Member review

The King of Comedy is one of Scorsese's most intriguing films. De Niro's performance is quite remarkable, and surely ranks among his best. This time, he plays a comedian struggling to make it big, a totally different performance to that of his previous collaboration with Scorsese, Raging Bull, another example of his extraordinary versatility as an actor. What I found when watching this, is that it is a totally different film to the director's other efforts, most of which are gangster dramas. King of Comedy is a more a character study and is more subtle as a result, with a meticulously crafted script and a real depth of character. The film can't decide to be a comedy or a comment on society, although it must be said, it veers more to the latter, with great social commentary and a sense of character. There are many reasons for my 5 star rating, but I think the factor that stands out in this film are the performances. It almost fells like we are not simply watching Robert De Niro portraying a character, but watching a trip through the life of the struggling comedian, Rupert Pupkin. Anyone interested in studying Martin Scorsese's career must watch The King of Comedy as it is an example of the pinnacle of a director's career and a film with emotional depth and intensity, one that is audacious in it's storytelling.