# Let's talk about DeNiro's characters in Scorsese films (open spoilers likely)

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-deniros-characters-in-scorsese-films-open-spoilers-likely/403725
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [May 11, 2007, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-deniros-characters-in-scorsese-films-open-spoilers-likely/403725 "2007-05-11T17:14:37Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Page:** 2

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### Author: ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [June 6, 2020, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-deniros-characters-in-scorsese-films-open-spoilers-likely/403725/21 "2020-06-06T05:58:10Z")

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I’ve been giving these questions some thought over the last thirteen years.

> [@Acsenray](#):
>
> But what’s with Johnny Boy? Other than showing us someone with apparently no self-reflection at all, what are we supposed to think about him – other than that he might be brain damaged as a result of childhood abuse?

Don’t overthink Johnny Boy. He’s a supporting character in what is Charlie’s story. Johnny Boy is somebody that Charlie feels an obligation to even though he knows he’s causing him problems. Johnny Boy is essentially the personification of the neighborhood. That sense of obligation to where he came from is why Charlie can’t solve his problems by just walking away from it all.

> [@Acsenray](#):
>
> What’s supposed to be the lesson here? That sometimes all it takes is a brutal bloody shooting rampage based on marginal-at-best reasoning in order for someone to take his place as a functioning member of society? Was his shooting spree all it took for Bickle to feel comfortable with himself and his place in the social order? What the freak is up with that?

Like Johnny Boy, Travis Bickle is intended as a personification rather than a full character; in this case, the personification of a point of view. Travis represents the way some people see the world, which means that not everything we see on the screen is an objective portrayal of what’s happening. It’s events the way Travis sees them happening. And the ending, as others have said, represents the point (maybe in death) where Travis’ world separates completely from the real world.

> [@Acsenray](#):
>
> So what am I supposed to think about La Motta? He seems awfully like Johnny Boy in that he seems to have some kind of mental defect that prevents him from interacting normally with other people.

Here we have a full character. Jake LaMotta does not represent anything other than himself. The point of this story is to show how even a man with great gifts can be brought down by the flaws that exist alongside those gifts. The message is that you can escape a lot of things in life but you can’t escape yourself.

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