Ranking De Niro's Performances In Scorsese Films

For sheer dedication alone, it could only ever be this. De Niro learned to box, and to carry himself like a prize fighter. He got into the shape of his life - and then gained 70 pounds on an (undoubtedly enjoyable) eating frenzy in western Europe. But even if he’d used body doubles and fat suits, this would still be one of the great performances in cinema. De Niro is astonishing here, so tightly wound, explosive, and ultimately tragic.

De Niro’s greatest achievement in this masterpiece is making you feel sympathy for a man with as many repugnant qualities as Jake La Motta. What’s more, he doesn’t do this by ramping up the charm, or dialling down the nastiness (a criticism you might level at Wolf Of Wall Street). He gives you La Motta warts and all, the violent, wife abusing, walking ball of rage. And yet, when you see him twenty years down the line, desperately trying to cling on to some kind of relevance, De Niro breaks your heart all the same.

Backed by a stellar cast, De Niro is nothing short of astonishing here. Without chewing scenery or relying on volume, he commands every second of this film. It’s one of the most petrifying performances outside of horror - he disappears into this frightening man, completely embodying him over two decades of rises and falls. It earned him a well deserved second Oscar, but the transformation is so complete, he might count himself lucky he came out the other side.