August 17, 2018 Robert Anthony De Niro Jr. turns 75 years old. It is difficult to find a person in the world who does not know this name. The charismatic master of the stage, thanks to his talent and work, reached the pinnacle in cinema as an actor, director and producer.
A family
Robert's surname is of Italian origin - his great-grandfather Giovanni di Niro and his wife moved to the United States from Italy, during the registration process, “di” was transformed into “de” due to the carelessness of the immigration official.
Robert's childhood, adolescence and youthful years passed on the streets of Little Italy and Greenwich Village, the habitat of creative bohemia. The future actor had great chances to go to jail, like his fellow walkers, but his father, a famous artist and sculptor, who literally took his son from the streets, saved the situation. Mother Virginia Admiral did not raise her son since the moment when Robert was two years old and his parents divorced.
Carier start
The future actor played the first role at the age of ten in a play about a wizard from the country of Oz, brilliantly playing the image of a cowardly lion. After high school, Robert got into the New York Performing Arts Film School. His teachers were the masters of their craft, Stella Adler and Lee Strasberg, who introduced young Robert to the Stanislavsky system.
De Niro gained his first serious cinema experience in 1963, starring in Brian De Palma's “Wedding Party”, which was released only six years later. Therefore, the starting point of the actor’s film career is often considered the episode in the film “Three Rooms in Manhattan” (1965).
More than fifty years have passed since then, during which time the name of Robert De Niro became known throughout the world, he was recognized as one of the best actors, and admirers of talent number in the tens of thousands.
Top movies
The filmography of Robert De Niro consists of more than a hundred paintings in which the actor starred. The audience was especially delighted with the following.
The Godfather 2 (1974)
The second part of the famous film story of Francis Ford Coppola, brilliantly narrates about the adventures of young Vito Carleone (performed by De Niro) and his formation as an influential mafia head of New York. Shooting partner was Al Pacino, who played Michael Corleone. Two storylines subtly intertwined in the film, transferring the viewer from the past to the present of the Corleone family. Before shooting The Godfather 2, Robert De Niro spent three months in Sicily. The film received six Oscars, including unprecedentedly - one Oscar (debut for Robert) for a role performed by De Niro in a foreign language.
The Fight (1995)
Another crime drama where Al Pacino and De Niro played together, whose heroes are on opposite sides of the law. In the movie “The Struggle,” Robert De Niro plays the best Los Angeles criminal of that time, Nick McCauley, Al Pacino embodies the image of detective Vincent Hannah. A filled plot, dialogues of the main characters - Michael Mann was able to perfectly mix all the components in order to make a movie masterpiece. The film has been nominated for a number of awards (Saturn, Chicago Academy of Film Critics, Society for Cinematography and Sound Recording, MTV Movie Awards).
The Taxi Driver (1976)
The drama of Martin Scorsese, where Robert De Niro appeared in the guise of the Vietnam War, Travis Bilk, who works as a taxi driver and is gradually losing his mind, setting the goal of clearing the city of “dirt”. One of the scenes of the film with the legendary phrase of the protagonist "Do you speak to me?" included in the top 100 in the history of cinema. The film received the Golden Palm Branch in 1976 at the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for an Oscar in four categories in 1977.
Raging Bull (1980)
This work by De Niro in the team of Martin Scorsese brought the actor an Oscar, Golden Globe and an award from the National Council of Film Critics of the USA. At the heart of the picture is the fate of the American boxer Jake Lamotta , nicknamed the "angry bull", who inability to control emotions, aggressiveness, anger and suspiciousness brought a lot of trouble both to others and to himself. For the role of Robert De Niro took boxing lessons and gained twenty kilograms of weight.
Evil Streets (1973)
The filmography of Robert De Niro is rich in paintings by Martin Scorsese, “Evil Streets” is one of them. The actor plays Charlie, the nephew of the Mafia boss from New York's Little Italy area (where, incidentally, Martin Scorsese grew up). The film immediately transfers to America of the 20s, forcing, together with the main character, to experience a choice between past and future, between his feelings and relationships. For participation in the film, De Niro is awarded a prize by the United States Film Critics Council.
“Beat the Drum Slowly” (1973)
This is a story about the friendship between baseball players Henry Wiggen and Bruce Pearson, the latter played by De Niro. Bruce is diagnosed with an incurable disease, and then the plot develops around Wiggen’s desire to make his last season the most vivid and unforgettable. For this role, De Niro received his first award - the New York Film Critics Award.
The Untouchables (1987)
The crime drama of Brian De Palma about the struggle of US special agents with the famous gangster Al Capone (Robert De Niro). In this film, along with De Niro, the brilliant beginner Kevin Costner played the role of the representative of the law Eliot Ness, who hid the thunderstorm of the underworld behind bars. The film received an Oscar, Golden Globe, ASCAP, Grammy Awards and other awards.
The King of Comedy (1982)
And again, Martin Scorsese with his first comedy (or rather tragicomedy) and Robert De Niro in the title role. The actor plays Rupert Papkin, an ambitious character who tries to gain fame and recognition at all costs. The film was nominated four times for the British Academy Award and was presented in the main program of the festival in Cannes.
The Deer Hunter (1978)
The story of Michael Cimino about three friends - Americans with Russian roots, who went through the horrors of the Vietnam War, which radically changed their destinies and essence. Brilliant cast (except for Robert De Niro, the main roles were played by John Casale, Christopher Walken, Meryl Streep, John Savage) and a strong plot allowed the picture to receive audience recognition and many awards. The film was awarded five Academy Awards, two British Academy Awards and one Golden Globe, and is also listed on the Library of Congress Library.
“Nice Guys” (1990)
One of the top paintings in the filmography of Robert De Niro. And this is again Martin Scorsese with a story about life and climbing the career ladder of novice gangsters Henry Hill, Jimi Conway (De Niro) and Tommy De Vito. The enthusiasm of critics was reflected in the production of the tape in first place among the best films of the year. 33 prizes and awards received from various film academies are the best recommendation for watching this criminal drama.
The Twentieth Century (1976)
Bernardo Bertolucci made a historical drama about Italy in the first half of the 20th century, revealing the theme through the fate of people from different classes: the grandson of the landowner Alfredo (De Niro) and the son of the farm laborer (Gerard Depardieu). He became the best European film in 1977.
Cape of Fear (1991)
Thriller, whose director Martin Scorsese predictably became, added to the list of films starring Robert De Niro. The inveterate criminal and psychopath Max Cady performed by De Niro came out very convincing, as evidenced by three nominations for awards for the main male role (Oscar, Golden Globe, MTV Film Award).
"New York, New York" (1977)
One cannot fail to note another Scorsese painting in the filmography of Robert De Niro. "New York, New York" is a musical lyrical drama with elements of comedy. For the role of Jimmy Doyle, De Niro mastered the saxophone, Lisa Minelli became the partner in the film. A story of love and misunderstanding of the characters, framed in dialogues and jazz music, will not leave anyone indifferent.
Catch Before Midnight (1988)
The adventure comedy of Martin Brest allowed De Niro to show that he can not only brilliantly play the “tough guys”, but also be funny. The actor acts as a private investigator Jack Walsh, who is engaged in the capture of an accountant who stole fifteen million dollars from the mafia. The success of the film can be demonstrated by voicing the box office: $ 80 million.
“My Boyfriend Is Crazy” (2012)
The comedy drama of David O. Russell is marked by many awards and nominations, of which eight - on the Oscar. In the film “My Boyfriend is Crazy” Robert De Niro played the head of the family, the role was very bright. The plot is built around a former school teacher who came out of a psychiatric clinic, who is trying to establish a personal life.
The list of films with the Robert De Niro comedy plan should include films that did not receive prizes and positive reviews from film critics, but became hits by a mass audience. These paintings perfectly cheer up, making you forget about everyday worries and problems. “Malavita”, “Analyze That” and “Analyze It”, “Big Wedding”, “Meet the Parents” - Robert De Niro becomes the key to the success of films of any genre.