Think the greatest thing in the world is to be world-famous? Who better than the creative artists in Hollywood to present an accurate example of the dark side of fame? Hollywood's filmmakers certainly have a vested interest in making fame look more burdensome than it really is: It keeps down the competition. Nevertheless, the sheer intensity of authenticity in the following portrayals of the alienation that is a byproduct of fame indicates that those in the know know a lot more about it than those who don't.
"The King of Comedy"
Martin Scorsese's criminally overlooked masterpiece "The King of Comedy" is enough to put anybody off the pursuit of fame. Jerry Langford is a late night talk show host on the level of Johnny Carson or David Letterman and the object of the nefarious plot by Rupert Pupkin to displace him as the titular entity. Pupkin is a far more sinister character than Travis Bickle, but he carries with him an equal share of pity resulting from his status as a lost soul adrift in a sea of humanity with whom he cannot connect.
Langford, however, is the really pathetic character. He lives in an upscale but utterly sterile and uninviting apartment, and his home in the country is no warmer. The most terrifying scene in the film is when Langford, knowingly portrayed by Jerry Lewis, ventures onto the streets of NYC. Put yourself in his place where he inhabits a world in which everybody knows his name as well as knows him by sight, but he cannot afford to get too close to any of those adoring fans.
In a foreshadowing of what is to come, one of those adoring fans instantly transforms into a snarling beast of personified entitlement when Langford simply and rightly refuses to honor her request of saying hello to the person with whom she is speaking on the phone. This minor indication of the shaky foundation of fame is immediately lent greater urgency as Langford realizes a genuine crazed fan is stalking him on his walk to work which, by necessity, becomes a run for his life.
"Citizen Kane"
Charles Foster Kane achieves a kind of fame quite different from that of Jerry Langford. "Citizen Kane" tells the story of innocence lost and power, wealth, and influence gained. Over the course of his long life, Kane comes to achieve a level of fame that surpasses most of those he covers as a newspaper tycoon. The first indication that such fame has its price comes early on when, Charley and his first wife grow apart in a justly famous visual montage.
Another celebrated scene from "Citizen Kane" has a much older and more legendary Kane go on a primal rampage inside his massive castle of a home filled with everything but affection. Kane's pursuit of power and consequent fame alienate him from his wives, his friends, his employees, his readers, and ultimately just about everyone with whom he comes in contact.
"The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"
The real Jesse James was nothing at all like the character assayed by Brad Pitt in "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford." That's OK, however, because this film is not attempting and failing at historical reportage like "JFK" is rather utilizing the conceit of its true story to make a comment on contemporary society.
This magnificent film, probably the most unjustly ignored and overlooked movie so far in the 21st century, absolutely would not work without an actor capable of contributing to it what Pitt does. The makers aren't interested in Jesse James the racist, vicious killer but rather Jesse James the folk hero whose face was more recognizable than the president's.
This addition to the western genre is the perfect companion piece to "King of Comedy" because what it is really about is the vicissitudes of fame. James is famous and wants to hide from the world. Robert Ford is ignored by the world and willing to do anything to stand in Jesse's shoes. Pitt brings his own awareness of the positive and negative sides of fame to the role in a way that allows him to almost effortlessly confer a sense of alienation within Jesse in every scene. Casey Affleck gives Daniel Day Lewis in "There Will Be Blood" a run for his money for the best performance of the first decade of the 21st century by capturing every single emotion inherent in the thirst for recognition that your existence here matters. The movie continues for another half hour after the assassination with a brilliant examination of the irony that befalls Ford upon achieving that fame he so feloniously pursued.
For more from Timothy Sexton, who has found enough fame already, thanks:
Movie Review: "Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"
Who's The Real Villain Here: Travis Bickle or Rupert Pupkin?
"The Wizard of Oz" as Allegory for Small Town Dreams of Hollywood Glory
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