The main theme of the film Cab Driver revolves around America representing the land of opportunity for immigrants. Kamal has left his wife and daughter behind in Morocco. An illegal immigrant, Kamal hopes to ascertain his green card and bring his family to America. Kamal has come to America, as have many immigrants before him, in the hopes of realizing the ôAmerican Dream.ö Also like many immigrants before him, Kamal comes to realize that the ôAmerican Dreamö is part myth and that only some find opportunities in the U.S. This is most clearly depicted when he informs a female passenger in his taxi that he has come here thinking there were opportunities. When she says ôIsnÆt there?ö, he replies, ôFor someö (Abdulla, 2005). Therefore, the filmÆs theme is that many immigrants view America as a land of opportunity that promises to fulfill the ôAmerican Dreamö of success but few will ever realize the opportunities and lifestyle associated with this myth.
There are a number of different settings in the film. The main setting is the city of Los Angeles, a bustling, teeming metropolis of diverse cultures and ethnicities. Los Angeles is an important setting with respect to the filmÆs theme. This is because Los Angeles represents the land of milk and honey with respect to opportunities, Hollywood movie stars, and ideal weather and locales. However, it is also a city where many come in search of success and end up finding failure instead. Likewise, the impersonal nature of the enormous population in Los Angeles reinforces the isolation and loneliness experienced by Kamal. KamalÆs apartment is a minor setting, one that shows he is of modest means and alone. His taxi-cab is another setting, the vehicle by which literally and figuratively he hopes to realize his dreams. A final setting is the restaurant owned by KamalÆs best friend, a fellow Moroccan. This setting represents that some immigrants do find a modicum of ...