Review of The King of Comedy (1982) by Tommy 'See The Treasure' S — 13 Nov 2013

As with After Hours and The Last Temptation of Christ, King of Comedy is one that tends to be forgotten amidst Scorsese's more widely known and oft-hailed classics such as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas etc. It's a shame that this savage satire on celebrity culture is so overlooked, as it is arguably one of his best, and undoubtedly one of his funniest movies. Likewise, it's probably DeNiro's most underrated performance. He is truly remarkable as the deranged would-be comedian extraordinaire Rupert Pupkin.

The story centers around Rupert Pupkin(Robert DeNiro), a slightly troubled(to put it mildly), fame-hungry man who fancies himself the next big player in the world of stand-up comedy. In his desperation to fulfill this dream Rupert decides to kidnap his ''friend'' and idol Jerry Langford(Jerry Lewis), in the hope of ensuring a spot on television to finally perform his stand-up in front of a live audience and convincing the world at large of his self-proclaimed talents.

One of the things that struck me while watching the movie was the close similarity with Scorsese's less comedic yet equally unnerving Taxi Driver. Like Travis Bickle, the iconic hero of that movie, Rupert is a deeply troubled character, at once deluded and narcissistic. De Niro channels Bickle in Pupkins obsessive nature, confrontational attitude and eerie charm. Both movies explore existential themes of alienation, loneliness and obsession. Despite his outward, pompous charisma Rupert is a lonely man who spends most of his time in his own manic head, conversing with life-sized cardboard cut-outs of the celebrities he so desperately wishes to be his peers. Unlike with poor Travis Bickle, Scorsese was kind enough to give Rupert a solitary companion, the equally bonkers and fame-obsessed Masha(a brilliantly demented performance by Sandra Bernhard). Pupkins is a more amiable and goofier character than Bickle, but in all honesty he is no less menacing. From the very first scene you can sense a dangerous person bubbling beneath his chummy exterior. To harp on about the similarities with Taxi Driver, there is also that strange ambiguity, particularly at the ending, where the apparent reality of the movie seems to have meshed with our hero's obsessive fantasies.

Arguably the movies greatest scene is where Pupkins finally gets the opportunity to perform his stand-up in front of a live audience. Wisely, it seems the writers elected that Pupkins comedic material should not completely stink. It's just mediocre, miserably mediocre; just good enough for someone like Pupkins to believe it's truly exceptional.

It's a strangely unsettling scene- watching someone as emotionally damaged as Pupkins recite wacky jokes about his difficult childhood. Scorsese seems to recognize something sad and wounded in the art of stand-up comedy. I was reminded of the scene in the final act of Raging Bull, where Jake La Motta performs a dire piece of comedy at his club, and how the strained laughter of his audience seemed to sum up the characters piteous downfall. Here, again, the stand-up scene is more depressing than humorous; Ironically it may be the least funny scene in the movie. One might feel uneasy laughing at such misery and degradation, if certain scenes weren't so absurd and at times clearly played for laughs. One particular scene springs to mind, where our hero attempts to force his way through Langford's TV studio. The situation is painfully awkward, yet somehow transforms into a slapstick cat-and-mouse chase scene. Misery and comedy are never too far apart in this movie.

On the whole, this is quite a dark movie, much darker than I expected it to be. It's also quite cringeworthy and sad but undoubtedly very funny. Rupert might be a lame comedian, but he makes for an immensely funny character. There's much more to discuss about this movie so I may have to edit this review in time. Like the best work of Scorsese and De Niro, it is a dense and subtle piece that demands a re-watch. But for now, I am happy to declare that this is a marvellous, funny and thought-provoking movie. An underrated gem. 10/10.