Yet little is known about the off-screen De Niro--he is an intensely private man, whose rare public appearances are often marked by inarticulateness and palpable awkwardness. It can be almost painful to watch at times, in powerful contrast to his confident movie personae. In this elegant and compelling biography, bestselling writer Shawn Levy writes of these many De Niros--the characters and the man--seeking to understand the evolution of an actor who once dove deeply into his roles as if to hide his inner nature, and who now seemingly avoids acting challenges, taking roles which make few apparent demands on his overwhelming talent. Following De Niro's roots as the child of artists (his father, the abstract painter Robert De Niro Sr., was widely celebrated) who encouraged him from an early age to be independent of vision and spirit, to his intense schooling as an actor, the rise of his career, his marriages, his life as a father, restauranteur, and businessman, and, of course, his current movie career, Levy has written a biography that reads like a novel about a character whose inner turmoil takes him to heights of artistry. His many friendships with the likes of Martin Scorsese, Meryl Streep, Harvey Keitel, Shelley Winters, Francis Ford Coppola, among many others, are woven into this extraordinary portrait of DeNiro the man and the artist, also adding a depth of understanding not before seen.
Levy has had unprecedented access to De Niro's personal research and production materials, creating a new impression of the effort that went into the actor's legendary performances. The insights gained from DeNiro’s intense working habits shed new perspective on DeNiro’s thinking and portrayals and are wonderful to read. Levy also spoke to De Niro's collaborators and friends to depict De Niro's transition from an ambitious young man to a transfixing and enigmatic artist and cultural figure.
Shawn Levy has written a truly engaging, insightful, and entertaining portrait of one of the most wonderful film artists of our time, a book that is worthy of such a great talent.
Exceptionally thorough, Shawn Levy has done a remarkable job of uncovering the collage and timeline of information regarding Robert DeNiro's life and career. For such a reclusive individual, respectively, it is fascinating to take a glimpse of this icon at what has been made available for fans via the author. From DeNiro's private life and struggles to saturating his talent into the dramatic arts becoming to many, including my own, the greatest actor to ever grace the cinema. He possesses it all, and Levy misses no mark elaborating on any of those areas: looks, skills, versatility, charisma, originality, mystery.
Of course, my personal favorite is getting a behind the scenes stroll of The Deer Hunter and The Godfather II. Like DeNiro's filmography, this my highlight of the book. A very poignant event illuminates the darkness in DeNiro's role during the death of John Belushi. In regards to any biographical work I encounter, I immediately like to see what the writer or subject may have to say about renowned actors, directors, etc. It is especially thrilling to read of the interactions and relationships between fellow co-stars such as Christopher Walken and Al Pacino, as well as long-lasting friendships with Martin Scorsese among others.
For a rather large, but appropriately proportioned biography at nearly 600 pages, do not let the size deceive you. The content is intoxicating and well worth its quick completion. The introduction alone is a beautiful synopsis of the work that follows. Sixteen pages offer black and white and color photographs of DeNiro's family, friends and, most gratefully, behind the scenes of The Deer Hunter and The Godfather II. Though I wish there were much more on the latter two films, the albums are insightful.
As a legend that still walks amongst us it is gratifying to learn more about this enigma. DeNiro: A Life is an absolute requisite for any performing arts library and cinematic aficionado. Just in time for Christmas, it is hard to conceive of anyone not delighting in this as a gift.
SHAWN LEVY is the author of six previous books, including the New York Times bestsellers Rat Pack Confidential and Paul Newman: A Life. He served as film critic of The Oregonian from 1997 to 2012 and is a former senior editor of American Film and a former associate editor of Box Office. His work has appeared in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, The Guardian, The Independent, Film Comment, Movieline, and Sight and Sound, among many other publications. He lives in Portland, Oregon.
Preview and purchase
DeNiro: A Life
This book was provided free for review by
Crown Publishing Group
