The Score: When two legendary screen icons clashed behind the scenes of a heist

Entertainment · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The 2001 heist film The Score is notable for being the only time Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro shared the screen. Yet, the production was defined by Brando's intense friction with director Frank Oz, leading to a bizarre arrangement where De Niro occasionally stepped in to direct his co-star.

Released in July 2001, The Score follows master safe-cracker Nick Wells, played by Robert De Niro, as he attempts one final job in Montreal. The plot centers on the theft of a French national treasure, a royal sceptre, from the city's Customs House. The film features a high-stakes dynamic between Wells and his ambitious, younger partner Jack Teller, portrayed by Edward Norton. While the heist mechanics—involving sewer access and clever security bypasses—earned praise for their methodical detail, the film's legacy is arguably tied to the off-screen tension between director Frank Oz and Marlon Brando, who played the fence Max in his final film role.

The production was marked by Brando's eccentric behavior, which included calling Oz 'Miss Piggy'—a nod to the Muppet character Oz famously performed. Brando frequently refused to be directed by Oz, leading to a unique compromise where De Niro acted as a mediator, directing scenes while Oz monitored from outside the set. Oz later reflected on the conflict, attributing it to a clash in creative interpretation and his own confrontational directing style, though he maintained that the producers supported his vision and that Brando eventually aligned with his approach.

Despite the behind-the-scenes volatility, the film performed respectably, grossing over $113 million worldwide against a $68 million budget. Critics were generally favorable, with Roger Ebert calling it the best pure heist movie of its time. While some reviewers, such as Peter Travers, felt the plot was predictable, the performances of the three leads were widely cited as the film's primary draw. Angela Bassett, who played Nick's girlfriend Diane, received recognition for her role, winning an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress.

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