Martin Scorsese is acknowledged for his multiple collaborations with two of Tinseltown’s finest leading men, Leonardo DiCaprio & Robert De Niro. As giants in their field, they’ve individually contributed to Scorsese with masterful performances that have shaken audiences and critics alike.
Yet, having already gifted us cinematic treasures like Mean Streets and Taxi Driver, Scorsese once found himself at a harrowing crossroads. Is a masterpiece really born out of a personal crisis? Well, the answer lies in Scorsese’s own phoenix-like rise from the ashes of adversity, as he faced a dire period marred by substance abuse, depression, and the chilly reception of his bold musical New York, New York.
It took a hospital bed realization and the profound intervention of his artistic compatriot, Robert De Niro, to channel his turbulent experience into the creation of Raging Bull. And finally, this 1980 biographical sports drama flick marked a resurgence in Scorsese’s directorial path.
From Near Failure to Legendary Success: The Film That Altered Martin Scorsese’s Cinematic Path
Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio have not only garnered Oscar buzz time and again, but their films under Martin Scorsese’s direction have often become cultural milestones. So, who stands as the director’s ultimate muse?
In the late 1970s, Scorsese, already a revered filmmaker with hits like Mean Streets and Taxi Driver under his belt, found himself at an intersection in his career and his life. Struggling with substance abuse and depression, and reeling from the failure of his film, New York, New York, he was ready to throw in the towel (see THR). But it was his longtime collaborator, who saved him from the brink of death and inspired him to create one of the greatest films of all time: Raging Bull.
No, it wasn’t DiCaprio; De Niro was the man, who rescued the filmmaker.
According to author Jay Glennie’s book on the making of Raging Bull, Scorsese said he lost the ability to function both mentally and physically (via Collider). De Niro visited him and posed a poignant question:
Do you want to die, is that it? Don’t you want to live to see your daughter grow up and get married?
De Niro’s sudden realization of the value of life inspired Scorsese to rise from his low point and take on the challenge of telling the story of Jake La Motta, a troubled former boxing champion. The parallels between La Motta’s story of self-destruction and redemption and Scorsese’s own struggles were unmistakable, and De Niro knew that his friend was the perfect person to bring this tale to life on the big screen.
Raging Bull, released in 1980, would go on to become one of the most acclaimed and celebrated films in history, earning De Niro an Academy Award for Best Actor and further establishing Scorsese’s status as a filmmaking genius.
The Unbreakable Cinematic Bond: Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro’s Journey
Leonardo DiCaprio has worked with a number of acclaimed directors, including Sam Mendes, Christopher Nolan, and Quentin Tarantino. Yet Martin Scorsese, with whom DiCaprio has worked since the 2002 crime film Gangs of New York, has helmed many of his best films. You can give some credit to Robert De Niro for initially introducing the enduring partners.
Earlier this year, in an interview with Hindustan Times, the director talked about how he got to know his regular leading man through the Raging Bull star, and it seems like they have stayed close ever since:
Yeah, they did This Boy’s Life together. Bob told me I must work with this new kid. Turned out that Leo enjoyed the movies we made. I worked with Leo on Gangs of New York, then we pushed it further in The Aviator. On The Aviator, we learnt that there’s a 30-year age difference! But I found that we had a similar kind of sensibility that me and Bob had. We had a similar fearlessness, the will to try things, and ultimately, a very, very strong trust. We pushed each other to different limits.
It must have meant a great deal to DiCaprio for his This Boy’s Life co-star to introduce him to Scorsese, as the latter would go on to have a significant influence on his career.
It is no surprise that DiCaprio and Scorsese have collaborated on successful films for more than 20 years, given their exceptional acting and directing skills. They seem to have benefited greatly from the “very, very strong trust” they have developed.
Raging Bull is streaming on FuboTV.
