“I’m a little short on cash but I’d love to buy you an appetizer some time…”
The King of Comedy remains one of Scrosese’s outlier films from his catalogue like After Midnight or Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. It doesn’t deal with New York City crime families nor would it be considered an epic tale. Large sections of the film are confined to the imagination of Rupert Pupkin, the film’s lead character. Pupkin is a failed comedian with an unbreakable will to make it on the Jerry Langford Show, a thinly veiled imitation of the Johnny Carson Show.
Pupkin is played by Scrosese regular Robert DeNiro and Langford is played by real life comedy giant Jerry Lewis. It’s nice to see DeNiro far from his comfort zone, not one iconic frown can be found in this performance, even when he gets angry. His portrayal of Pupkin is unique and delightfully discomforting. Lewis’ Langford must constantly fend off the many crazed fans who adorn him when he walks to and from his studio. An issue which probably wasn’t a far reach for Lewis considering the massive success that he attained throughout the 1950s. Despite the brooding chaos that percolates throughout the film, one can help but be whisked away to a more innocent time when even celebrity stocking was handled with modicum of decorum on both the part of the stocker and the security. Pupkin makes numerous attempts to break into the Langford studio and is met with a certain level of respect and politeness that would likely be quickly tased away today.
One thing that gives the film an edge is Pupkin’s insistent politeness, he never quite loses his cool but his insanity is forever present, bubbling just beneath the surface. Pupkin also has a counterpart Masha, another unstable female stocker looking to get her hands on Langford for entirely her own reasons, played with ease by real life comedian Sandra Bernhard. The two are each other’s own worst influence, often breaking out in brutal fights on the street and constantly accusing the other for their latest foiled plan. Eventually the two work up the gumption to take matters into their own hands after realizing that they harness no charm in their persistence.
The film offers great acting and the stellar soundtrack one comes to expect from any Scrosese flick. The fantasy scenes which are frequently interspersed throughout the story’s reality are done with a subtle touch. The tell that the scene is a fantasy is often revealed later, giving the viewer a certain sense of uncertainty from start to finish, making the film well worth the watch.
Not dated a bit since its initial 1982 release but rather aged like a fine wine. The film’s humour is limited for a title like The King of Comedy, but when the jokes hit, they land.
One can’t help but wonder if the film’s plot was the inspiration for the 2019 Joaquin Phoenix rendition of The Joker. Not only is the plotline scarcely similar but in what could only be a nod to The King of Comedy, DeNiro is cast in it as well. Only this time the tables are reversed, he is no longer playing Pupkin but Langford.
Watch the full movie below.