PanamaTimes

Thursday, Mar 28, 2024

Same Kind Of "Evil" As Trump: Robert De Niro On His Character In New Film

Same Kind Of "Evil" As Trump: Robert De Niro On His Character In New Film

Robert De Niro plays a real-life dignitary from 1920s rural America, William Hale, who built trust with local Osage Indians and then orchestrated dozens of murders in order to steal their oil-rich land.
Robert De Niro couldn't help but take a jab at Donald Trump in Cannes on Sunday, saying his character in the new film embodied the same kind of "evil" as the ex-president.

The legendary actor, 79, stars alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in Martin Scorsese's epic "Killers of the Flower Moon", which premiered to rave reviews at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday.

He plays a real-life dignitary from 1920s rural America, William Hale, who built trust with local Osage Indians and then orchestrated dozens of murders in order to steal their oil-rich land.

"I don't understand a lot about him -- why he betrays them," De Niro admitted to reporters in Cannes.

"But we became a lot more aware after the murder of George Floyd with systemic racism and that's what this is," he said, referring to the police killing that sparked the Black Lives Matter protests.

"It's the banality of evil, it's the thing we've got to watch out for. We all know who I'm going to talk about -- I won't say his name," De Niro continued.

But a few moments later, the long-time Trump-hater couldn't hold back.

"It's like with Trump -- I had to say it," he said to laughter from the reporters. "There are people who think he could do a good job. Imagine how insane that is."

DiCaprio has received particular praise for his performance as a weak-willed man torn between his love for his Osage Indian wife and the evil plot in which he becomes embroiled.

'Love, trust and betrayal'

Calling the three-and-a-half-hour film "a reckoning with our past", the star was gushing with praise for Scorsese, saying: "He's able to expose the humanity of even the most twisted characters you can imagine.

"Marty's perseverence and ferocity to tell the truth, no matter how ugly... is masterful."

Scorsese said the film, which is due for general release in October, was not "a whodunnit -- it's a who didn't do it".

Adapting a best-selling nonfiction book, he chose to focus less on the criminal investigation which helped forge the FBI, preferring to focus on the central, poisonous love affair between DiCaprio's character and his wife, played by Lily Gladstone.

"It was a template for that tragedy of love, trust and betrayal of the indigenous people," Scorsese said.

Asked about still taking such risks in his filmmaking at the age of 80, Scorsese drew laughs from the crowd by saying: "What else am I going to do?"

De Niro said the world had seen enough films where "the good guy goes south or to Indian country and saves the day. This is much more important."
Newsletter

Related Articles

PanamaTimes
0:00
0:00
Close
Apple warns against drying iPhones with rice
In a recent High Court hearing, the U.S. argued that Julian Assange endangered lives by releasing classified information.
Global Law Enforcement Dismantles Lockbit Ransomware Operation
Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny has died at the Arctic prison colony
The President of Argentina Javier Mile does not fly private, he flies commercial, with the citizens he represents. And they LOVE him for it.
Bitcoin Reaches $50,000 for First Time in Over Two Years
Belo Horizonte: Brazil's Rising Carnival Hotspot for 2024
In El Salvador, the 'Trump of Latin America' stuns the world with a speech slamming woke policing after winning a landslide election
Tucker’s interview with Putin is over 50M views on X within the first 5 hours.
Finnish Airline, Finnair, is voluntarily weighing passengers to better estimate flight cargo weight
President Nayib Bukele has proudly announced El Salvador's remarkable achievement of becoming the safest nation in the Western Hemisphere.
Former Chilean President Sebastian Piñera Dies in Helicopter Crash
This farmer seems to understand science a bit more than the event organizer, Klaus Schwab.
Facebook turns 20: From Mark Zuckerberg's dormitory to a $1trn company
The Coolest Dictator in the World" on the Path to Victory in El Salvador
Macron, France and fake news
Indian-Origin Man 'King' Arrested For Smuggling $16 Million Drugs Into US
Can someone teach Americans that not every person with slanted eyes is Chinese?
Europe's Farmers Feeding the People, Protesting Against Politicians Who Do Nothing for Their Country and Serve Only Themselves at Taxpayers' Expense
Paris Restaurant That Inspired 'Ratatouille' Loses $1.6 Million Worth Of Wine
Brazilian Police Investigate Bolsonaro's Son for Alleged Illegal Spying
Police in Brazil Raid Residence of Bolsonaro Associate Over Allegations of Illegal Spying
Border Dispute Escalates as Texas Governor Vows Increased Razor Wire
OpenAI Enhances ChatGPT-4 Model, Potentially Addressing AI "Laziness" Issue
The NSA finally acknowledges spying on Americans by acquiring sensitive data
Report Reveals Toxic Telegram Group Generating X-Rated AI-Generated Fake Images of Taylor Swift
US Border Patrol States 'No Plans' to Remove Razor Wire Installed in Texas
Bitcoin Experiences Approximately 20% Decline in Value
Klaus Schwab recently appointed himself as the Earth's "trustee of the future."
DeSantis Drops Out, Endorses Trump.
Nikki Haley said former President Trump is "just not at the same level" of mental fitness as he was while president in 2016.
Residents of a southern Mexican town set the government palace on fire in response to the police killing of a young man
Samsung Launches AI-Driven Galaxy S24, Ushering in New Smartphone Era
Judge Questions SEC's Regulatory Overreach in Coinbase Lawsuit
The Ecuador prosecutor who was investigating the television studio attack, has been assassinated.
Is artificial intelligence the solution to cyber security threats?
Vivek Ramaswamy suspends his US election campaign and endorses Trump.
Viral Satire: A Staged Satirical Clip Mistaken as Real Footage from the 2024 World Economic Forum in Davos
The AI Revolution in the Workforce: CEOs at Davos Predict Major Job Cuts in 2024
Ecuador Reports 178 Hostages in Prison Gang Standoff
The Startling Cuban Espionage Case That Has Rattled the US Government
Two Armed Men in Ecuador, Dressed as Batman and The Joker Storm the Streets.
Armed Gang Raids Ecuadorian TV Station Following State of Emergency Declaration
Anti-Democratic Canada: Journalist Arrested for Questioning Canadian Finance Minister on Support of Terrorist Group
Ecuador's 'Most-Wanted' Criminal Vanishes from Prison
Mexican Cartel Supplied Wi-Fi to Locals Under Threat of Fatal Consequences for Non-Compliance
Border Surge Leads to Over 11,000 Migrants Waiting in Northern Mexico
Outsider Candidates Triumph in Latin American Elections
As Argentina Goes to the Polls, Will the Proposal to Replace the Peso with the Dollar Secure Votes?
Fatal Shark Attack Claims Life of Boston Woman Paddleboarding Near Bahamas Resort, According to Police
×