Review of The King of Comedy (1982) by Paul Z — 08 Aug 2008

The King of Comedy belongs in the group of Scorsese films that are fairly obscure and hardly thought of as the type of movie Scorsese would make. It's a departure for most of the main people involved. Not only is it very isolated in terms of genre in Scorsese's filmography, as he rarely makes movies that not only tackle its subject matter but also mix humorous and serious tones, but for its three stars as well, De Niro, Lewis, and Bernhard.

De Niro, only maybe ten movies shy of spending an entire career on gangsters, tough guys, and troubled borderline madmen, delivers a wonderful performance as Rupert Pupkin, a troubled man, criminal and troubled in his own eccentric ways, but in such a way that's cleverly funny. Rupert is a happy-go-lucky guy with childlike wonder whose obsessive dream is to become the king of all comedians. His mother's interruptions of his dreamy occupations in his basement are the bane of his existence, as he yells back at her like an aggravated, bratty child. It's rare that Rupert understands the reality of any given situation he's in and his reactions once he grasps at least a semblance of that reality are what drive the film to his clever turning point.

Lewis, if so late in his career, demonstrates the extent of his ability as an actor. His portrayal, though he is mirroring his own self in many ways, is so masterfully effective and convincing, a man who makes his living making people laugh but offstage wants isolation from that demanding world of pressing attention. Part of the more explainable way that Lewis creates such a compelling character is the subtlety in his performance. For instance, in an interview on the DVD, Scorsese recalls a scene wherein Lewis improvised during a scene where he's in a pressureful confrontation, clamming up with his arms folded in an introverted, defensive way.

Bernhard, who constantly claims that this film is the highlight of her career, plays easily the saddest character in the whole movie, and one of the saddest ever seen in a film by Scorsese. She's so realistic yet so manic, and full of nervous drama.

The writer of The King of Comedy, Paul D. Zimmerman, seemed to know a lot about the harsh underbelly of the comedy world and knew very well how to portray it. It's not a movie that stands out in classical bodies of work like Scorsese's or De Niro's, but it's definitely worth a look.