It Cannot Be Taken Away, Ever

In an interview with Jamie Graham of Total Film magazine, Daniel Day-Lewis discussed his early love for the cinema. Day-Lewis talked about "This Sporting Life," "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning," and "Kes." He also talked about "Taxi Driver."

"'Taxi Driver' was huge," he said. "That was sort of my awakening to the possibilities in America, which had never occurred to me--that I would be part of American cinema."

According to Day-Lewis, he and his friends saw "Taxi Driver" about five or six times and were completely mesmerized by the film, and of the work of its star, Robert De Niro. "You know, I've admired him from that moment ever since. He's one of the great actors. Not just of our time, but of all time."

Since Day-Lewis first saw De Niro, the two have become very similar. Both are world renowned stars and acting heavy weights, known for their painstaking methods to achieve a performance. Sometimes it may seem a bit weird, like De Niro ordering clothes from Al Capone's tailor when portraying the infamous gangster in "The Untouchables," or Day-Lewis walking around New York City dressed in 19th century attire while filming "The Age of Innocence." The two also are the few to have won two Oscars. Both are also two of Martin Scorsese's favorite actors.

Graham's next question was a thoughtless one, a question of groupthink proportions: "[De Niro] now churns out three or four films a year and doesn't exhibit the commitment of old. As someone who looks up to him, what do you think of him phoning in performances?"

Day-Lewis did not buy it. Here is his response verbatim: "I've actually got a lot of pleasure from some of his performances in the last few years. A lot. I love him as a comedian; he makes me laugh a lot. I actually watched "Analyze This" again recently with my boys and it made me laugh. I just loved it. I loved it that he could take the piss out of himself to that extent. I really am not that judgmental, and I find it quite upsetting when people re-assess his work in the light of his choices in the last few years. You cannot take away from what he has given to the cinema. It cannot be taken away, ever."

Need anymore be written?