Jackson Ball on his five essential Leonardo DiCaprio Performances….
Over the past 20 years of cinema, there have been few leading men that have been able to deliver the same level of consistency as Leonardo DiCaprio. Blossoming from a teen heartthrob into an actor with unrivalled intensity and dedication, he has managed to string together a plethora of memorable performances in a large variety of roles.
The fact that he is yet to be recognised by the Academy is one of the longest-running ‘jokes’ in Hollywood, and it can surely only be a matter of time until he receives the statuette he so rightly deserves. Until then though, we’ll just have to enjoy the gifts he’s already given us as an audience. Here are my top 5 Essential Leonardo DiCaprio Performances…
5. The Departed (dir. Martin Scorsese, 2006).
In a film so crammed with excellence, it was always going to be difficult to stand out, but that was no deterrent for DiCaprio. His performance in The Departed is perhaps the most ‘real’ of his whole career and really displayed Leo as the finished article as an actor.
4. Blood Diamond (dir. Edward Zwick, 2006).
One of his most powerful performances to date, DiCaprio delivers yet another complex and layered role in this politic thriller set in Sierra Leone. He embodies his character’s personal arc to redemption, from low-life gunrunner and diamond smuggler, to the self-sac ricing hero of the story. The fact he was able to achieve all this while delivering the trickiest of accents makes it all the more impressive.
3. What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? (dir. Lasse Hallström, 1993).
As you watch this film, you cannot help but mull over the staggering fact that DiCaprio is only 16 years old. Originally a star-vehicle film for a young Johnny Depp, nobody could have expected the startling way in which Leo steals the limelight with a heartbreakingly realistic performance as the mentally-challenged Arnie. Nominated for the Oscar, but perhaps too young for the award, DiCaprio burst onto the scene in a big way.
2. Django Unchained (dir. Quentin Tarantino, 2013).
DiCaprio adds another string to his bow with a rare turn as a villain. As plantation owner Calvin Candie, the actor adds all the right ingredients when delivering Tarantino’s Oscar-winning dialogue, creating a truly despicable character. Candie’s villainy and DiCaprio’s commitment are both made brutally clear in the famous dinner table scene, in which the actor unintentionally cut open his hand with glass, making the split-second decision to keep acting and use his injury in the scene.
1. The Aviator (dir. Martin Scorsese, 2004).
If ever there was a film for which there could be no question whatsoever that he deserved the Oscar, it was this one. DiCaprio delivers his trademark passion to a performance so layered, he’s basically playing 3 different parts: a young, charismatic playboy; the genius, tormented by a thirst for perfection; and the isolated OCD sufferer. Not only does he manage to bring all these different elements together, but he excels at each one, creating a powerful yet nuanced performance that is truly unforgettable.
Agree? Disagree? As always we’d love to hear your comments…
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Originally published January 17, 2014. Updated April 11, 2018.
