MikeH

Chosen answer: It could be for several reasons. As you pointed out, it could be to avoid an NC-17 rating, though Scorcese could easily have used scenes that were not specifically pornographic. It may also be to keep the audience's attention focused on Travis and what was is going on in the scene and not be distracted by any pornographic material. Also, if you are referring to when the movie was being aired on TV, then any pornographic materials would have been blurred out to comply with FCC standards. Nudity and pornography cannot be shown on general TV stations.

raywest ★

Chosen answer: No, it just seems that Travis had no idea what to say to Betsy and after a while, a simple hello is all he could manage.

Dra9onBorn117

Chosen answer: One theory about the end of the film is that it is Travis' dying thoughts, but this is not the view of Scorsese or writer Paul Schrader...they intended the ending to be ambiguous and an ironic critique of the media's, and the public's, reaction to and interpretation of violence (Travis is hailed as a hero for rescuing Iris, but we can imagine a very different reaction had he followed his original plan of assassinating a senator). Interestingly, when the film was originally shown on television, the following "disclaimer" of sorts accompanied the closing credits: "In the aftermath of violence, the distinction between hero and villain is sometimes a matter of interpretation or misinterpretation of facts. 'Taxi Driver' suggests that tragic errors can be made. The Filmmakers."