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| King of Comedy |
Signalling a change in pace and sensibility for Scorsese and De Niro,
The King of Comedy is a surreal, tragi-comedy that explores the social hunger for fame and notoriety.
Rupert Pupkin (De Niro) is a self-professed comic genius, obsessed with famous talk show host Jerry Langford (downplayed beautifully by Jerry Lewis). Spurred on by an equally manic 'Jerry' fan Masha (Sandra Bernhard), Pupkin hatches a plot to make their dreams of fame and fortune come true.
While very funny in parts,
The King of Comedy's real intrigue lies in De Niro's performance as a self-deluded comic: the simultaneously haunting and bizarre moments where Pupkin holds talk shows and fantasy conversations with himself in his basement, convinced that he is on the brink of realising his ambitions.
"With King of Comedy Scorsese again confirms his reputation as one of the most authentic, most original voices of his film generation".
New York Times
