Over the past ten years, I have become a huge fan of director Martin Scorsese. However, I still have yet to see most of his earlier films. Up until now Raging Bull fell under that category, and I am so glad I finally watched it.
Raging Bull is the story of boxer Jake LaMotta. The movie takes us on a journey through his life, and contrasts his success in the ring with his failure outside it. The movie is heartbreaking and emotional to watch because we see how volatile LaMotta is. It is his relationship with his brother Joey (played wonderfully by Joe Pesci) that keeps him in line for the most part. The journey that this film takes you on makes you take a hard look at one man's fall from greatness. There are a few minor issues that I have with this film. At times, some of the lip syncing is off which takes me completely out of the movie. I also would have liked to see more of Jake LaMotta's drinking problems that led to his first divorce. Also, there is a scene in LaMotta's locker room where his manager is randomly getting stitched up with no explanation of why. Other than these issues, this movie is a flat-out masterpiece.
Robert De Niro expertly plays Jake LaMotta. It takes a truly great actor to play a despicable character and make us love him, and that is exactly what De Niro does in this film. At times, you are actually afraid of him because you never know when he is going to snap. There is not a single thing to like about LaMotta, and De Niro gives us one of the greatest performances of all time.
Martin Scorsese is the director of Raging Bull. In typical Scorsese fashion, the camera never shies away from the violence in the movie because it is an essential part of the story. LaMotta is suspicious and almost downright paranoid of his wife Vickie's (Cathy Moriarty) every move, and the way the camera moves during their scenes together makes you feel the tension between them. I love the way the camera moves during the boxing scenes. Every punch, every drop of sweat and blood is beautifully shown. Martin Scorsese is hailed as one of the greatest directors of our time, and this film is one of the reasons why.
What grinds my gears is when someone claims to be a huge film fan, yet refuses to watch any black and white films. Some of the greatest movies of all time are in black and white, and Raging Bull is one of them. I highly recommend this classic to anyone who has not seen it, and if you have then watch it again!
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