Nor do I think it's supposed to be...
However, to me it is one of the most painful and bleakest film I've ever watched. 40 mins in, I was even thinking about turning it off
The only other two films that made me feel the same way are Bergman's Cries and Whispers and Von Trier's Breaking the Waves
It's definitely a great film, but am I the only one who feels the same way, that it's not even remotely funny, just disturbing?
It's satire, not slapstick. As satire, it's meant to be funny in a very dark way (and in my opinion many of Rupert's delusions and obsessions are comical, and his ultimate triumph was a hilarious commentary on fame).
shareYeah its not a comedy its one of them films where what they do and scenes of the more serious things that are not played for laughs are funny..
Like i laugh at deniro when he turns up at jerry's house and his not getting what jerry is saying like basically your weird and get out of my home..
A couple of hours ago do you know who i was talking to
? Er your shrink
It is the blackest of black comedy. It is a profound examination of the nature of fame and celebrity culture, even more relevant and pertinent now than it was on it's release. You are right it is very disturbing indeed .
Gordon P. Clarkson
It's certainly not laugh out loud funny, but there were parts such as Masha's outburst at Jerry or Rupert feeding Jerry the cue cards during his kidnapping call that made me laugh. But thematically, yeah, it's a really bleak, depressing film about a sad, pathetic individual who desperately needed fame to feel secure about himself.
shareWhich is not entirely different from Gil Renard, the character DeNiro played in The Fan. The difference for me is that, as dangerous as he turned out to be, I pitied Renard more than anything, for his blind and unwavering devotion to the Giants, at the expense of everything else. I enjoyed both movies.
share[deleted]
"40 mins in, I was even thinking about turning it off."
Me too. I was dreading what would happen when this nebbish finally realized he wasn't going to be in show business. Lot of blood, lot of innocent lost lives, I expected.
It's not a spoiler, I hope, to say I'm glad it didn't turn out that way.
I thought it was very funny. Dark and funny. etc etc
share"40 mins in, I was even thinking about turning it off
How true!
If I had seen it in a theatre, I would have walked out earlier than at 40 minutes in. Scorcese seemed to be trying to depress his movie audience from the get-go.
The only saving grace for this thing was the performance by Jerry Lewis. For those of us old enough to remember Lewis' talented comedy when paired with Dean Martin, Lewis' deadly serious and depressing role here - as a "comedian"! - impressed the heck out of me. Everyone else in the huge cast was a major disappointment, especially Robert De Niro.
It looks like the French really are right in recognizing Jerry Lewis' talent as an all-around actor!
Sadly, 4/10 for this mess.
E pluribus unum
This movie is worth watching because of De Niro's performance alone.
shareScorsese says it's his favorite De Niro performance. I've watched this movie 20+ times (one of the few who saw it in a theater 33 years ago) and it's still in my top 5 films of all time.
When Scorsese describes Rupert as even more hostile than Travis Bickle, he isn't kidding. Rupert is the ultimate passive-aggressive nobody, and De Niro nailed it.
I'll never forget what my friend's dad said after seeing it all those years ago:
"It kinda left a bad taste in my mouth."
If I had seen it in a theatre, I would have walked out earlier than at 40 minutes in. Scorcese seemed to be trying to depress his movie audience from the get-go.
No, you are not alone in your assessment - I know exactly what you mean. I watched this film again for the first time in a number of years, and I agree with you that it is actually very disturbing.
Everyone has dreams. Everyone has ambitions. Everyone has imagination, and sometimes we get a little carried away in out imaginations, especially when we're young.
Most of us manage to keep our imaginations in check. But what we see in the De Niro character is a breakdown between fantasy and reality, and Scorcese presents it well. To witness that breakdown is frightening, which is what makes this film so unsettling.
There are parts that are genuinely hilarious... and no, they aren't Rupert's jokes.
I guess i have a hard time separating black comedy verses normal comedy, because my humor IS black. When i see it... i just appreiciate the humor... it doesn't run through my mind that this type of humor is not typical.... i think its the way that it should be, in the first place.