Don't be fooled by the title, first off. Often compared to Taxi Driver, this 'black comedy' (on closer inspection not a comedy by any means) is one of the more genuinely sad films I've seen. Rupert Pupkin, played by Robert De Niro, is a wannabe comedian stuck in a dead end communications job. He desperately wishes he were Jerry Langford, his idol and a comedy show host. He manages to meet Langford, but when he is brushed off he devises a more drastic and immediate way to get his routine on the Jerry Langford show. It's very much like Taxi Driver in a lot of ways - Rupert and Travis Bickle share ultimate loneliness, although Rupert tries to cover his up with laughs, while Travis builds his existence around it. They both unsuccessfully attempt to make connections with the outside world, which fail because they really are living in a dream world (Rupert more literally than Travis). While Travis turns his terrible pain into violence against himself and strangers, Rupert tries to turn his into laughter. This is most notable in his actual routine that he does - it's full of jokes, but they only serve as a shabby cover for an ocean of sadness. I guess the most glaring similarity are the very ends of both movies, which would give too much away to tell.
Review of The King of Comedy
