It’s said that life begins at 40, but for a man like Leonardo DiCaprio, he seems to have led a pretty great life so far. With today being the day the man himself hits the big four-oh, BaDoink is going to treat you to a rundown of his biggest and best films to date.

Of course, as the jokes have it, Mr DiCaprio is still without an Oscar for the stellar work he’s put into his career so far. What’s the deal: is he not good enough? Or will giving him an Oscar now seem like the Academy are paying lip service to the jokes? It’s hard to say, but this selection of films is good enough with or without the recognition of the establishment.

Titanic (1997)

DiCaprio had already earned his stripes in films such as The Basketball Diaries and What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, but it was James Cameron’s blockbuster that sent him into the stratosphere. The love story between DiCaprio’s Jack and Kate Winslet’s Rose, set against the backdrop of the sinking of the unsinkable, took more money than Fort Knox and also became responsible for giving James Cameron the insane God-complex he still has to this day.

Jack and Rose at the front of the Titanic, cruising at full-speed against the fresh winds of the Atlantic Ocean, captures the motives of the film in one memorable scene.

The Great Gatsby (2013)

This recent adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s great work may have faced something of a critical mauling, but DiCaprio was perfectly suited to the role of the enigmatic, playful and headstrong Jay Gatsby.

In this scene, we find Tobey Maguire (remember him?) blundering around one of Gatsby’s regular and legendary parties. The grand reveal towards the end of the scene is perfectly poised; wide smile, drink in hand and fun and frolics all about him. It almost seems like the role he was born to play.

Shutter Island (2010)

A lengthy mystery, Shutter Island invites viewers to explore the physical and mental dark spaces of the world and the mind. On the trail of a missing patient from a hospital for the criminally insane, Ed Daniels (DiCaprio) and Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) butt heads with bureacrats, codes of silence and a dizzying array of wrong turns and dead ends.

It’s all about the ending in a film like this, so for those of you who want to keep the surprise, don’t watch the fim’s incredible ending below:

Django Unchained (2012)

Quentin Tarantino’s ultra-violent slavery-based flick is treat on the eyes and ears. A stellar cast rounds things off nicely, but it’s DiCaprio who can be nominated for the honour of stealing the show in his role as the psychotic Calvin J. Candie.

This particular scene became famous in its own right after it was revealed that the decent amount of blood on his hand was caused by accident when he smashed his palm into the table. If anything, it shows how calm and collected he is, even with the cameras rolling. How many of us would yell, cry and/or faint after such a presumably painful episode?

Points are also awarded for the speed at which DiCaprio moves from calm and informative to loud and hateful. It’s quite the transformation.

The Wolf Of Wall Street (2013)

Last year was a pretty busy one for Mr DiCaprio, and no doubt his ears are still ringing from all the plaudits he received for his star turn as crazed money-fetishist and Wall Street devil Jordan Belfort.

Wolf of Wall Street is something of a masterpiece, and it’s hard to pick just one scene in particular. Lucky then that we’ve stumbled upon this greatest hits package of the film’s, and DiCaprio’s, best moments.

So what do you think? Are there better DiCaprio scenes? Let us know in the comments below!