King for a Night.

For a filmmaker with such a large body of work as Martin Scorsese a few underrated gems are sure to be overlooked and overshadowed by some of their more popular work. Beyond his crime movies like Mean Streets (1973), Goodfellas (1991) , and The Departed (2006) and such concrete classics like Taxi Driver (1976) and Raging Bull (1980) a few great films are undeservedly pushed to the back, quite notably his comedies like the hilarious Kafkaesque After Hours (1985) and one of my absolute favorites from Scorsese, which I'll be discussing here, The King of Comedy (1983).

Anyone who thinks Robert De Niro lacks a range of roles needs to watch his work prior to Goodfellas. Taxi Driver, Mean Streets, Hi, Mom! (1970), Brazil (1985), and The King of Comedy all show some great versatility from the seasoned actor. I would also say that his turn in The King of Comedy is one of his best.

De Niro is Rupert Pupkin, an aspiring comic with grand fantasies of jumping right up to the comedic big leagues through his desire for a spot on a Johnny Carson-like late night show hosted by Jerry Langford (Played by comic legend Jerry Lewis). Pupkin himself is naive, delusional, and ultimately pathetic in his attempts to corner the famous Langford. While at first seemingly determined it's shown that Pupkin is instead just oblivious to the reality of his surroundings and situations while he's stuck in his own fantasies of fame. There are several great scenes where the movie plays out some of Pupkin's fantasies which involve buddying up with his idol Jerry Langford and often consist of praise and admiration showered upon him from the comic great. De Niro plays Pupkin seamlessly. He constructs a performance with subtly and care. As the character slips further into his own delusions his mannerisms never seem forced or over the top which shape the character into a realistic portrayal of a person governed by the visions in their own head.

After the inevitable failure with his simple attempts to jump into the good graces of television entertainment Pupkin, with the help of a crazed fan of Langford's played by Sandra Bernhard, kidnaps Langford in an all or nothing attempt to force his way onto the late night airwaves. Scorsese uses the ending result as a big satirical kick in the ass to the entertainment industry and it's a shame that the director hasn't made many more warped, yet intelligent comedies like The King of Comedy (Thankfully, as I mentioned earlier, After Hours is a great one from Scorsese as well).

Though to categorize the movie simply as a comedy is somewhat unjust. It's funny for certain, and a great satire of the industry, but it's also a great exploration of a mind distorted by their own version of reality, the one in their head. Though not as dark as De Niro's turn in Taxi Driver, it's perhaps just as interesting. It is also the type of main character we rarely see in some of our best and most popular movies. Pupkin isn't a hero, commendable, or rarely even that likable up until he delivers his "Schmuck for a lifetime" line, which after all the crazed plans he has throughout the film rings surprisingly insightful. But in some way, in an almost sad way, Pupkin feels all too relatable. His fantasies feel like an extension of the illusions and day dreams most every individual must at some point in their life fantasize about, just most of us are able to keep our feet firmly grounded in reality which perhaps in it's own way is a blessing and a curse.