The King of Comedy

⭐ 9/10

Any time a movie gets a 10/10 on WeView it climbs closer to the top of my watchlist. Scorsese makes great movies, so of course I was going to like this one.

It is impossible not to think of Taxi Driver the whole time, and like that movie I was expected an explosion of violence that never really comes. Comparing Travis Bickle to Rupert Pupkin is not difficult, and both are surprisingly modern. Taxi Driver really put incel energy on the big screen, but I think this movie's depiction of parasocial relationships in the modern age is pretty incredible. The internet didn't exist but Rupert is the most "online" person ever, playing out scenarios in his head, convinced that the people he idolizes would love him if they ever got the chance to meet them. We have unlimited access to everyone we idolize and it feels like every day I am surrounded by a barrage of opinions, but also people trying to become famous! And that's ultimately what Rupert dreams of, everyone knowing his name and loving him. I was blown away by how relevant it all felt, Rupert as the avatar for every person with a ring light and social media.

The ending of the movie had me feeling the same way as I did at the end of Wolf of Wall Street. I would like to believe its a fever dream and none of his dreams come true, and I think that may be how its supposed to be interpreted, but like Jordan Belfort I hated realizing anything good could happen to this guy - he doesn't deserve it! I also couldn't believe how blatant of a ripoff the Joker movie was. I know everyone said at the time its just this and Taxi Driver, but it really is exactly that, kind of crazy. Joker also resonated with culture at the time.  Like a lot of Scorsese protagonists I think these sleazy awkward schmucks trying to get rich and famous is a timeless story that will always resonate.

This movie never became completely great for me, probably because I was comparing it to Taxi Driver the whole time, or even Goodfellas, which is a more dynamic movie. I really do love watching something like this with knowledge of what comes before and after it. Seeing consistent themes and ideas playing out across different stories from a single artist is what makes movies meaningful, and more rewarding than the million other things put in front of my eyes every day.