The 8 scenes that define Robert De Niro as an actor
Since his film breakthrough in 1973, Robert De Niro has paved a trail of cinematic masterpieces and consistent accolades with a series of quite brilliant performances. The actor is the face of Hollywood’s most acclaimed contributions, specifying within decades and genres such as psychological thrillers from the 1970s or gangster hits from the 1990s. Given his significance, award ceremony inclusions also follow De Niro, an actor who can now boast 94 nominations and 42 wins to his name.
It appears there is nothing De Niro cannot do, given that he has appeared in both dramas and comedies, switching to each genre’s codes and conventions with effortless ease. The star has embodied diverse roles from various walks of life, such as veterans to gangsters to overbearing fathers, guaranteeing his audiences an entertaining watch every time.
Now, with a 59-year career and at least 141 movies under his belt, De Niro is one of cinema’s most outstanding performers, evident in a portfolio of brilliantly acted and directed sequences. He exerts intensity, rawness and immense emotional landscape within his performances, stemming from the study of method acting and noting down character expansions in his scripts.
Including his brilliant collaborations with acclaimed director Martin Scorsese and performances alongside a series of immensely talented co-stars, here are eight scenes that define De Niro as an actor.
The 8 scenes that define Robert De Niro:
Electric Entrance (Johnny Boy, Mean Streets, Martin Scorsese, 1973)
This underrated gem from Scorsese centres on a small-time street hood who gets in trouble with some loan sharks. Falling foul of the gangsters leads him to seek the help of some criminal friends, including the thrill-seeking and dangerous Johnny Boy.
De Niro’s onscreen appearance as Johnny Boy may not have been his first, but it was the one that introduced him to the director he would become synonymous with. There is something extraordinary about Johnny Boy walking into a bar to the sound of The Rolling Stones’ ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’. Some slow-motion editing and vibrant blood-red lighting harmonise to alter the car crash Johnny will bring to the film, one you cannot tear your eyes from.
The Murder of Don Fanucci (Vito Corleone, The Godfather Part II, Francis Ford Coppola, 1974)
In Francis Ford Coppola’s sequel to one of the greatest American movies, The Godfather, audiences see the rise of notorious mafia boss Vito Corleone. The upcoming gangster navigates crime and loyalty in New York City after leaving his Sicilian roots.
As the young and upcoming head of the Corleone family, De Niro obtains power from a local kingpin, Fanucci, in a brilliantly executed scene. Corleone stalks an unsuspecting Fanucci from above with some compelling tunnel vision before revealing his Webley Mk VI wrapped in a white towel. De Niro juxtaposes this thrilling violence by meeting his innocent son Michael, presenting the layers of such an iconic crime character.
“You Talkin’ to Me?” (Travis Bickle, Taxi Driver, Martin Scorsese, 1976)
An ex-marine and Vietnam veteran called Travis Bickle works as a taxi driver in New York City to help with his insomnia. One day, he decides to save an underaged girl being sexually exploited by her pimp in an attempt to rid the city he despises of its corruption.
De Niro contributed to one of American cinema’s greatest characters in the role of Travis Bickle. In the character’s signature scene, he talks to his reflection, asking if it’s talking to him and pulls out a pistol. The scene offers the infamous line “You talkin’ to me?”, improvised by De Niro, which is cited as one of the best American film quotes of all time. The actor exerts a startling amount of disturbance and instability, yet you cannot help but be immersed in the raw energy.
Russian Roulette (Staff Sergeant Michael Vronsky, The Deer Hunter, Michael Cimino, 1978)
Three friends join the army to fight in Vietnam but are later captured by the enemy forces. They manage to escape but are soon separated and imprisoned again, negotiating their mental stability.
One dark scene that embodies the film’s disturbing insight into the psychological effects of war is the infamous Russian roulette scene. De Niro’s character plays a deadly round of pulling the trigger three times with the gun pointed to his head, looking at one of his friends with sinking darkness in his eyes. The short scene captures the danger, destruction and loss of self that war causes, channelled through the actor’s brilliant and thorough performance.
De Niro shared his time working on the film with GQ: “I liked the story and the dialogue. I just thought it was a terrific script. It was so simple, and it seemed so real to me. The characters spoke to me. I liked that they didn’t say much, that there wasn’t anything condescending or patronising toward them”.
Marlon Brando tribute (Jake LaMotta, Raging Bull, Martin Scorsese, 1980)
Scorsese’s biographical sports drama narrates the story of Jake LaMotta, a talented yet brutish boxer who exerts violence in his personal life to help with his career one. LaMotta prioritises his dreams of fame and success in the sports world over any meaningful relationship in his private life, an approach he comes to regret.
Despite exploring ambition, success, fame and power, as an ageing, overweight LaMotta prepares for a one-person show in his dressing room, this drama concludes far from happily. He reflects on his mistakes, looking in the mirror and reciting Marlon Brando’s “I coulda been a contender” monologue from On the Waterfront. Brando’s monologue focuses on LaMotta’s strained relationship with his brother, Joey, which is the core of this masterpiece.
Curtain Call (Rupert Pupkin, The King of Comedy, Martin Scorsese, 1986)
This satirical black comedy critiques celebrity worship through its central character Rupert Pupkin, as his ambitious yet delusional quest for fame leads him to kidnap his idol.
After kidnapping his comedy idol and holding him hostage, Pupkin performs a well-received act in front of a studio audience. In his act, he mentions his troubled upbringing but cannot contain his laughter as he does, lacing two extremes together in a disturbing presentation. The comedian then confesses to the audience that he kidnapped Langford to break into show business.
As the audience still laughs (thinking it’s still a part of his act), Rupert responds by saying: “Tomorrow, you’ll know I wasn’t kidding, and you’ll all think I’m crazy. But I figure it this way: better to be king for a night than a schmuck for a lifetime.” The scene is just as upsetting as it is disturbing, as audiences are forced to see an unwell man delude himself with the illusion of his dreams before he goes down for his crimes.
“Don’t buy anything big!” (James ‘Jimmy’ Conway, Goodfellas, Martin Scorsese, 1990)
This Scorsese classic, cited as a definitive gangster movie, tells the story of Henry Hill as he rises and falls in the criminal world, with fellow mob members James ‘Jimmy’ Conway and Tommy DeVito accompanying him.
Conway is introduced as a stable, wise, loyal guardian who takes a young Hill under his wing. However, De Niro balances this irresistible charm with dangerous threats once the mob’s world unravels. Conway tells his crew not to buy expensive items as giveaways of their crimes. However, his anger boils closer to the surface with every flashy signal he sees during a party, eventually snapping full force. The sequence is brilliant in showcasing De Niro’s range and ability to perform an intense build-up.
Dinner Conversation (Neil McCauley, Heat, Michael Mann, 1995)
Lieutenant Hanna, a detective, decides to catch a brilliant criminal after he promises to pull off one last robbery before retiring. The cat-and-mouse chase that follows has a detrimental effect on their professional relationships and personal lives.
In a scene that sees two of cinema’s greatest come together, Al Pacino’s lieutenant Hanna faces De Niro’s criminal Neil McCauley. As the two engage in a calm discussion, learning about one another’s lives, an underlying menace builds between the two leads. De Niro’s stylised performance exerts all the tension that puts the audience on the edge of their seats as he one-ups the mental chess battle the two are drowning in that leads the scene’s rhythm.
