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The legendary Robert De Niro is one of the best actors of his generation. A frequent collaborator with Martin Scorsese, De Niro has built a career with playing mobsters, villains, tough guys and everything in between. De Niro has had an illustrious career with winning two Academy Awards and many other awards that it will take all day to get through. De Niro has played some iconic movies and had stellar roles from Raging Bull, The Godfather Part II, Taxi Driver, Goodfella and that is to name a few. It is always a pleasure to watch this great actor.
Vito Corleone- The Godfather Part II (1974)
When asked what is the greatest sequel ever made, many critics will land on The Godfather Part II. Some say it is the greatest movie ever made, but many believe it is the best sequel ever. Robert De Niro is equally and even better than Pacino. He pretty much speaks the whole movie in Italian, and just the way he portrays the former Don is to be applauded for. De Niro portrays Vito as a kind man who only wants to help his community and friends. Most importantly, family means everything to him. De Niro, you deserve your Academy Award for this film. Bravo!
Travis Bickle- Taxi Driver (1976)
De Niro loves working with Scorsese. In this psychological drama, De Niro drops one of film’s greatest lines ever. As Travis, he is an unhinged veteran working as a taxi driver. His mind is completely going to the other side of the moon. De Niro is awesome in this role and seems to give his all to a role. The whole “You talkin’ to me?” will forever live on if film history.
Jake LaMotta- Raging Bull (1980)
Raging Bull is the perfect title of this Martin Scorsese. The movie is about boxing champion Jake LaMotta, a Raging Bull in the ring and life. This wasn’t so much a boxing film but a film about an unruly man, filled with extreme anger and just an overall despicable person. De Niro was great as the character and really showed how much of an asshole LaMotta was. De Niro just has a way of making his character come alive. De Niro’s mannerisms and just the way he acted and talk will rub you the wrong way.
Staff Sergeant Michael ‘Mike’ Vronsky- The Deer Hunter (1978)
The Deer Hunter is a Vietnam War movie that shows the happiness that goes on before the war but also the pain and fear that happens when several soldiers come back from the war. De Niro does his part but sometimes seems to go a little overboard with his acting. De Niro definitely showed the raw emotion, fear, and anger in his character. During the whole POW scene, De Niro was at his absolute best. Before and after that, he seemed to be a little overboard or quiet. He didn’t carry the whole movie but held his own.
Al Capone- The Untouchables (1987)
Al Capone, the American gangster with the nickname of Scarface and the boss of the Chicago Outfit. Capone was that larger than life figure. Capone is by far the most influential gangster ever and for film and television. De Niro was my boy in this movie. With his screen time limited, he made the most of it. I don’t know how Capone was in real life, but De Niro’s version makes him look like a cocky, arrogant man who takes no mess from anyone. The baseball bat scene was quite crazy.
James ‘Jimmy The Gent’ Conway- Goodfellas (1990)
This film is pure entertainment and one of if not the best gangster film of all time. This film has it all from a great story, amazing characters, iconic dialogue, violence, and the best storytelling in cinema. Taking somewhat a back seat to his co-stars, De Niro was great as Jimmy. You could tell that Jimmy was cool and the way De Niro portrayed him, made you want to be like Jimmy until he lost his mind.
Neil McCauley- Heat (1995)
I love this freakin movie for the cat-and-mouse game but for the intensity that it brings. Heat is one of those films that had a significant impact and is influential today. Director Christopher Nolan has stated that he drew inspiration in his portrayal of Gotham City from Heat. De Niro plays McCauley as a calm thief who tries to minimize all risks for him to get caught. He is loyal to his team, but homeboy has a code and will stick to it no matter what.
Maximilian ‘Max’ Cady- Cape Fear (1991)
In the remake of the 1962 film, De Niro is terrifying in this film. He plays Max Cady, a convicted violent rapist who found a loophole in the law and seeks vengeance against a former public defender whom he blames. When De Niro is on screen, goosebumps form on your skin because you can tell that he is an evil man and preying on his next victim.
Lorenzo Anello- A Bronx Tale (1993)
There are probably other films I could’ve wrote but I wanted to go with De Niro’s directional debut. De Niro decided to adapted Chazz Palminteri’s autobiographical and a coming of age story of a Young New York kid torn between organized crime and his hard working bus driver father. This was a change because usually you see De Niro playing a gangster which he does so well.
Jack Tiberius Byrnes- Meet the Parents (2000)
When I meet my soulmate, I hope it’s not a person like Jack Byrnes. De Niro is excellent as the Pam’s father, who is a retired CIA agent and a Vietnam War veteran. De Niro shows how a father is overprotective of his family and might be a tad bit paranoid. De Niro brought forth the iconic, “I am Watching You” scene.
