The King of Comedy (1983)

Directed by: Martin Scorsese | 109 minutes | drama, comedy, crime | Actors: Robert De Niro, Jerry Lewis, Diahnne Abbott, Sandra Bernhard, Shelley Hack, Ed Herlihy, Lou Brown, Doc Lawless, Catherine Scorsese, Cathy Scorsese, Liza Minelli, Leslie Levinson, Margo Winkler, Tony Boschetti, Joyce Brothers, George Kapp , Victor Borge, Ralph Monaco, Rob-Jamere Wess, Kim Chan, Audrey Dummett, June PrudHomme, Frederick De Cordova, Edgar J. Sherrick, Thomas M. Tolan, Ray Dittrich, Richard Dioguardi, Jay Julien, Harry J. Ufland, Scotty Bloch, Bill Minkin, Diane Rachell, Tony Randall, Charles Scorsese, Mardik Martin

‘The King of Comedy’ is a film with a smile and a tear. Stars Jerry Lewis and Robert De Niro are in their element as entertainers and aspiring entertainers. Director Martin Scorsese broadens his horizons quite successfully by showing the schizophrenic life of a celebrity. Moreover, the film is an early messenger of the cult of idols that became normative after the millennium.
New Yorker Martin Scorsese pays tribute to old-fashioned entertainment with ‘The King of Comedy’, which had its heyday in the fifties and sixties. The jokes are quick and witty, there is canned laughter and Scorsese films from time to time in TV format. Grainy television image gives you the impression that you are one of the ninety million people who watch America’s most popular family program every night.

No wonder mad cymbal jerry Lewis is taking on one of the lead roles, even though icons like Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra were higher up on Scorsese’s initial wish list. Veteran Jerry Lewis turns out to be a serious actor in ‘The King of Comedy’. His role, in which he is a joker on the TV and a serious man in reality, contributes greatly to the strength of the film. ‘King’ is not about comedy, but about the facade surrounding the medium of television. Jerry Lewis is a TV celebrity in ‘The King of Comedy’, people on the street adore him, but when he’s home alone, he’s no different from your neighbor, so to speak.

In addition, Robert De Niro is in great shape as an amateur comedian, Rupert Pupkin. He sucks, irritates and moves as a lonely fringe figure who wants to become famous at all costs. ‘The King of Comedy’ is thus an early predictor of the real life hypes that fill our picture tube after 2000. Also typical of ‘King’ is that De Niro’s comedic talent, as in later humorous roles, is not convincing. The joke, however, is that the half-baked, amateurish scenes fit perfectly into the story of the tragic protagonist, Rupert Pupkin. A nice role in ‘The King of Comedy’ is reserved for the dark Diahnne Abbott, who later married De Niro, but in the film is his “girlfriend”.

Scorsese’s signature style of quick cuts is less prominent than usual, with the exception of the beginning of the film. ‘The King of Comedy’ therefore doesn’t seem to be Scorsese’s most cherished film: the project was difficult and the relationship between “Marty” and De Niro took a hit. However, ‘King’ has enough strong moments, not least because of a decent story, which also has weaker sides. Pupkin’s morbid penchant for fame and Lewis’ double life, a god on stage and average in reality, form a solid foundation. Unfortunately, the scenes of De Niro putting pressure on Lewis with his female counterpart (Sandra Bernhard) can’t break any pots. Too amateurish and unbelievable. ‘King’ is something different from the macho characters that characterize much of Scorsese’s work. De Niro is enlightening in his role as a tragicomic amateur who wants to be famous for once in his life. However, he will never become a top comedian, which does not apply to Jerry Lewis, who gives De Niro a good match. Nice film, an ode to TV entertainment of the past and a chillingly precise forecast of today’s famous culture.