Robert deniro

A cinematographic animal capable of changing nuances according to the “environmental conditions” (also read, “script requirements”) of a film? The response for three decades has been the same among the public, critics and fellow professionals: Robert De Niro; or if you prefer, Bobby “Chameleon” De Niro. Because nobody like him to make transformation the very essence of the art of interpretation. The same dares to lose weight 15 kilos than to get fat with more than 20, to learn to play the saxophone than to get down to the marrow under the skin of disparate characters: from paranoid vigilantes to missionaries with a thirst for justice, from convicts with faces from angel to bastard devils, from powerful gangsters to gangsters who don’t paint a tail. No role has resisted his meticulous method of dealing with them -bordering on obsession- in which physical sacrifice is always implicit to the extent necessary. Not surprisingly, he is considered the most qualified actor of his generation and already one of the myths in the history of the seventh art.

Nothing of his bright future could the good Bobby suspect when under the guise of the cowardly lion ofThe Wizard of Oz was taking his first steps on stage. He was 10 years old and then this shy son of painters, born on August 17, 1943 in Greenwich Village (New York), considered becoming an actor and definitely moving away from the gangs that surrounded his neighborhood. At the age of 16, he was taking classes from Stella Adler and listening to Lee Strasberg ‘s lessons at the Actor’s Studio.

After working in marginal “Off-Broadway” theaters, he jumped to the big screen in 1967 at the hands of Brian De Palma , withGreetings . But it wasn’t until he formed a tandem with director Martin Scorsese that he began to shine with his own light and give life to his best roles. “Our work together is characterized by a kind of complicity and solidarity, as well as a minimum of fun that removes the danger of headaches”, De Niro dixit.Bad streets (1973) was the beginning of that prolific relationship. She later went on in such memorable films asTaxi Driver (who doesn’t remember Travis Bickle in front of the mirror?),The king of comedyone of us orCasino . But it was with the intense role of Jake La Motta inRaging Bull (1981) when De Niro touches heaven by winning the Oscar for best actor. An award that he had savored as a secondary interpreter, replying to his admired Marlon Brandon in the role of young Vito Corleone in The Godfather II (1974).

De Niro’s love for going one step further in the cinema has led him to try European cinematography ( 1900 ) and in projects with risky ethical intentions (the hunter ,The Mission ). On set, he is known for his eagerness to contribute ideas that enrich the story with new dialogues and even rewrite entire scenes. His concern has not stopped at the mastery of body language, at his capacity for metamorphosis in almost all genres, from drama (jacknife ,Awakenings ) and comedy (A dangerous therapyHer parents ) to the thriller (heat ,15 minutes ) and the musical (New York, New York ), going through the biopic (Men of Honor ), without forgetting an unforgettable gangster gallery. She has also wanted to be behind the camera. He did so after founding his own company TriBeCa Productions and shooting his moving debut.A Bronx Story (1993).

Bobby’s status has nothing to do with the stereotype of a handsome and glamorous actor that Hollywood has accustomed us to. In fact, beyond the screen, he doesn’t want to know anything, he puts a siege on his private life, he hardly gives interviews and the couché paper has been able to fill only a few pages with his divorce from actress Diahnne Abbott .(with whom he had a son) and love affairs with well-known women of color. He is simply interested in “people going to the movies, watching my movies and judging me for my work.” And his work is golden dust that spreads in wonderful stories. Despite the fact that he has been criticized lately for chaining too many roles – forgetting his old habit of giving himself time to readjust to the reality of a new character – he is still the king. Who had retained and as one day was published in Newsweek, even today he is the best example of an actor who combines super-stardom with creative ability. Why else would everyone want to work with Bobby?