Robert De Niro Says Confoundingly Few Words at Cannes

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On the opening night of the Cannes Film Festival, I had the privilege of witnessing my esteemed colleague and friend, Leonardo DiCaprio, bestow the Honorary Palme d’Or upon Robert De Niro. In his heartfelt words, he encapsulated the essence of Bob – a man who speaks sparingly, yet each word carries immense weight. I eagerly awaited a glimpse of his approval during the ceremony, even a hint of a smile would be a standing ovation for me. The room erupted in good-humored laughter.

The following day, the festival hosted an intimate encounter with Robert De Niro, and it became crystal clear to everyone present why DiCaprio spoke so highly of him. Sitting on stage alongside renowned French street photographer and artist JR, De Niro’s responses were succinct yet profound. More than once, he simply agreed, “Yeah. Sure,” to a question. In that moment, I found myself unexpectedly understanding Leonardo DiCaprio’s sentiment.

The primary cause of the unexpectedly silent Rendezvous was mainly due to JR, who tended to deliver lengthy speeches rather than asking genuine questions. When faced with De Niro’s firm Italian silence, he would humorously engage the audience, remarking things like, “This is what I have to deal with. Now I have witnesses here!”. Essentially, JR kept asking De Niro a repetitive question in various forms: Why was this documentary about his parents being made now? Was it for personal reasons, his children, or self-understanding? De Niro, growing increasingly weary each time, consistently suggested it was a mix of the three. Each new phrasing of the question from JR prompted shorter responses until De Niro eventually stared off into the distance as if anticipating rescue by Juliette Binoche in her white hood. At one instance, JR playfully referenced DiCaprio’s speech from the previous night — “Leo said you’re someone who doesn’t necessarily greet, but when you speak, every word matters” — to which De Niro responded, “Sometimes.

Initially, the gathering commenced with an engaging display of De Niro’s career spanning retrospective, featuring iconic films such as The Godfather, Taxi Driver, and Killers of the Flower Moon. However, during the entire 65-minute duration, neither participant addressed any aspect related to the numerous critically acclaimed movies that Mr. De Niro has acted in throughout nearly five decades. This omission left the audience perplexed, prompting one spectator to exclaim, “Discuss cinema!” Remarkably, this silence about substantial topics despite having Robert De Niro present was noteworthy; it’s a question I hadn’t considered before, but now I know the answer to.

In a casual manner, JR unveiled a preliminary, approximately eight-minute glimpse of the documentary. The movie, as emphasized by both gentlemen, lacks a fixed release date or definitive structure, apart from delving deeper into the lives of De Niro’s late father, an artist who passed away in 1993, and his mother. As De Niro put it, “We’re figuring out where we’re headed, and we’ll just keep going until one day we feel, ‘Alright, we’ve shared enough.'” JR admitted that there are instances when they don’t know what they’ll film on certain days, and at times, De Niro was in a melancholic mood and didn’t want to shoot, but they pressed on regardless.

The preview was captivating, showcasing numerous dreamlike, reminiscent of “The Cell,” scenes. For instance, De Niro is seen sprawled out on a mammoth photograph of his father atop a colossal barge traversing the Hudson River. In another scene, he drags the image of his father across a lush mountain. In yet another, they converse with Martin Scorsese standing on an immense ladder next to that large print. Scorsese queries De Niro about revisiting the past: “You’re delving into all this past stuff. Somehow, through images, you seem to be contemplating your father, the past. Why now?” To which De Niro responds: “It’s a dream. It’s surreal.” Scorsese then inquires: “Do you think a dream is any different from reality?” De Niro replies: “Sometimes reality is like a dream.” I could relate to that sentiment.

At one point, 81-year-old De Niro mentioned that the documentary might continue filming even after his passing. “I won’t necessarily need to see the final product,” he said. “Once I’m no longer here, he can just keep shooting, asking me questions even from my coffin.” However, JR appeared concerned and emphasized that he would prefer to wrap it up sooner rather than later, while De Niro is still alive. In the documentary’s trailer, De Niro also discusses his death, stating that he’s not afraid of it because he doesn’t have a choice in the matter. Instead, he advises, “You might as well not be afraid of it.

After the Rendezvous event, another spectator inquired about De Niro’s rather blunt statement. Correcting his words, De Niro delivered a lengthy reply: “I’m scared, but I have no other option. If you realize there’s no choice, it’s wise to begin contemplating how to handle it. You can’t be afraid in numerous aspects. Simply put, you must learn to accept life, progress, and endure everything – both good and bad. The less awful, the better. That’s all. You need to learn to appreciate life, advance, take everything that comes your way, whether good or bad.” This dialogue, which one spectator deemed “strangely chaotic” and Variety described as “tense,” ended in this manner.

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2025-05-14 23:55