Nine Frame Analysis

Taxi Driver

1.) Fog is shown during the title sequence as it is a common convention and it occurs in most film noir.

2.) This is the title shot of the sequence. It shows the ‘Taxi Driver’ logo glowing through fog. This is effective as the lighting is dim which is a key feature of a lot of film noir and the fog which also a common convention.

3.) This shot shows an extreme close up of someone's eyes. The lighting is red, a colour which symbolizes passion and danger, these are also common conventions of film noir.

4.) This is a shallow focus shot through the windscreen of the car. It shows the neon lights of the busy city outside this tends to be a common location for most film noir. Also the weather is miserable and rainy, this signifies gloom and depression which are usually common conventions of film noir.

5.) This shot is a blurred slow motion long shot of a busy street, It gives an almost distorted and disillusioned view of the world. Disillusionment is a common theme in most film noir.

6.) A shot of people crossing the road is shown with a sort of red mist descended over them. This may signify that the public may be in some form of danger.

7.) an over the shoulder shot shows a small dingy office with smoke in front of the camera. Smoke is a common convention of film noir.

8.) This shot shows various people positioned in the background. The height difference and the the way that they are stood over each other may show the dominance and the hierarchy of these people.

9.) This shallow focus shot centers deNiro in the shot. The people in the background are blurred. This signifies de Niro’s importance in the sequence.