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| Leonardo DiCaprio in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood/Sony Pictures |
Leonardo DiCaprio belongs to a dying breed of actors- the breed of the ‘superstars’. Just as the age and times of the ‘great filmmaker’ have started dwindling, so has been the fate of our superstars. Today, we have a ‘boutique’ variety of entertainers. Actors work for TV as well as films and probably dabble in a dozen other pursuits. But our boy is not that guy, he is still the star. He is around, but not readily available. He is working but only in the finest projects of this age. And when the man is not buying islands or paintings for his mother, he is an environmentalist-a good enough hobby for a consummate bachelor in his 40s. The greatest testimony of his stardom, though, is him being the cause of the ‘breakup’ between Martin Scorsese and Robert DeNiro- a romantic relationship that lasted for three full decades, giving us the finest movies of our lives. But then, enters Leonardo DiCaprio making Scorsese embark on another relationship – Giving us five solid movies as of now. There must be something about him because the auteur has not collaborated this long with any other actor (DeNiro being the only exception).
When Chris Rock hosted the 2016 Oscars, he obviously trashed the
lack of diversity at the Oscars taking a dig at Dicaprio for ‘getting great
roles every year’. This is where he went a little astray- no one really ‘gets’
roles in Hollywood-actors ‘earn’ them. Leonardo Dicaprio has been in the show
business for more than 20 years. And, while he may not be ‘the greatest actor
in the last two decades’, he has indeed delivered some of the finest
performances in these years and that too, rather consistently. Here is a look
at the maestro’s ten films which have been indeed both great as well as brave.
Inception (2010)
Christopher Nolan is a filmmaker who grew up studying the works of
the legends of the Hollywood New Wave-something which he has incorporated in his
films in an extremely refined way. Inception is the bravest as well as a truly
original film to come from him. A science fiction thriller, which is about a
thief who implants ideas into the subconscious minds of his target, this is
arguably DiCaprio’s best performance. He shines as the man who, though
tormented with his past, is extremely feisty in his action filled present. The
set designs and visual effects are obvious signatures of Chris Nolan. Hans
Zimmer has done a very groovy score for this epic, short of Gladiator and Lion
King probably. Marion Cotillard is indeed the finest French actress of the
present times to have crossed over in Hollywood.
The Departed (2006)
The most ‘Scorsese-esque’ movie to come out of the collaboration
between Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio, it was quite a head turner at
the Oscars-winning Best Director, Picture as well as a well deserved Best Actor
nomination for DiCaprio. Based on a riveting story of two moles-one in the
Massachusetts State Police and the other in the gang of an Irish Mob boss, this
cat-mouse chase epic was received very well by the critics. DiCaprio was
intense and brilliant in the role of a frustrated cop forced to prove his
allegiance to his department, while Jack Nicholson wasn’t bad either in his
role of a charismatic gangster.
Shutter Island (2010)
Leonardo DiCaprio plays a dangerous murdering lunatic in this
movie- Scorsese’s tribute to the film noir of the 40s and the thrillers of
Alfred Hitchcock. Shutter Island is a very different kind of a movie relying on
the psychological thrill of a secluded island, hallucinations, murderous
delusions, all delivered along with the brilliant soundtrack featuring
composers like Mahler, Penderecki, Ligeti, Cage and Ingram Marshall.
The Revenant (2015)
DiCaprio finally quenched his long due Oscar thirst with this
Western masterpiece by Alejandro González Iñárritu. Based on Michael Punke's
2002 novel of the same name, the movie talks about the life and the heroic
survival of frontiersman Hugh Glass played by Leonardo DiCaprio. The
semi-biographical epic also has great supporting performances by Tom Hardy,
Domhnall Gleeson, and Will Poulter. The movie was quite the rage at the then
awards with DiCaprio picking up the Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe, Screen Actors
Guild Award and Critics' Choice Award for Best Actor.
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
If there is one film that had the audiences worldwide assured that
DiCaprio would clinch the Oscar that year, it was this mad movie by Martin
Scorsese. DiCaprio gave one of the finest performances of his career playing
Jordan Belfort, a Wall Street broker turned fraudster. The Oscars left the
audiences shocked when the Best Actor was clinched by Matthew McConaughey for
another great performance in Dallas Buyers Club. Based on a true story, the
movie is a classic take on the hollowness of the ‘American Dream’- an obsession
that pushes its taker into depths unfathomed. The movie also had Jonah Hill
playing the role of Belfort’s friend-a camaraderie rarely seen between two
actors in recent years. Margot Robbie was noted far and wide, credits to the
movie’s appeal.
Blood Diamond (2006)
DiCaprio has mastered playing the anti-hero in tightly scripted
thriller movies. Blood Diamond is another of those thrillers where he shines as
a Rhodesian gunrunner cum diamond smuggler trying to keep his sanity during the
Sierra Leone Civil War. Winning another Oscar nomination for his performance,
the DiCaprio movie is notable for portraying the atrocities of war in African
nations and how exactly they serve as foil for extracting resources like
diamonds for the western nations. Djimon Hounsou and Jennifer Connelly give
solid performances too.
Titanic (1997)
Perhaps, it is the most popular movie of DiCaprio till date. The
movie launched him to instant stardom, the ‘Titanic Kid’ was all over the place
due to this one film. Interesting, however, is the fact that the movie has
managed to stay in the pop culture even now. Fan theories and instant adulation
is still bestowed on this movie. Recently, when DiCaprio was promoting Once
Upon a Time in Hollywood, he was asked the biggest question- whether the wooden
plank had space for two people, a reference to the climax of the movie. The
actor couldn’t help but grin silently.
Nevertheless, it is one of the most revered romance epic of our
times telling the story about how two people from different classes, unlikely
to meet, fall in movie. It was the biggest movie at the launch of its time,
quickly turning into the highest grossing movie. The movie not only launched
DiCaprio to stardom but also gave instant recognition to Kate Winslet,
relatively unknown at that time.
Catch Me If You Can (2002)
Steven Spielberg tried his hands on this biographical film about a
con man Frank Abagnale who, before his 19th birthday, successfully performed
cons worth millions of dollars by posing as a Pan American World Airways pilot,
a Georgia doctor, and a Louisiana parish prosecutor. DiCaprio turns on his
usual charm to play Abagnale- a typical con man role which has been doing so
well for years now. The film is notable for bringing out his versatility to
light and hence helping him with breaking away from the mould of a romantic lead-
something that has immensely helped his performances over the years.
The Aviator (2004)
Martin Scorsese has indeed elicited the best from
DiCaprio-utilizing him to every inch in his movies. The Aviator may not be the
greatest performances of Leonardo DiCaprio but is certainly a valuable addition
to his illustrious repertoire of biographical movies- quite a good deal of
them. Although quite sluggish in its pace and treatment, DiCaprio manages to
make the audience sit through his portrayal of Howard Hughes, an aviation
pioneer and director of Hell's Angels.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
(2019)
Claimed to be Quentin Tarantino’s love letter to the 1960s L.A.,
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood has been getting rave reviews. Apparently, the
movie received a seven minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival-
Tarantino’s home turf ever since he clinched the Palme d’Or for Pulp Fiction 25
years ago. Extremely well shot, with meticulous attention to the aura of 1960s
Hollywood, the movie talks about the lives of a movie star Rick Dalton
(DiCaprio) and his stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). Along with this story
we have a real life crossover-the ‘Manson Murders’. Sharon Tate, played by
Margot Robbie, was pregnant with Roman Polanski’s child when she was killed by
someone from the Manson family. So, we have a lot going on in this film-
supposedly Tarantino’s second last as a direction. Oh, and yes, there is cute
fight scene between Cliff Booth and Bruce Lee- apparently Tarantino’s Kung-Fu
movies’ love comes around in his movies, even in those he just writes (True
Romance opening scene was quite ‘Tarantinoed’).
Honorable Mentions
Django Unchained (2012)
Quentin Tarantino has an interesting and almost pervasive tendency
to revisit history through his own movies. Django Unchained is the auteur’s nod
to the ‘Spaghetti Westerns’ of the 1960s with a unique revisionist history. The
movie is about a freed slave, Django (Jamie Foxx) and a bounty hunter, Dr. King
Schultz, (Christopher Waltz) who set out to free Django’s wife from the
plantation owned by Calvin Candie- a charismatic but a very cruel white man.
DiCaprio does not have much screen time as compared to the other two, but
delivers a brilliant performance as the prototype racist white plantation
owner. There is even a scene where he actually cut his hand with glass but
nonetheless continued acting in the scene as if the whole thing was staged.
The Great Gatsby (2013)
DiCaprio plays a famous millionaire, Jay Gatsby, in this romantic
drama based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1925 novel of the same name. The film was
co-written and directed by Baz Luhrmann. Supporting DiCaprio, in this film
adaptation of a literary magnum opus, is his old Hollywood buddy- Tobey
Maguire. The movie is about the love and obsession of a millionaire for a woman
called Daisy, who he had hoped to marry once, but she gets married to someone
else. As always it is DiCaprio’s show all the way.
Gangs of New York (2002)
This movie would have it to the top had it been a list of Daniel
Day Lewis’ best performances. It took Martin Scorsese twenty years to develop
the script for this magnum opus on the roots of New York- the confrontation
between Catholic immigrants and native Protestants. Daniel Day Lewis, in a
right nominated Oscar role, plays the cruel Protestant leader while DiCaprio
takes on the role of the son of a dead immigrant leader. DiCaprio’s role is
obviously less meaty and gets even more toned down considering the fact that
he, arguably, faces the greatest actor alive. Yet, it is one of the memorable
performances of him playing the underdog who rises through his ashes to fight
for the righteous.
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