Review of Raging Bull (1980) by Jeremy D — 16 Jul 2014

Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull follows the storyline of former boxing champion, Jake LaMotta. Although it's almost always categorized as a sports film, I find this classification very misleading.

This film has little to do with the subject of boxing per se; it's more of a character study of the flawed, tormented and troubled boxer, Jake LaMotta, and about his inability to connect with other human beings and his 'penchant' for self-destruction.

Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin's screenplay unflinchingly explores what drove this man over the edge and what eventually pulled him back. Scorsese has presented the audiences with the most powerful portrayal of jealousy ever put up on the big screen, reviving the golden age of cinema (at least for a while).