, they even dress the same, what with the boots, bellbottom pants, and tan jacket.

outside the main characters, both feature a failed romantic interest. Travis tries, almost obtaines, but ultimatley looses the effection of Betsy, while Arthur pines over Sophie. While Travis’ interaction leads to heartbreak and further frustration, Arthur’s constant stalking seems to act to add distance from society, with Sophie being another aspect he misses out on. Although the interactions play out differently, they serve to further isolate each protagonist.

Another similarity is the inclusion of a prominant political figure. In Taxi driver, that role goes to Charles Palentine, who spends the film campaigning for mayor of New York. He is about as bland as politicans get, with him serving as a target for Travis’ anger. In Joker however, this role goes to Thomas Wayne. Whule Joker has more complexity with this character, he serves practically the same role. These two figures in each film act again to distance our protagonists. They are clean, “good intending” politicans who are severly out of touch with the the downtrodden. They might mean well but the come across as little more than an extention of a larger issue.

There’s also the portrayal of violence as an empowering force. While it happens much earlier in Joker, both Travis and Arthur gain control and power through killing. Arthur begins his evoluton into the Joker after killing the three assholes on the subway. Travis begins his transition into his climactic showdown after killing the thief in the convienence store. Both have scenes before their first kills brandishing their guns, finding a sense solace in the authority it gives. And both change after their kills, illustrated through staring at a TV, destroying prperty, or just good ol’ dancing.

Finally, there’s the final climactic ending. While drastically different scenarios, they mean the same thing for our titular characters. Both are a final last outburst of anger. For both our characters, their violent actions act as a catharsis for their bottled emotions.

Joker has been spit on by nearly everyone, his mother, his city, and even his favorite comedian. He kills Murray not as a message to incite city wide chaos, but to make himself feel better about the chaos of the world. Travis on the other hand, attempts (and fails) to kill the figure he’s projected his anger onto, Palentine. With that option no longer viable, he decides to go after the next scum he can think of, Iris’ pimps.

In the end, while very different, the climactic acts of violence are seemingly the only options left for the lead characters. In a world where they feel out of control, helpless, and abandoned, drastic actions like theirs help them take back what little they can.