Actor Spotlight: Robert De Niro
We recommend two performances from the legend as 'Killers of the Flower Moon' hits theaters
How do you even begin introducing one of the greatest screen actors to ever live? Robert De Niro has done and seen it all in Hollywood. He’s starred in several of the best films ever made, won countless awards, and worked with many, many legendary directors and co-stars. While his output in the last couple decades has been choppy at best, his shadow will hang over film acting for a very long time. And even at age 80, he’s capable of a truly inspired throwback performance.
De Niro has reunited with his old pal Martin Scorsese (and teamed up with DiCaprio and Marty together for the first time) in Killers of the Flower Moon, out in theaters now. We can’t wait to see it (look out for our breakdown on the podcast next week!), but in the meantime we wrote about a couple of De Niro’s best performances. Thanks for reading, and if you’re not subscribed to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, make sure you do that!
Drew recommends…
The King of Comedy
Rupert Pupkin will do anything to be a television star. In his head, he’s a natural stand-up comedian with charm and wit that people can’t resist. In reality, he’s mediocre at best. This push-and-pull between fantasy and reality defines Martin Scorsese’s brilliant The King of Comedy. As Pupkin, Robert De Niro becomes a delusional celebrity-worshiping maniac that goes to terrifying lengths to make his dreams happen.
After the success of Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, De Niro and Scorsese took a left turn in 1982 for their next deep character study. The King of Comedy lightened the tone and changed up the setting from their previous dark and violent collaborations. Rupert Pupkin is a desperate aspiring comedian that is obsessed with talk show host Jerry Langford (Jerry Lewis, playing a character similar to his real life persona). In an attempt to get on Langford’s show, Pupkin has the idea to kidnap him.
The King of Comedy is equal parts cringy, uncomfortable, and entirely fascinating. You start off not taking Pupkin that seriously, until, as his behavior becomes more and more unhinged, you start to realize he’s not that far off from a Travis Bickle. It’s another masterclass performance from De Niro, one that is so perfectly modulated between funny and frightening. When we do finally see him do his stand-up routine in front of a crowd, Pupkin doesn’t bomb; he’s just fully average. It’s an interesting and ambiguous choice in a movie full of them.
While The King of Comedy did bomb at the box office that year, it has rightly lived on as one of Scorsese and De Niro’s underrated masterpieces, as well as a prescient satire of media and celebrity. The right filmmaker could remake it for the social media era, as this type of character is still very present in our culture. It’s alarming how many figures out there seem to believe Pupkin’s mantra that it’s “better to be king for a night than schmuck for a lifetime.”
Available to rent on digital platforms
Billy recommends…
Jackie Brown
This is easily the hardest Robert De Niro for me to understand. He’s definitely not bad or miscast, but am so confused why he took this part. Besides the obvious “wanting to work with Tarantino” aspect. A very supporting character and aloof most of the runtime. De Niro plays Louis Gara. A reunited right hand man to Ordell Robbie, played by Samuel L Jackson in his subtly harrowing performance.
Gara has hinted at a past life of potential to be successful in this “business” but his time away seems to have softened him, made him care less, or just bored. Comfortable as a henchman and more competent than others in this crew, but this role is all he will be. While this character feels a little beneath De Niro I don’t think there has ever been a more convincing burnout. Most exemplary portrayed in a scene where Jackie Brown (Pam Grier) comes storming into Ordell’s apartment in a fit of rage. Louis hardly moves and observes their yelling happening on the patio. Ordell tells Louis to call someone and he does but there is no answer. Then his uninspired attempt of trying to untangle the phone cord to hang it up is some of the greatest physical comedy acting ever put on screen.
There are more reasons to watch Jackie Brown than just De Niro, but it is such a fascinating role for him at this point in his career. The 90s was a big transition point for him. He wasn’t in a lull or needing a resurgence, but seemingly more willing to cast himself in a supporting role. And this is the funniest, most understated he may have ever been. We need more burnout bad-at-his-job De Niro.
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From the DYLA Archive
Links
This is a lovely conversation between Martin Scorsese and Timothee Chalamet for GQ. Maybe Chalamet will star in a Marty film someday soon.
The Ringer ranked the best characters in a Scorsese movie.
If you are desperate for the powerful return of the theatrical rom-com, it looks like Anyone But You starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, could be it.