The King Of Comedy was the fifth collaboration for Director Martin Scorsese and actor Robert DeNiro and told the story of wannabe saddo and autograph collector Rupert Pupkin (DeNiro) on a personal mission to become a successful stand up comedian. After a chance meeting with his idol, TV personality Jerry Langford, played here by TV personality Jerry Lewis, Pupkin is led to believe that Langford has given him the ok for a kick start on his path for success. But as the movie progresses we see that he is a delusional, compulsive liar that lives with his mum and has been simply fobbed off by Langford.
Scorsese and DeNiro had already proven to be a partnership made in celluloid heaven, with gritty and grimy features such as Mean Streets, Taxi Driver and Raging Bull under their belts. So by the time that King Of Comedy was released, critics and audiences alike had probably built up their own expectations of what kind of films this pair would make. Maybe this was the reason that the movie was so poorly received on its initial release, the critics waiting like vultures to rip at the fresh corpse of a dud movie. Perhaps it was because the movie, although entitled King of Comedy, was not a comedy in the vane as other comedy’s currently playing in cinemas, and soon put off the punters on the streets.
In fact, I first watched this movie in about 2001, and I believe that the humour in the movie was more suited to that era than 1982 when it was released. Although the laughs here aren’t from slapstick or jokes, they are present, in a style of cringe worthy humour that we find in the analysis of both the wannabe and the celebrity, their distance and discomfort in one-another’s world. Laughs created from the constant mispronunciation of his Ruperts name, and the pathetic reality of Pupkins situation, his pretending and imagining of his own success. Laughs not dissimilar from when viewing Ricky Gervais’s David Brent in the Office. Rupert Pupkin in his garish suits, and with his nauseating moustache, interviews cardboard cutouts from
The King of Comedy is one of my favourite DeNiro / Scorsese projects, and definitely the most interesting. The actor and director explore similar territory and themes as they have in the past, but this time in the name of comedy. Apparently, this was DeNiro’s pet project, in much the same way that Raging Bull was. He wanted to master the comic timings of a comedian, and here was a film that once again gave him the opportunity of developing his repertoire and once again set on their home turf of New York. His obsession with comedy never faltered, as he guest occasionally dabbled in film, as well as appearing on Saturday Night Live from time to time, but an avenue I can only wish he’d left behind every time they release another Meet The Fockers movie.
What DeNiro and Scorsese managed to create in the legendary Rupert Pupkin, was a character who’s delusions, persistence and denial and interpretation of the truth as disturbing and relentless as Taxi Drivers human time bomb Travis Bickle. Also, his female counterpart Masha played by mouthy comedienne Sandra Bernhard is equally as dysfunctional and disturbed, and her performance is one that easily matches DeNiro’s sinister obsessive. Her gigantic stature, demented features and imposing shrill voice is enough to unsettle any celebrity she chose to stalk.
Jerry Lewis practically plays himself as the celebrity Jerry Langford, and I can only guess he drew from past experiences. He did say that he wasn’t happy with the movies ending, and had even suggested that the film should end with Jerry’s death, although Scorsese didn’t wish to go down that route. Vs it stands the ending is one that is debatable in its authenticity. Is that really how the movie ends, or is it purely another one of Ruperts dillusions? There are many aspects of it that suggest that it is.
Scorsese’s choice editor Thelma Schoonmaker returned to the editing suite for her second feature film collaboration with the director, and again she does an excellent job. It may be a little more relaxed than the frenetic technique she adopted for Raging Bull, and later used in Goodfellas, but her seamless fusing of Ruperts reality and his imagination works to hilarious and initially a baffling effect.
There are cameos from Scorsese’s mum as the voice of Mama Pupkin, Scorsese himself as the Jerry Langford Show director, members of the Clash including Joe Strummer credited as street scum, and is that Goodfella’s wig wearing Morrie, Chuck Low, mimicking Rupert in the background during Ruperts initial date with Rita?
As I said, the movie was poorly received on its release, and a flop, but on ethat since has accumulated a large cult appreciation, and has made its way on to many celebrated lists of must see movies. If you haven’t already seen it, its available now at a reasonable price on DVD, and worth every penny, or cent.