(CBS) Leonardo DiCaprio tried to bring Howard Hughes to life on the big screen for a decade. His dream paid off in a big way with "The Aviator," earning over $200 million worldwide and winning more Oscars than any other movie in 2004.

"The film truly went even beyond my expectations," DiCaprio tells The Early Show contributor Laurie Hibberd. "It's one of those films that are a throwback to great cinema of the '30s and '40s. It's a grand, sweeping epic, but with a really complicated, multidimensional character at the forefront of it. And, they just don't make movies like this anymore."

The film follows the early years of billionaire Howard Hughes, who is a legendary film producer and ladies man, but thought of himself first and foremost as an aviator.

DiCaprio explains, "He was a pioneer in the world of aviation and he was really representative of our country in a lot of ways. You know what I mean? The dreams and aspirations of our country, and after the Industrial Revolution what our country became. He was right in the middle of some of the most exciting elements of it."

But that success came with a price. "The Aviator" also tracks Hughes' decline into mental illness. DiCaprio says, "I certainly think that there needs to be some element of madness to create that kind of genius."

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