Robert De Niro: Hiding in the Spotlight

You can't ask with a revolver in hand, "You talkin' to me?" and simultaneously use silence as a weapon. This is a classic documentary concept about a film star, where a particular trait is used as a thread running through their career. De Niro as a fictional thug, a thug inspired by real thugs, and a thug inspiring other thugs writes the history of American impulsive violence. Awakenings, Falling in Love, and Stanley & Iris are nowhere to be seen. But maybe it's true that America was built on these foundations. (10/05/2024)