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He reinvented the gangster movie, gave De Niro a career and turned violence into high art. As the director turns 80, what is his legacy?

It’s De Niro vs. De Niro in Hollywood’s latest mob flick

Depending on your mob media consumption, you might think of mafiosos as vicious sociopaths (The Sopranos), tragic personalities (The Godfather), tough

18 April 2021 • 4:05pm The War with Grandpa is only one of Robert De Niros many embarrassing recent films Credit: Alamy It’s routine snark, in negative reviews of sub-par star-vehicles, to speculate about the rent arrears or alimony payments that might have prompted a once-dignified screen legend to stoop to his or her latest nadir. Alas, in the case of Robert De Niro’s recent fusillade of self-mocking grandpa comedies and rotten commercials, it looks depressingly close to the genuine rat...

Last modified on Sat 19 Dec 2020 04.26 EST When the first episode of The Sopranos aired in January 1999, people weren’t sure what to expect. Two months later, in March, Robert De Niro would star in the movie Analyse This, a mafia comedy about a mob boss who, like Tony Soprano, seeks the support of a therapist. But for most people at the time, the worlds of the cosa nostra and mental health had been quite separate. And though Analyze This was a blockbuster, The Sopranos was airing on the cabl...