Robert De Niro Reveals His Top 3 Favorite Movies of All Time
Robert De Niro is widely considered one of the greatest actors of all time. He has delivered unforgettable performances in films like Goodfellas, The Godfather Part II, and Taxi Driver.
His longtime collaborator, director Martin Scorsese, has called him “the greatest actor of his generation.” Scorsese added, “His creative impact in acting will always be felt so long as there are actors to express their art,” showing the deep respect he has for De Niro’s work over the years.
While De Niro is known on screen for bold and confident characters, in real life he tends to be more reserved. Yet he has shared some of his personal favorites, including the actors and movies that have influenced him. In an interview with Kenneth Branagh, De Niro named Marlon Brando, James Dean, and Kim Stanley as actors he admired.
De Niro also spoke to The Golden Globes about his favorite films. He highlighted three movies featuring Brando and Dean: East of Eden, On the Waterfront, and Rebel Without a Cause.
“When you saw James Dean do East of Eden, he was great, but you can’t do what he could do. Brando with On the Waterfront or A Streetcar Named Desire are considered the great performances of that time and still are,” De Niro said, expressing his admiration for both actors.
East of Eden, directed by Elia Kazan in 1955, tells the story of Cal Trask (James Dean), the son of a California farmer who feels his father favors his brother. Cal tries to earn his father’s approval while dealing with family tensions and a complicated love interest, Abra. Dean’s performance captured the emotions of a young man struggling to find his place in the world.
On the Waterfront, also directed by Kazan in 1954, stars Marlon Brando as Terry Malloy, a former boxer turned dockworker. Terry faces the local mob and tries to do the right thing after a fellow longshoreman is murdered. Brando’s powerful performance is remembered as one of the defining roles of his career and a turning point in film acting.
Rebel Without a Cause, directed by Nicholas Ray in 1955, follows troubled teenager Jim Stark (James Dean) after he moves to a new town. He struggles to fit in, forms a friendship with a disturbed classmate, and faces romantic and social challenges. Dean’s portrayal of Jim captured the angst and rebellion of youth in a way that still resonates today.
De Niro’s choices show the actors and performances that shaped him, highlighting both his admiration for Brando and Dean and the enduring impact of classic cinema. These films are not just favorite, they are part of the foundation of his approach to acting and storytelling.
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