Raging Bull (1980)
Scorsese’s 1980 boxing biopic of Jake LaMotta. Black-and-white, Schoonmaker-cut, De Niro at 60 pounds heavier. A man who only feels anything when hit.
Robert De Niro
This archive collects the films featuring Robert De Niro reviewed at Master of Worlds — 16 titles spanning “A Bronx Tale (1993)”, “Awakenings (1990)”, “Casino (1995)”, “Goodfellas (1990)”, “Heat (1995)”, “Joker (2019)”, “Mean Streets (1973)”, “Once Upon a Time in America (1984)”, “Raging Bull (1980)”, “Ronin (1998)”, “Sleepers (1996)”, “The Deer Hunter (1978)”, “The Godfather Part II (1974)”, “The Score (2001)”, “The Untouchables (1987)”, and “Wag the Dog (1997)”. Seen together they form a substantial cross-section of Robert De Niro’s screen work, and the reviews approach them as storytelling first. The questions are consistent — what the performance asks of the audience, how it serves the structure of the film, and what holds up on a second or third viewing. Watching one actor across this many roles makes the craft legible in a way a single film cannot: the recurring instincts, the range, the choices that separate a memorable performance from a forgettable one. The collection is curated rather than exhaustive, built from films reviewed in depth at Master of Worlds, and it grows as further titles are added.
Joker (2019)
Todd Phillips’s 2019 character study. Joaquin Phoenix won Best Actor. Scorsese-adjacent but not Scorsese. Still the strongest live-action Joker film.
Goodfellas (1990) — Review
Goodfellas is one of the greatest crime films ever made. Scorsese directing. Liotta, De Niro, Pesci, Bracco. The Copacabana tracking shot. The Layla sequence.
Heat (1995) — Review
Heat is the best of the best. Michael Mann directing. De Niro, Pacino, Kilmer, Voight. Real Neil McCauley history. The downtown LA bank shootout. The diner sce
Casino (1995) — Review
Scorsese’s Las Vegas mob masterpiece. De Niro, Pesci, Sharon Stone Oscar-nominated. Three hours that don’t feel long. Foundational crime cinema. 10+/10.
The Score (2001) — Review
Frank Oz, De Niro, Brando, Norton, and the best heist ending of the 21st century. The Score earns its 10+ through ninety minutes of pure character setup.