'Taxi Driver' to 'Casino': Robert De Niro's top performances
What's cinematic brilliance, if you ask- it's the combination of filmmaker Martin Scorsese and actor Robert De Niro. But even without Scorsese, De Niro has delivered some excellent performances throughout his nearly six-decade-long career in Hollywood. From his early breakthroughs in Taxi Driver to iconic performances in Goodfellas and The Godfather Part II, De Niro's acting has left an indelible mark in film history.
'The Godfather: Part II' (1974)
De Niro stars as Vito Corleone in the second installment of one of the greatest and most influential films ever made and a landmark of the gangster genre, The Godfather trilogy. Francis Ford Coppola's crime epic film The Godfather: Part II narrates the rise of Corleone and the fall of his son Michael Corleone. De Niro won his first-ever Academy Award for the film.
'Taxi Driver' (1976)
This Scorsese and De Niro collaboration is touted to be one of the greatest films with a cult status. It follows a taxi driver Travis Bickle (De Niro) and his worsening mental health as he works nights in the decaying and morally bankrupt New York City after the Vietnam War. It earned both critical acclaim and commercial success along with four Oscar nominations.
'Raging Bull' (1980)
Adapted from Jake LaMotta's memoir Raging Bull: My Story, this 1980 biographical drama marks Scorsese and De Niro's fourth collaboration. De Niro plays the role of LaMotta, an Italian-American middleweight boxer who damaged his connection with his wife and family because of his violent temper. He gained 27kgs and learned boxing for the film and mentioned it to be one of his toughest roles.
'Goodfellas' (1990)
De Niro plays James Conway, an Irish truck carjacker and gangster, in the 1990 biographical crime drama film Goodfellas, his sixth collaboration with Scorsese. Adapted from the 1985 nonfiction book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi, the film follows the rise and fall of mob associate Henry Hill (played by Ray Liotta), his friends, and his family from 1955 to 1980.
'Casino' (1995)
After playing a series of different roles, De Niro returned to the crime genre with Scorsese's 1995 film Casino. De Niro plays a Jewish American handicapper and professional gambler, Sam "Ace" Rothstein. Based on yet another Pileggi's book Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas, it follows Rothstein hired by a Chicago outfit to manage the daily operations of a Las Vegas casino.
