"God's Lonely Man"
Filmmaker Martin Scorsese's central theme of man's isolated and alienated existence can be best exemplified by a review of the plight of his three lead characters in TAXI DRIVER, RAGING BULL and BRINGING OUT THE DEAD. In these films, the central characters are men who lack the social skills to function productively in civilization. Because these characters are unable to connect with others, they do not benefit from the support of family, loved ones or other social units. Alone in the world, alienated and isolated, they are overwhelmed by their environment and by the hyper-competitive and selfish, individualism-focused modern day society. The lack of productive socialization, the pace of a me-first modern race in life and a congested and overwhelming city leads all three characters to lose the concept of rational thought and react to others and to society in socially unacceptable, destructive, criminal and at times homicidal behaviors. In TAXI DRIVER, Travis is a Vietnam ...