Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese) or The Searchers (John Ford)

  Both The Searchers and Taxi Driver are films about frustrated, angry white males who direct their anger against “others” and are haunted by what one could call a “saviour complex.” Today, in the light of the terrorist acts committed by white supremacists groups in the U.S. in recent years, some critics might even describe the forms of masculinity these films engage with as “toxic.” The similarities are no coincidence: Martin Scorsese credited The Searchers not only as his all-time favourite Hollywood movie, but also as a direct influence on Taxi Driver. With these similarities in mind, please analyze and interpret one of the two films (of course, you are encouraged make cross-references, but the main focus should be on one of the films) in the perspective suggested above. How are the films indicating that something is wrong with their (anti-)heroes? What psychological issues do they have and how does it impact their actions? How is the filmmaker distancing us from the main characters? What role does style, mise-enscène, acting, cinematography play in this attempt to “deconstruct” or dismantle the perspective of the anti-heroes? Is there anything we can learn from these films for our times? Do you think the critique in these films works – or should it have been more overt? Please indicate at the beginning what film you are focussing on. At least once in your essay focus on a significant scene and its formal aspects. (Answer this question in a multi-paragraph essay)