by Stephen Kerr-Robinson

Created on: May 15, 2009   Last Updated: May 16, 2009

As soon as you have seen a film you can tell the truly great characters from the good or in some cases the painfully average. The actor playing the character has left their mark on the film by being able to deliver such a dynamic performance and being able to make you become emotionally involved in that character, which is their job to do. Although some characters draw you in to be more emotionally involved than others.

What I believe to be the best movie character is Travis Bickle out of Taxi Driver, the way Robert De Niro was able portray this lonely Taxi Driver was just fantastic. Probably an unlikely choice for someone that the audience can become emotionally involved in, but I personally did feel sympathy for Travis. He isn't the most likeable character, but I cared what happened to him.

What I really liked about Travis and what I do think makes him a great character is his naivety Travis talks a lot about how he wishes the a big rain would hit the streets of New York and wash away all the scum that swarms the streets. But he contradicts himself in the matter that he is basically one of those people, probably not to the lengths of some of them. But, there is a definite trait of his personality that makes it clear he is one of them. It may appear to be strange thing to be fond of, but just how nave he is and believing that he is somehow better than them.

Another example of how nave he is and how socially inept he is, is when he takes the girl he is dating Betsy to a porn theatre, and he believes that this is the most normal thing to do in the World. Travis truly believes that this is what couples do, and doesn't seem to understand that isn't how you treat a girl and after he is rejected by Betsy I feel sympathy for him. Because De Niro is able to bring out these emotions in the character, sure he messed up but I did feel a great deal of sympathy when he bursts into where Betsy works and keeps asking why she hasn't answered his call. He doesn't understand what it is he has done wrong.

Suffering another rejection Travis feels his sanity slipping until he comes across Iris an under age prostitute which he tries to save. What makes Travis a great character is how nave he thinks he is, and although he does have a blurred view of what right and wrong is he still wants to save this girl that he hardly knows. Although Travis is a bad person, his courage to put his life on the line for a girl he isn't close to just because he wants to save her is admirable.

To summarise I believe Travis is the best character of all time for the reasons that he isn't exactly a terrible person, but he is more trapped into a society that boasts crime and he believes himself to be some sort of hero and better than everyone there its nave thinking on his part but is equally balanced with wanting to save Iris. Robert De Niro was able to bring out these emotions. It's incredibly hard for an actor not just to play a bad guy, but to also make you care what happens to the character and De Niro perfected it.

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