Things I Love: The King Of Comedy

Or as I like to call it, The Most Underrated Film of All Time.

You see, when this film came out in 1983 it was almost universally panned by critics and audiences alike. However, over the years and the test of time, this film is now widely regarded an unheralded classic. Of course part of the problem is that it is a DeNiro/Scorcese collaboration, and the world was clamoring for another Taxi Driver, Raging Bull type dramatic masterpiece . What they instead got was the story of a deranged comedian trying to crowbar his way into stardom by any means necessary. People were baffled. Where was the Scorcese touch? The DeNiro masterclass?

Aha! That's is precisely where their first mistake lied. You see, friends, this film is, in my humble opinion of course, one of DeNiro's finest performances, for the simple fact that you actually forget that is him at all, and instead get completely lost in the utter pillock that his character, Rupert Pupkin, is. Also, the reason why Martin Scorcese is the greatest director around is because he does one very simple thing every time. He lets the story dictate the style it's told in.

Goodfellas? Mafia. Loads of violence. Loads of cocaine up the hooter. Might want to speed things up. Lots of camerawork, music, fast editing etc. Same for Casino. Taxi Driver. Raging Bull or The Departed for that matter. However, in this film, there is absolutely no camera trickery. No crazy edits. No rock n' roll music. He just sits back and lets the story flourish. And as a result gives us a brilliant film.

Rupert Pupkin is one of the most subtlely creepy people ever put on screen. His equally mental friend, played by Sandra Bernhard, is only a shade less weird and Jerry Lewis (basically playing himself) is deadpan hilarious as the mega-star TV Host who is the object of their affections.

All in all. See it. Now. It is a hilarious, slightly disturbing glimpse into the world of celebrity infatuation that seems eerily even more relevant today than ever before. Perhaps that's why people only like it now.

Maximum respect.

John.