Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro have been working together since the '70s, and just released their tenth film together with Killers of the Flower Moon. The duo have been collaborating for over 50 years, and have an incredibly close friendship that has spanned the lengths of their longstanding careers. It’s hard to imagine that these two have been working together for so long, and De Niro and Scorsese have a hard time believing it as well. The Oscar-winning director recently shared a sweet anecdote about a moment he shared with the actor during the promotional tour for their latest film, and it really shows how meaningful their partnership has been for both of them.
Martin Scorsese recently sat down with Stephen Colbert at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (via People): to chat about Killers of the Flower Moon and his long standing relationship with De Niro. The release of the film has been an incredibly nostalgic time for the two, who started their collaboration with Mean Streets back in 1973. The full circle nature of their new film resulted in lots of reminiscing, and Scorsese shared a particular moment of reflection with Colbert and the New Jersey audience. He detailed:
At night, after the film a few months ago, we had some champagne, and we leaned back, and the pool was down there, and the hotel we had was very beautiful. There were spotlights, and the sky, and the stars. And he looked at me and leaned back, and he said, ‘Would you believe, in 50 years, where we are? He couldn’t believe it. He said, ‘Let’s have a little sip.’
This is certainly something worth toasting to. Not only have they been making movies together for half a century, but the movies that have come out of their collaboration have been unmatched. Projects like Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, and Raging Bull are considered to be some of the best films of all time and have become iconic over the years. Scorsese movies have drawn out incredible De Niro performances, earning him four Oscar nominations and a win. Scorsese and De Niro met as teenagers in New York City, and their bond has seemingly been incredibly meaningful for both of them professionally and personally.
Killers of the Flower Moon is especially a significant entry for both of them. The movie marks several milestones, like their tenth film and 50 years of collaboration. But it's also a shift for them given the subject matter explored, and the part De Niro plays. Scorsese recently opened up about how his partnership with the Irishman actor has evolved and changed over the years, especially as De Niro has aged into different roles. Scorsese has shifted to working with leading man Leonardo DiCaprio for many of his films, but hasn’t left De Niro and that partnership as he has explored this. Both actors appear in Scorsese’s latest epic, and it is the first time the two stars have shared a screen since This Boy’s Life in 1993.
I’m glad that after so many years together, these two have taken a moment to celebrate all that they have accomplished together. It is because of each other that they have had successful careers that have allowed them to sip champagne by gorgeous pools in beautiful hotels. They have both shared their talents and their art with the world, inspiring filmmakers for generations, and never forgot their roots in the process. According to critics and fans, they have created yet another masterpiece together with Killers of the Flower Moon, and I’ll “cheers” to that.
You can catch Robert De Niro in Martin Scorsese’s crime epic Killers of the Flower Moon which is currently playing in theaters nationwide, and will be available for AppleTV+ subscribers in the near future. Cinephiles can also revisit the duo’s first feature film together, Mean Streets, by renting the movie on Amazon.
