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Strictly Hush-Hush

On directing
On directing "The Good Shepherd": "I was obligated to use my brain more. . . . It's not the same as acting, where you fly in, do your part, then leave." (By Michel Du Cille -- The Washington Post; Below: By Andrew Schwartz -- Universal Pictures Via Associated Press)
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The one actor he doesn't care to direct is himself. But given his stature and fame, getting the money to direct is almost always predicated on his own appearance in the film. That was true of his first film, "A Bronx Tale," and it's true of this one.

"I don't like directing myself. It's hard. I'd have my staff do it, or Matt. I didn't even look at the video playback. I had to be in it to get the money. 'Why don't you do it?' they asked. Whatever I get from it, I put back into it."

And, of course, he's had the experience of having worked with great directors.

"I was very aware of Francis [Ford Coppola, with whom he worked memorably on 'The Godfather, Part II']. The original 'Good Shepherd' script was written for him. Then there's Marty [Scorsese]. I've worked on eight films with him. I can't even say how much I learned from him. And Marty helped get Matt out early [from Damon's performance on 'The Departed,' which De Niro couldn't appear in, because he was prepping 'The Good Shepherd.']"

Like his mentors, he acknowledges being an artistic conservative.

"We tried a couple of 'fancy' shots, and they just weren't in the same movie. You don't want to do stuff that draws attention to itself. And if I had to do any storyboard sequences [meaning action sequences], I'd just do it in the simplest way possible."

Now, Robert De Niro, you've been studying them for 12 years and finally brought your project before the public. Before the moment is lost, we must ask you: What do you make of them? Them, you know, the company, the agency, that strange ugly modern building overlooking the river and the highway in suburban McLean.

Reticent as ever, De Niro rumples his face and offers a classic non-comment: "I don't know if I have wisdom. I only have impressions. My impressions are that I have the greatest respect for them. And I understand the difficulty of their position. They can never talk about their successes."

One suspects that if "The Good Shepherd" is a success, De Niro will not be talking about it either.


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