2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25
Films with a young DiCaprio attract a large number of fans of his talent, despite the fact that then he was still a very young and inexperienced actor. Critics and experts say that the genius of the artist could be seen already in his very first works. From this article you will learn about these films, the roles that the Hollywood actor played in them.
Childhood and youth
Movies with young DiCaprio have probably seen many of you. The popularity of this actor around the world is such that viewers are familiar even with his early work.
The actor was born in Los Angeles in 1974. He was the only child of court clerk Irmelin and comic book author George.
It is interesting that the Hollywood star has Russian roots. His grandmother was an emigrant from Russia, Elena Smirnova, who was taken to Germany by her parents immediately after the October Revolution at the age of two. She married the German Wilhelm Indenbirken, with whom she emigrated to the United States in 1955. Died in 2008year.
Early work
The actor's father's closeness to the world of creativity contributed to the fact that Leonardo first appeared on television at 2.5 years old, when his father took him to a popular children's television show.
Leonardo became an independent actor at the age of 14. He found an agent, began acting in commercials. He also managed to appear in several series - Lassie's New Adventures, Santa Barbara, Roseanne.
Debut
The first film with a young DiCaprio is Kristin Peterson's fantasy comedy Critters 3. It was another story about alien monsters.
Now they have sneaked into an apartment building in Los Angeles, hiding in the basement. The inhabitants are trying to resist the aliens.
DiCaprio's character in this tape is called Josh.
This guy's life
After that, the hero of our article starred in the TV series "Growth Pains". But he left very quickly, as he received an offer to star with Ellen Barkin and Robert De Niro in the biographical drama of Michael Caton-Jones. In the film "This Guy's Life" in 1993, the hero of our article played the first serious role in the movie.
This was a film adaptation of a novel by literature professor Tobias Wolfe, who recounts his childhood in the late 1950s-1960s.
The story is told from the point of view of the teenager Toby, played by DiCaprio. According to the story, his mother Caroline after a divorce loses her eldest son, his fathertakes her to a new family. Together with Toby, she goes on an aimless trip around the country.
The 1993 film "This Boy's Life" received mostly positive reviews from critics. For the hero of our article, this project can be called successful, he was noticed as a serious dramatic actor.
What's Eating Gilbert Grape
In the same year, the actor also starred in the drama Lasse Hallström, which made a splash. It was an adaptation of Peter Hedges' novel of the same name about the Grape family, who live on the outskirts of a provincial American town.
Bonnie lost her husband early. She eats her grief with countless fast food, becoming a recluse. Her eldest daughter has a complete lack of prospects, since it is not even possible for her to find a suitable match for herself. Her 18-year-old son, Arnie, played by DiCaprio, grows up mentally handicapped. Doctors fear that he could die at any moment. In addition, every time he is left unattended, he tries to climb the water tower.
There is also a youngest daughter, Ellen, who, at 15, dreams of growing up as soon as possible. All of them are looked after by the oldest brother in the family - Gilbert (actor - Johnny Depp).
The role of Leonardo DiCaprio in the film "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" struck many. He received the Discovery of the Year Award from the Chicago Film Critics Association. The National Council of Film Critics of the United States presented him with an award for best supporting actor. DiCaprio's talentincredibly sincerely playing a mentally retarded teenager, was obvious to everyone. This work made him recognizable and brought the first popularity.
Total Eclipse
In 1994, the hero of our article played a small role in the little-known film "Party with Shots in the Legs", and the next year he received the main role. In Agnieszka Holland's biographical melodrama "Total Eclipse", Leonardo DiCaprio appears as the 19th-century French poet Arthur Rimbaud.
This film tells the story of Rimbaud's acquaintance and relationship with another famous poet of the time, Paul Verlaine (David Thewlis). The audience reacted with attention to this picture, because Rimbaud is still considered one of the most mysterious poets in European literature. He wrote all his virtuoso texts before the age of 20, after which he left literature studies, being engaged in entrepreneurship until the very end of his life.
The relationship between Rimbaud and Verlaine was one of the most dramatic episodes of his life. It is believed that there was a love affair between the poets. At the same time, they wandered, constantly drank absinthe and were jealous of each other. Their relationship ended in a scandal in Brussels when Verlaine, under the influence of absinthe, shot Rimbaud, wounding him in the arm.
After that, Paul received 2 years in prison, and Rimbaud went to Africa, abandoning poetry forever.
Basketball Diary
Describing films with a young DiCaprio, one can recall Sam Raimi's western"The Quick and the Dead" 1994. But he plays the minor role of Phi Herod there. But he gets invaluable experience working on the same set with Gene Hackman and Sharon Stone.
The next year he already plays the main character. This time in Scott Calvert's drama "Basketball Diaries". How old is DiCaprio in this film, many of his fans are interested. He is 21 here. It is worth noting that by that time he was already a fairly well-known and accomplished artist.
This picture is an adaptation of Jim Carroll's autobiographical novel, in which the story is told from the perspective of a 16-year-old schoolboy. He not only plays basketball well, but also writes soulful poetry.
At some point, being in the wrong company, he became addicted to drugs. All this leads him to inevitable degradation. Only by going to prison, he gets rid of addiction. However, most of his friends remain on the street, dying one by one.
Romeo + Juliet
The film with Leonardo DiCaprio "Romeo + Juliet" becomes the loudest and most successful melodrama of 1996. Filmed by Baz Luhrmann. This is a rather free interpretation of the classic tragedy by William Shakespeare, the actions of which are transferred to our time.
The teenage relationship between Romeo and his Juliet (actress - Claire Danes) is overshadowed by the fact that their families are two warring gangster clans. The events of the film take place on the streets of an American city, around the shooting, murder, criminal showdown. Marvelous,but against this background, the director manages to almost completely preserve Shakespeare's original text.
It is interesting that Luhrmann immediately decided that DiCaprio would get the main role in his film, but it took a long time to decide who would play Juliet. Among the options were Christina Ricci, Reese Witherspoon, Natalie Portman, Kate Winslet.
The picture did well at the box office, exceeding budget by 10 times. The film premiered at the Berlin Film Festival. DiCaprio won the Silver Bear for Best Actor. He also received an award from the American film rental company Blockbuster for Best Romantic Actor.
Titanic
Titanic is a 1997 disaster film directed by James Cameron. It shows the death of the liner called the Titanic. The main characters belong to different social strata. However, they fall in love on board the legendary liner. This will be the first and last voyage of the Titanic.
In 1998, Titanic won 11 Oscar nominations. It is often called the best film in the melodrama genre.
The Man in the Iron Mask
The next year after "Titanic" the hero of our article plays a major role in the film "The Man in the Iron Mask". Leonardo DiCaprio in the adventure drama by Randall Wallace appears in the image of the French King Louis XIV. He appears onscreen as a selfish and despotic ruler who is more concerned with seducing women and having fun than running the state and politics.
The plot itself is built around the mysterious prisoner Louis, who went down in history under the nickname of the Iron Mask. The aged Musketeers from Dumas' novel decide to free the mysterious captive. In this version, he is Ludovic's twin brother Philippe, also played by DiCaprio.
After kidnapping him from the dungeon, Athos trains Philip for several weeks to become king. During the ball, the Musketeers tie up Louis, and his brother takes his place on the throne.
Together with DiCaprio, many other stars appear in this picture - John Malkovich, Gerard Depardieu. Even Hugh Laurie plays a small role as Pierre's royal adviser.
The picture received mixed nominations from critics, and DiCaprio himself received a Golden Raspberry nomination for the worst acting duet (he was nominated along with his "twin brother".
Beach
In 2000, after the appearance on the screens of the adventure thriller Danny Boyle "The Beach", DiCaprio finally established himself as a superstar.
In this tape, he plays the American Richard, who comes to Thailand, dreaming of an unusual vacation. From a random friend, he learns about the beach on a secret island, where there is a real paradise. Together with a couple of French tourists, Richard goes in search of this place.
Arriving at the indicated point, they find not only an amazingly beautiful beach, but also a hemp plantation,guarded by armed Thais. In the depths of the island, friends stumble upon a commune founded by travelers like them. It is led by the overbearing Sal. Three newcomers are trying to find their place in this utopian ideal world.
Reviews about "The Beach" with Leonardo DiCaprio were again mixed. On the one hand, the picture was awarded at the Berlin Film Festival. Danny Boyle won the award for best director. On the other hand, DiCaprio still got the "Golden Raspberry", as he was recognized as the worst actor of the year.
Today we know that this did not bother him at all. He continued on his way to the top of his acting career. The filmography of Leonardo DiCaprio includes more than 40 films, he also produced more than 15 films. After several unsuccessful attempts, he won the Oscar in 2016.
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