An American Express TV commercial, in which Robert De Niro talks about Ground Zero, has angered fans who feel the Hollywood star should not use the 9/11 tragedy to sell a product.

Shot in New York, the advertisement, directed by Martin Scorsese, follows De Niro as he wanders through the city explaining why it is so important to him, reported imdb.com.

But shots of Ground Zero and De Niro's comment "My heartbreak" in the 30-second advertisement have upset many, who deem the images inappropriate for commercial use.

De Niro, the star of Scorsese classics such as "Taxi Driver" and "Raging Bull", rarely makes television endorsements.

However, sceptics have explained his decision to shoot this commercial by pointing out that American Express offers large funds to New York's annual Tribeca Film Festival, which was founded by De Niro and Jane Rosenthal.