Review of The King of Comedy (1982) by Matthew B — 02 Feb 2008

Unlike anything else I've seen - this is the best thing Scorsese has ever done. Darkly and disturbingly humorous. With Travis Bickle it was possible to identify on some level with the frustrations that fed his violent actions.

But there is no room here to identify with Pupkin. He's ultimately no more than an image, just like the fictional TV persona created by Jerry Lewis that he so aspires to be. This film's portrayal of one man's lonely obsession with the false promise of celebrity is prescient of the kind of unrealistic and futile ambitions that shape so many wannabes today.