The King of Comedy (1980)

Director: Martin Scorsese

Story: Paul D. Zimmerman

Cast: Robert De Niro, Jerry Lewis, Sandra Bernhard

Time: 109 minutes

Bottom-line: Not a comedy after all, but rather a reality bite

Martin Scorsese goes out of his normal line of filmmaking and directs the satirical dark comedy, The King of Comedy. A film very poorly received at the box office on initial release (grossing only $2.5 million against a $19 million budget), the film eventually gained praise and recognition in the coming years and, in my opinion, showcases one of De Niro’s best performances.

Better to be king for a night, than a shmuck for a lifetime.

Rupert Pupkin (De Niro) is an aspiring stand-up comedian, desperate for a “big break” in his career. He is a stage-door autograph hound, who gets a chance to share a ride in the car of Jerry Langford (Lewis), an immensely popular talk show host. He tries to convince Jerry to give him a chance on his show, after evaluating his recorded performance. However, he is continuously rejected by Jerry’s office staff, and finally by Jerry himself, to the point where Rupert reaches his breaking point. He partners with another hard-core fan of Jerry, Masha (Bernhard), and abducts Jerry at gunpoint, agreeing to release him if Rupert gets a chance to appear on the talk show. Does he finally get his “big break”?

De Niro as Pupkin

All of us – at some point or the other – want to be famous; we at least want our “fifteen minutes of fame”. How desperate we are to achieve this is what defines what we do. Here, we see the ultimate case of obsession: a man who lives in a fantasy world where he is famous, more than he lives in the real world; a man who does not even realise that he is being rejected, time and time again. The story and direction are so beautifully done that you do not know whether to laugh or pity the character of Pupkin – kind of like the character of The Tramp in City Lights. As I said, this is not a film that makes you laugh; it is, in fact, depressing to some extent, to see a man struggle to achieve his dreams when virtually nothing and no one is supporting him.

 

Lewis as Langford

In many ways, the overall course of the story is similar to that of Taxi Driver: a man determined to do something, he’s alone with no one to support him, and when all the orthodox methods fail and he reaches his breaking point, he has to take extreme steps. Both Travis Bickle and Rupert Pupkin live in a world of imagination, and, like the climax of the 1976 film, whether the ending is a fantasy or not is for us to decide. Though the awards don’t reflect the fact, De Niro’s performance is easily one of the best of his career. The way he plays a character in constant denial, always putting a smile on his face hoping the moment will come – in a film all about showmanship – deserves praise. Among his eight collaborations with Scorsese, the latter considers the role of Pupkin to be his favourite.

Bernhard as Masha

This is a movie filled with characters each caring only about themselves, or as a critic put it: everybody's just waiting for the other person to stop talking so they can start, and this makes the film a reality bite. It is a wake-up call saying that no one is going to care about you unless you’re wealthy, powerful or famous. In a world filled with Jerry Langfords, you are going to have to be as eccentric as Rupert Pupkin to be “the King”, even if it’s only for fifteen minutes. Is it worth it? Or is it okay to “be a shmuck for a lifetime”? The King of Comedy might not be Scorsese or De Niro’s most well-known work, but watching it will influence you a lot.

My Rating: 3.5/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 90%