the king of comedy (1982)

for some reason martin scorsese's 1982 drama has escaped my attention in the past, despite not only owning the film for nigh on 4 years, but also the fact that i consider myself to be something of an authority on scorsese. way back when, as a small boy studying media studies at 15 years old scorsese was the first "auteur" i came across, and the influence from then has stuck. as a young catholic (albeit now denounced), i found a striking point and relatability within his work that stll holds strong; the concept of the unshakable conscience most notably. having seen reference to the king of comedy an unusual amount of times this past week the choice was made to give it a shot.

robert de niro, scorsese's muse for much of the late 70's/early 80's section of his career plays rupert pupkin, aspiring entertainer and full time crackpot. much is made of the basic synopsis of the king of comedy, which is best/usually described as -

"rupert pupkin kidnaps talk-show host jerry langford (portrayed by jerry lewis) and holds him hostage in return for a shot at performing on his television show."

but for me the film is very much a character piece, with the actual plot serving only as a way to move things forward. de niro is on stellar form, in a role which reminds this viewer of his earlier work in the likes of mean streets, yet fell after raging bull. the scenes set in pupkins psyche remind just how versatile a performer de niro actually is, with the variation between the different types of pipkin on display great in difference. special mention must go to sandra bernhard as a stalker that makes pupkin's attitude toward celebrity look reasonable, in a performance that rivals play misty for me's jessica walter. having never been a huge fan of jerry lewis i must admit to being very impressed with his appearance, in a performance that countered that of de niro's really nicely. lewis toned down is indeed a welcome (and dare i say rare) treat.

i found the the central premise of the king of comedy to be highly relevent, despite the 26 years that have passed since its inception. its a tired old notion, but the role of celebrity in our culture is more prevailant than ever, with the meandering adventures of many-a-nobody reaching the national news in some cases. we live in a society whereby anyone can be famous for no apparent reason, which would perhaps be a mecca of sorts to the likes of rupert pupkin. saying that, perhaps pupkin would have despaired at the fragile and throwaway nature of the modern celebrity, besmirching the responsibility that he ties to such a role?