Robert De Niro took a fiery stand against Donald Trump at Cannes Film Festival‘s opening ceremony on Tuesday night, calling him a “philistine president” and declaring him an enemy of the arts.
The legendary actor was on hand to accept the fest’s honorary Palme d’Or, which was presented to him by his “This Boy’s Life” and “Killers of the Flower Moon” collaborator Leonardo DiCaprio. After giving DiCaprio a kiss on the cheek, De Niro launched into an impassioned speech about the threat U.S. democracy is currently under.
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“In my country, we’re fighting like hell for the democracy we once took for granted. And that affects all of us here because the arts are democratic,” De Niro said. “Art is inclusive. It brings people together, like tonight. Art looks for truth, art embraces diversity and that’s why art is a threat — that’s why we are a threat — to autocrats and fascists.”
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De Niro then turned to Trump’s proposed 100% tariff on all films produced outside of the U.S., which was announced just over a week before the festival. “Let that sink in for a minute,” he said. “You can’t put a price on creativity, but apparently you can put a tariff on it.”
He continued, “Of course, this is unacceptable. All these attacks are unacceptable, and this isn’t just an American problem. It’s a global one. And like a film, we can’t just all sit back and watch. We have to act now. Without violence, but with great passion and determination. It’s time for everyone who cares about liberty to organize, to protest, and when there are elections, of course to vote. Tonight, and for the next 11 days, we show our strength and commitment by celebrating art in this glorious festival.”
DiCaprio also mentioned De Niro’s willingness to stand up to power when presenting him the award, recalling how he championed him early in his career with 1993’s “This Boy’s Life.”
“He created the blueprint. He wasn’t just another great actor, he was the actor,” DiCaprio said of De Niro, adding that during his audition he “did the only thing I could think to stand out. I screamed at him at the top of my lungs.”
It turns out DiCaprio’s tactic worked. “Later that day, as the story goes, Bob was getting on his plane when the producer Art Linson asked him, ‘Who do you want to play the part?’ And in classic De Niro fashion, he said: ‘Second kid from the last.’ Luckily, that second kid was me,” he said. “And that moment changed my life forever and started my entire career in the world of cinema.”
DiCaprio ended his introduction by saying, “That’s the thing about Bob: he doesn’t say much, but when he does, it matters. Whether it’s for his friends, his family, fighting for democracy or supporting the art of filmmaking — he shows up.”
De Niro — who has won two Oscars over the course of his six-decade career — is best known for his 10 collaborations with director Martin Scorsese, including “Mean Streets” (1973), “Taxi Driver” (1976), “Raging Bull” (1980), “Goodfellas” (1990), “The Irishman” (2019) and 2023’s “Killers of the Flower Moon.” He’s no stranger to Cannes, having first attended with “Mean Streets” followed by Sergio Leone’s 1984 crime film “Once Upon a Time in America,” Barry Levinson’s satirical comedy “What Just Happened” in 2008 and serving as president of the competition jury in 2011. De Niro was most recently on the Croisette for “Killers of the Flower Moon,” which received a nine-minute standing ovation.
“I have such close feelings for Festival de Cannes…” De Niro said in a statement when his award was announced. “Especially now when there’s so much in the world pulling us apart, Cannes brings us together — storytellers, filmmakers, fans and friends. It’s like coming home.”
De Niro most recently starred in Levinson’s crime drama “The Alto Nights,” and held his first major television role in Netflix’s political thriller “Zero Day.” Next up, he’s slated to lead Brad Furman’s action film “Tin Soldier” alongside Jamie Foxx and Scott Eastwood, as well as James Ashcroft’s crime movie “The Whisper Man” with Michelle Monaghan, Adam Scott and Michael Keaton.
The 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival runs from May 13 to 24.
