Taxi Driver ending explained

What happens

Travis shoots Iris's pimp and two other men, is wounded, and survives. The papers hail him a hero, and Betsy even rides in his cab. His plan to kill Palantine is forgotten. The ending shows how easily violence gets praised.

The last image

Travis drops Betsy off without taking a fare, then glances in his rear-view mirror, and the old unease flickers across his face.

Two readings

1 · He is still dangerousThe mirror glance shows the same disturbance is still inside him, and the praise has cured nothing.

2 · A bitter ironySociety rewards the violence while ignoring the man, and he is celebrated for the wrong reasons.

What it says

The film refuses to settle whether Travis is a hero or a madman. The calm epilogue lets society turn violence into a flattering story, with no interest in the person behind it. His isolation remains, just unseen.