From: ssastry@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Sudhir K Sastry)
Subject: Robert De Niro, most overrated actor?
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1992 21:06:20 GMT

Robert DeNiro has received much admiration for his performances throughout his
career.  Indeed, in the minds of many critics and writers, he seems to be
something akin to a legend.  Articles and conversation about him in the media
include comments to the effect that he is the "best actor in films", "most
important actor", "greatest character actor", and so on.  In a number of
movies, his mere presence in the cast is sufficient to send critics into
raptures.

Excuse me, but I find such extravagant praise to be a bit much.  Yes, I think
he is a very fine actor, praiseworthy on his own merits.  However, the
superlatives associated with his work do tend to ignore the fact
that there are and have been many other great actors out there, whose work is
no less impressive.  Although an actor's artistry is an individual thing, it is
occasionally instructive to compare with notable contemporaries.  The
following are some personal reactions based on viewing a number of DeNiro's
best films.

DeNiro has had some very impressive performances in his career.  Travis
Bickle in "Taxi Driver" is a definitive performance,  deeply disturbing and
frightening.  His performance as Jake LaMotta in "The Raging Bull" is also
notable.  His weight gain for part of the role underlines an intense
dedication, but he is not the first to do this (Liz Taylor in "Who's Afraid of
Virginia Woolf" gained weight for her part, although not to the monstrous scale
 of DeNiro). Another very impressive performance that sticks in the memory is
from "The Godfather, Part II".  There are others, of course, but these are my
personal favorites.

A further look reveals some painful limitations.  One notable feature of
DeNiro's acting is his diction:  usually underenunciated words, occasionally
slurred, with a hint of the New York streets.  This is perfectly in context for
many of the roles he chooses, (gangsters, street hoods, illiterates or blue
collar characters)  but after a long string of movies with this type of
delivery, I wonder if he can handle a role which requires him to speak English
in an articulate fashion. (I noted the attempted change to a Southern accent in
"Cape Fear", but the persona of the character was so in keeping with typical
DeNiro, that it seemed strange somehow).  In a typical DeNiro performance, I
would not be surprised to hear the  character say "you talkin' to me?", "hey
man!", or "c'mon" any time.  How might DeNiro fare in a major Shakespearean
role, where eloquence and poetry are such important attributes?

A comparison with other notable actors is revealing.  Marlon Brando, for
example, has played his share of mumbling inarticulates ("On the Waterfront",
"A Streetcar Named Desire") and yet has played intelligent characters (The U.S.
Ambassador in "The Ugly American").  He has even played Shakespeare on screen,
and in "Superman", had an impeccable British accent.   Dustin Hoffman has
played various lowlifes (e.g. Ratso Rizzo in "Midnight Cowboy") and some very
articulate characters in "Kramer versus Kramer", "The Graduate", etc.

DeNiro's extraordinary efforts at physical preparation for roles is thus
curiously offset by an apparent lack of attention to the characters' manner of
speech.  The effect is strangely incomplete, rather like observing a gleaming
new Mercedes with exquisite engineering, but without a muffler.

Another item that comes to mind is the issue of the risks taken by an actor
(risk meaning selecting a role for which one could be seen as miscast, and
consequently earn critical ridicule).  An example of risk is Al Pacino's
playing Richard III on stage, for which he was panned for a Brooklyn accent.
This may not have been a wise choice of role, but Pacino is to be admired for
having the gumption to attempt it.  In a similar vein, a few years ago, Dustin
Hoffman had the courage to play Shylock in "The Merchant of Venice" before a
hostile group of London critics. It is this kind of risk-taking that can really
mark an actor as being out of the ordinary (and also endanger their careers),
but I have never seen DeNiro do this kind of thing in his career.

One lingering impression of the DeNiro persona in many of his roles is that of
a fascinating, often self destructive, pathetic character.  One watches him
with a variety of emotions. Yet, I have always sensed an invisible wall
or a strange detachment between me and his characters.  Imho, he does not seem
to draw one into the inner workings of his mind to the extent to wahich you
want to root for him.  An example of this type of performance is Al Pacino's in
"Dog Day Afternoon", in which I found myself subconsciously rooting for his
character despite the terrible things he is doing.

When one looks at DeNiro's work in context of an elite line of British actors
from Laurence Olivier and Alec Guinness through present-day actors such as
Daniel Day-Lewis, Anthony Hopkins and Ben Kingsley, the comparisons become even
less flattering.  The range of these actors is truly remarkable, and
it is difficult to stand out in their company.

I admire DeNiro for his work within his genre; but I do feel it is limited to
a narrow range of types.  They may be physically different and the script may
call for them to behave differently, but the DeNiro stamp is clear.  He is a
giant among ordinary actors, but fails to stand out in more distinguished
company.
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