Part Three - Robert De Niro

Part III - Robert De Niro

Bobby D. is as recognizable a name in acting as any that there has ever been. The early muse of Martin Scorsese long before Leo DiCaprio was discovered, De Niro shared a New York upbringing in Manhattan just blocks from the famous director. Although never acquainted until 1972, they met at a party shortly before filming Mean Streets, recognizing each other from the old neighborhood, and the rest is history. Interesting fact: Scorsese wanted to cast De Niro in Nicholson's role in the Departed in 2006 (www.imdb.com). Imagine what that would have been like.

Known for his extensive body of work playing tough guys, cops and borderline psychotics, he established himself as a credible actor in the early 1970's with his versatility, unique manner of speaking and brilliantly natural sense of timing; both physically and verbally. He is recognized by virtually every critical publication and cinemaphile as one of the top 5 actors of all-time. Here are his 5 greatest performances.

Godfather II (1974)

De Niro played the young Vito Corleone character, originally played by Marlon Brando. For the role, he perfected his Sicilian accent and gave audiences their first glimpse of the star that he really was. His role in 1972's Mean Streets was well done, but was really more of a warm up for a career of superstardom.

De Niro's Corleone had glimpses of Brando's attitude and raspy voice, and the sequence of events leading to the rise of the Godfather was done in convincing fashion. He clearly articulates the transition from Italian refugee arriving at Ellis Island without a family or friend to a fearless street hustler who eventually heads a mob family.

His first collaboration with Al Pacino kept the two of them separated, as they played similarly aged father and son in flashback form. However, there is a distinguishable difference in their Italian styles, even at a relatively young age. Pacino relished his role as Michael Corleone, playing the cool emotionless prodigy. De Niro on the other hand is scrappy and exciting as the young Vito, delivering an uncertainty and tension despite knowing the outcome. He shows the world how to build an empire through action, and not just talk. It was truly a great coming of age film for him.

Taxi Driver (1976)

His second of 7 collaborations with Scorsese, the film garnered rave reviews from the onset and ended up with 4 Oscar nominations. Some defiled it for its ultra violence and ambiguous ending, while others respected the message that it delivered and the performances, including a startling introduction to a precocious 14 year old Jodie Foster. Audiences and critics were polarized, but whether they loved or hated it, they respected its artistic vision as it ushered in a new generation of psychologically riveting film.

De Niro uttered one of the phrases most commonly associated with his vast body of work, and it turns out that it was completely improvised (although possibly inspired by Bruce Springsteen). Staring in the mirror, fantasizing about a tough guy persona and simply asking "You talkin' to me?" De Niro transformed into the disturbed and jaded Vietnam vet, Travis Bickle and shows his method acting as he slowly loses his grip on his sanity. His performance inspired John Hinkley Jr. to attempt an assassination on Ronald Reagan, and there have been talks of a sequel as recently as 2005. The performance is like a train wreck - it is harrowing and frightening, but you just can't look away.

Deer Hunter (1978)

Understated epic that delves into the effects of the Vietnam war on 3 friends from a small town in Pennsylvania. De Niro is the glue that holds the friends together, and even saves them from certain death in Vietnam. This role is a bit of a departure from De Niro's typical performances - it shows more emotional range as opposed to physical and verbal, and puts him up against Meryl Streep, whom he has said is his favorite actress to work with.

The most memorable scene, with heart-stopping and breath-holding tension ended up winning Christopher Walken his lone Oscar; the three friends are together in a Vietnamese prison camp and are forced to play Russian Roulette against each other. It is one of the most intense scenes in film history, and De Niro was an integral part of it.

Although the film ends without much positive resolution, instead it conveys Michael Cimino's portrayal of how the war changes people, and ultimately alters life for everyone who lived through it. The parallels of the characters hunting deer in the remote woods near their homes, and going off to war together are stark and stirring. Deer Hunter marks the third Oscar nomination for De Niro in a five year span.

Raging Bull (1980)

De Niro's second Oscar win was playing real life boxer Jake LaMotta. He gained a staggering 60 pounds for the role, which at the time was the most an actor had ever gained for a film. Raging Bull is the apex of De Niro's distinguished career. Not so much that it has been downhill since then, but because the years 1974 - 1980 was a window in which he accomplished what few other actors ever have.

The film was shot in black and white to give a feeling of the times, and due to his attention to his craft, De Niro became Jake LaMotta in every way imaginable. He took a believable turn as a fit boxer, displaying the attitude and demeanor of a working class man in 1940's New York. The tragic downward spiral of lost fame mixed with a fighter's uncontrollable violent tendencies and paranoia tears his family apart and sabotages his attempts at ending a great career as a champ.

Capitalizing on the success of Rocky a few years prior, Raging Bull is a more introspective look at the sport. The familial interactions, and the disappointment shared by everyone involved when a fighter is experiencing his lows casts a dark shadow all around. It is De Niro however, who seems oblivious to the physical impact of his fights, and is consumed with his pride and his jealousy. It's perhaps the most critically acclaimed performance of his career, and deservedly so.

Cape Fear (1991)

One of the more frightening characters in film history, Max Cady is a convicted rapist, fresh out of prison and out for revenge against the family of the defense attorney who failed him. It's a cautionary tale for defense attorneys everywhere, and De Niro's Cady is both unpredictable and sadistic. The film itself is not so much well done, as it is yet another Scorsese collaboration, but it is intended more for the character study and the shock value of the fear he evokes. It is a remake of a 1962 original in which Robert Mitchum plays Max Cady. The newer version maintains many of the elements shown in the original story, but it is De Niro who blows it out of the water.

He received his sixth and final Oscar nomination for his work in Cape Fear, and solidified a stellar career, although he has been working since, most notably in 1995's Heat, and the Meet the Parents films (2000, 2004). Although he is now in his late 60's, he is still considered one of the most versatile and stalwart figures in the industry.

Robert De Niro achieved 2 Oscars in 6 nominations from 1975 - 1992. He also won 1 Golden Globe in 8 nominations between 1977 and 2001.