2. Robert De Niro - Taxi Driver
Taxi Driver, Scorsese's 1976 masterpiece of modern alienation centers around Travis Bickle, played with stunning realism by Robert De Niro. Bickle is a relatively reserved and simple taxi driver, who drives any route available in New York, particularly at night. As the film slowly progresses into Bickle's psyche we discover that he is a perverted, angry, desolate and dangerous mess, diving deeper down into a pit of alienation and loneliness. De Niro gives an outstanding performance as Bickle, balancing all of these emotions in his portrayal. Through all the complexities, De Niro still manages to make Bickle slightly charming and sensitive to those around him, a seemingly deadly swath of violence wallows underneath, as he becomes a self-made vigilante. De Niro stands face to face with a mirror alone in his apartment, and creates a scenario of a face off with an enemy. He stands up to his fantasy opponent in the now famous "You talkin' to me?" scene. Bickle seems to be living most of his life in a fantasy, and De Niro morphs into a brooding time bomb of violence and rage not soon after this classic scene. De Niro creates a hero that we root for but really shouldn't be, and his Oscar nominated performance is one of his best ever. In 1999, De Niro parodied his "You talkin' to me?" scene in The Adventures Of Rocky & Bullwinkle.