I have to go with Hopkins on this one.
De Niro built most of his career on playing thoroughly reprehensible characters. Max Cady was no stretch. Got to admit, though, he was so repulsive I've never had the inclination to watch the movie again. The scene where he seduces Juliette Lewis is skin crawling.
Hopkins, however, had an extensively varied repertoire of characters. Lecter was unlike anything he had done before. One of the most difficult things any actor may be required to do is…nothing. Remain perfectly still and let the audience fill in the blanks. With an unblinking, intensely searching stare and a carefully modulated voice, Hopkins created one of the most subtle, terrifying and dangerous screen villains of all time.
And This, Too, Shall Pass Away

Thank you for reading my thread!

It is difficult call, bunas
But I belief Bob beats Tony, just abouts, hana

Max Cady is the winner in the smiling, menacing, terrifying stakes. He owned that role.

𝕍𝕀𝔻𝔼𝕆-𝕊𝕋𝕆ℝ𝔼-𝕍𝔸𝔾ℝ𝔸ℕ𝕋

THATS THE WHOLE POINT…DE NIRO IS GREAT AND TERRIFYING,HE HAS A LOT TO WORK WITH AS WELL.HE GETS TO STALK AND TATTOO AND SNEER AND FROTH AND ATTACK.HOPKINS AND LECTER IS AN ENTIRELY MENTAL PERFORMANCE.HE CRAFTS A FRIGHTENING,ENGROSSING ICON OUT OF A CHARACTER WHO SPENDS THE ENTIRE MOVIE STANDING IN A BOX CHIT CHATTING…AND THE OSCAR GOES TO…THE CORRECT CHOICE.
“I do this real moron thing, and it's called thinking. And apparently I'm not a very good American because I like to form my own opinions.”

Art Carney robbed Pacino.
The only poster who had his account banned 4 times without ever breaking any rules each of those times.

Yeah he was good.
But if anyone should have won for Godfather II, it should have been Pacino, not DeNiro.
Love is like a tree: it grows by itself, roots itself deeply in our being, and continues to flourish over a heart in ruin.