This is a 1982 film starring De Niro. For such an old film, no one would care about my spoilers. The plot is very simple. If I don't get involved in the plot, I can't write it, so I have to say sorry first.
The film is about a comedy-loving little guy, Rupu Pugin, who dreams of becoming a world-famous comedian, but can't get in. In desperation, he had to find the most popular talk show actor Jerry, and begged to participate in the talk show hosted by him, hoping to become famous and win the favor of the girl Rita. But Jerry was perfunctory to Lu Pu in every possible way. First, he promised him to talk to each other on the phone, and then asked Lu Pu to show his recorded performance. In fact, he neither answered the phone nor watched Lu Pu's video, and was busy playing golf. Fortunately, Lu Pu has an optimistic heart as a comedian, and still perseveres to find Jerry's home. This made Jerry in a hurry. When Lu Pu asked Jerry why he didn't answer his phone, he told the truth: "I just wanted to get rid of you by talking to each other!" His words made Lu Pu finally understand the reality , he was driven by disappointment and impulsiveness, and he kidnapped Jerry. And put forward conditions to the show organizer to let him replace Jerry to host the talk show. The other party naturally accepted his conditions. The evening performance showed the strength of Lu Pu, a comedian, and conquered the audience. He was also jailed for kidnapping. In the end, everyone was happy. Lu Pu became famous, wrote a memoir, and appeared on the stage after being released from prison, which was popular with the audience.
Watching this movie reminded me of a domestic movie "Endless" that I had seen before. There is also a kidnapping scene. The difference is that the kidnapping in "Endless" is related to "profit", and the kidnapping in "King of Comedy" is related to "name". In the same way, the masterminds of the two kidnappings are not only ruthless gangsters, but also ordinary people we can see everywhere. Doing the business of kidnapping is two knives. In "Endless", Ge You tied Wu Qianlian to a chair, but he was exhausted and sweating profusely. In "The King of Comedy", Lu Pu coerced Jerry, but dropped the fake pistol unprofessional. In life, we rarely encounter kidnappings, and we rarely see big names. It's just that in movies, seeing kidnappings makes our heart beat faster; on stage, Wang Jianlin's humor makes us laugh out loud. The rest is the bloody affair of those celebrities, who has attempted suicide again, who is divorced for the eighth time, who has three or four more illegitimate children, and so on. Use these to embellish and pass our empty and boring days. However, no one can predict that this kind of kidnapping of these big names will participate in the lives of ordinary people. When this kind of collision occurs, it will naturally lead us to some thinking.
Look at Jerry first. Although he has a great reputation and rich material enjoyment that ordinary people do not have, he does not have a life of his own. He said: "It hurts to do a show like mine. With so many things to come out, it's hard to clear your head. I'm just a person full of flaws. The show, the pressure, the crowd, the autographs, the demands, the competition. People who think they are friends, you can't be sure of your future, because of their competition, there are too many pressures every day, long and boring days." Jerry shown in the film is such a celebrity who can't control himself. As he walked on the road, people greeted him everywhere, overwhelmed him. An old lady first asked him to sign, then cursed him for cancer. The fanaticism of the groupies made it difficult for him. Aside from feigning humor on stage, his spare time is occupied by these fans. It is also difficult for him to answer one after another worship call, and it is difficult for him to help one after another who seek help. Although Lu Pu is not strictly a groupie, it is difficult for him to identify Lu Pu as a potential genius. In his eyes, Lu Pu is just one of many fans. Of course, after becoming a big player, I think that my identity has improved, and those who were the same as me in the past will naturally be inferior to me. But he is inseparable from the pursuit of these fans, and his success depends on these mortal beings. Therefore, he was kind and amiable to them on the surface, but in his heart he was full of contempt for them.
Look at Lu Pu again. He loves comedy, and he also has the talent and strength of comedy. He knows the history of fame for every comedian in the show business. He firmly believes: "Everyone can get what he wants, if he pays the price." But he has not yet realized what the price will be. His desire to become famous, the motive here, to get rich is not the main thing, just his love for comedy and getting Rita's heart. He said: "It's better to be the king of the night than to be a fool for a lifetime." This is a typical American way of thinking. After hitting a few nails, he was angry at Jerry's indifference. "You only need a few minutes, and I spent my life for this." After pressing it, he decided that kidnapping Jerry "that's the only way I can get into the entertainment industry." Thinking about it carefully, Lu Pu is actually taking up Jerry's resources, and Haofeng, with his strength, sent me to the blue sky. Similar to this, on a certain day in a certain month of a certain year, one of our future singers entered the examination room through the window. In their minds, the days in the circle were so dazzling and splendid that they would not hesitate to be a lunatic for this reason.
In society, especially in the entertainment industry, there are many accidents. Such as our lovely Wang Baoqiang, as well as many stars who sing, dance, and become famous. The so-called "stand out" refers to this kind of accident. People recognize and accept this chance. It is precisely because of this accidental existence that countless star dreams of innocent friends have been born, and dreaming has become an indispensable part of people's lives. However, it should be noted that chance is not inevitable, and it must not be accepted by society. I was always puzzled before, since "the great road is like blue sky", why is Li Bai always lamenting "I can't figure it out"? Later I understood that the so-called Dao is the rule, and the rule is the social phenomenon recognized by the majority, or the social phenomenon created by the majority. This is inevitable. Sometimes, strength, ability or ability is not a necessary factor for your success, but also depends on your opportunities. Lu Puman thought that he could eat by his ability, but he was very wrong. And the subsequent kidnapping, apart from the legal punishment, do you think he succeeded? Once Lao Tzu's apprentice said to Lao Tzu: Your teeth are gone, but your tongue is still there. Lao Tzu said: That's right, the hard ones are gone, but the soft ones are still there. After a short night of glory, Lu Pu will only become more lonely and helpless, and more alienated from this society. Sadly, he cannot tolerate this society, yet he cannot break away from it. Slowly, he will helplessly adapt to the society, adapt to the rules that people have been accustomed to for a long time, and be a boring person. See through, most people live like this, don't care whether it's sad or happy, people are used to it.
The narrative of the film is natural and describes a complete and believable story. The opening and closing songs are also very good, and fit the plot of the film.
My rating: 7.5.
These two days, to prevent the new virus, so I stayed at home and watched a few old movies to fight it. There are "The Count of Monte Cristo", "Tank Battle", "Sea Wolf", etc., and even "Party Dissent" in 1916. Couldn't find an older one again. I also plan to watch Stephen Chow's two "The King of Comedy". Unfortunately, there is no impression. Friends and relatives recommend the latest "1917", let's take a look tomorrow.
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