Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, but for such an A-lister, it is somewhat surprising how often he dies on screen. DiCaprio started his career as a child actor in the late 1980s and quickly made a name for himself as a huge talent. This led to his long career as he collaborated with some of the greatest filmmakers of all time, including Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Quentin Tarantino, and Christopher Nolan.
DiCaprio returns to the big screen with his latest movie, Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another. The acclaimed action movie joins a long list of DiCaprio’s most memorable roles, several of which end with a death scene. From heartbreaking to shocking, these deaths have helped to solidify DiCaprio’s incredible career as a movie star icon.
Romeo + Juliet (1996)
Even with a lot of options to choose from, it is hard to ignore DiCaprio’s participation in one of the most iconic death scenes in history. Romeo + Juliet is a modern take on the classic William Shakespeare play about the young, doomed lovers. DiCaprio plays Romeo, the young man who falls for Juliet (Claire Danes), despite being from two rival houses.
The fact that DiCaprio dies should not come as a shock to anyone, as the tragic ending is quite famous. However, DiCaprio delivers a harrowing performance in his final scene as he laments the death of his true love and decides he will follow her into the afterlife. It was an early indication of his incredible talent, as he did justice to one of the most famous moments in theater history.
Django Unchained (2012)
DiCaprio is typically seen as the hero of the story. Still, his first collaboration with Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained, saw him playing a truly vile villain and being exceptional in the role. Jamie Foxx stars in the Western as Django, a slave who is freed by bounty hunter Dr. Schultz and goes on a quest to rescue his wife from the sadistic slaveowner Calvin Candie (DiCaprio).
It is strange to see DiCaprio play such a hateful character, but Candie is the type of villain the audience hopes to see get his comeuppance. As the movie enters the final act, Tarantino throws the audience a curve as Schultz, unable to accept such an evil man being in the world, calmly shoots Candie in the heart, with chaos ensuing. The look on Candie’s face, unable to comprehend how he lost, is extremely satisfying.
The Quick and the Dead (1995)
Many fans might have forgotten that DiCaprio starred in a Western long before Django Unchained. Not only that, but The Quick and the Dead was directed by future Spider-Man director Sam Raimi and featured an all-star cast, including Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, and Russell Crowe. The movie followed various characters participating in a quick draw tournament, with DiCaprio playing the cocky young gunslinger known as The Kid.
A subplot throughout the movie is that The Kid is the illegitimate son of the villainous John Herrod (Hackman). This leads to the estranged father and son facing off in the tournament, with The Kid getting shot. In this moment, The Kid’s confidence disappears, and he becomes a scared young man. DiCaprio plays the shift wonderfully and proves himself alongside his veteran co-stars.
The Departed (2006)
One of DiCaprio’s best collaborations with Martin Scorsese, The Departed is a gripping crime thriller with an all-star cast. DiCaprio plays Billy, an undercover cop who has infiltrated the mob while being hunted by a mob informant, Colin (Matt Damon), who has infiltrated the police department. The two men try to uncover each other’s identity, leading to the climactic confrontation.
Billy gets the upper hand and manages to arrest Colin, dragging him into an elevator to bring him to justice. However, when the elevator doors open, Billy is suddenly shot in the head by Colin’s accomplice. In terms of DiCaprio’s death scenes, this is certainly the most shocking. It comes out of nowhere, killing off the hero of the story in such a blunt way that it's like a gut-punch to the audience.
Titanic (1997)
Along with being the highest-grossing movie of DiCaprio’s career, Titanic also gives him his most iconic death scene. James Cameron takes audiences on board the legendary vessel on its doomed maiden voyage. Titanic is also the love story of the two fictional characters, the unhappy yet wealthy Rose (Kate Winslet) and the poor yet free-spirited Jack (DiCaprio).
Given where their love story is taking place, it seems clear that Rose and Jack’s star-crossed romance will not have a happy ending. Indeed, after going down with the ship, Jack freezes to death in the icy cold water as Rose makes the promise to “never let go”. The fact that people are still debating whether Jack had to die speaks to the impact of the death scene.
Get the latest movie updates and more with FlickSided.