*table crashing* "Bodder me abott a steak? Huh? You bodda me abott a steak?!?" This scene pretty much sums up what Raging Bull is all about. Looking almost unrecognizable, Robert De Niro gives a performance that's among the top ten ever. He alone takes his character to another level by showcasing naked human emotion. A good example of it is when he's finally crowned as the boxing world champion.

Winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, Robert De Niro plays the young version of Marlon Brando's character which chronicles his rise from birth to the crown of Mafia Don. Because of the cinematography, Gordon Willis earned his moniker: The Prince of Darkness. To bring more to the acting, it's the degrees of black, which is often heavy, throughout many scenes.

Taxi Driver starts off slow, gets rolling when Betsy is introduced to Travis Bickle, takes its time, goes in a different direction, and is in a free-fall mode with an explosive climax in the last twenty minutes. Robert De Niro had a great run of films during the second half of the 70's that made him a household name. His role here is among the most memorable. The legendary "You talkin' to me?" scene is unforgettable and painful to watch. So is the eerie climax at the end that's beautifully photographed.

Preparing for his role, Robert De Niro went after his autograph hunters and stalkers, hounding and asking them a lot of questions. He even met with his longtime stalker to explore his mindset and asked him, "Why are you stalking me? What do you want?" which were met with "To have dinner with you, have a drink, chat. My mom asked me to say hi." That's a dedicated actor if there's ever one.

Sean Connery's performance is absolutely overrated. I would've given the Oscar to Robert De Niro instead considering how much work went into his hair, looks, and mannerism. Every scene he has is priceless, especially when he talked about teamwork, so it's safe to say he stole the show.

The remake of Cape Fear blows the original out of the water. The performances are uniformly excellent. Robert De Niro is effective and chilling as Max Cady. He's the reason why I love to revisit the film from time to time. Juliette Lewis embodies the look of an innocent teenage girl. A terrific scene is when they were alone in the auditorium.

None of Michael Mann's touch is lost in Heat. As a bonus, he gets the rare chance to showcase Robert De Niro and Al Pacino in the same film, a feat that has never been accomplished before. Sorry, The Godfather Part II doesn't count. Robert De Niro plays an interesting character. It's easy to like and sympathize with him, and the outcome is too bad.

If there exists an underrated film in Robert De Niro's oeuvre, it's Falling in Love. At his most handsome with nothing crazy going on, he takes the classical approach as his character tries to figure out whether or not what he's feeling is genuine love while Molly (Meryl Streep) is equally confused and unsure if she's ready to break away from her husband by taking the next step.

This is the film, which was privately screened for Francis Ford Coppola, that got the latter cast in The Godfather Part II without an audition. Mean Streets and Bang the Drum Slowly were theatrically released on the same day, offering a first glimpse of Robert De Niro, and people couldn't believe he played two completely different characters.

The most powerful scenes involve Russian roulette. Without them, I seriously doubt The Deer Hunter and Christopher Walken would've won Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor Oscar, respectively. Robert De Niro gives the best performance of the ensemble; it's obvious he put a lot of work into his character and could be intense.

Midnight Run is a high-quality picture with a good story to boot. A lot of people might say Charles Grodin is the show, but I think Robert De Niro is the one who made the picture as it is. Robert De Niro is funny, and when he has a witty line or a good moment, he makes the most of it and leaves a lasting impression. At times, his character reminds me of Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver.

There are many outstanding scenes, lines, and performances in Goodfellas; they simply come in waves. The opening sequence is unforgettable with Joe Pesci hacking Frank Vincent and Robert De Niro blowing him away. The latter's minimized supporting performance is fascinating because he makes most of his limited screen time yet is able to give a special performance.