Review of Raging Bull (1980) by Film F — 15 Jan 2013

Possibly the greatest performance ever given by an actor. De Niro's character, the great Jake La Motta, is despicable. You can hardly understand him, until you realize the illness that eats away at his sanity : Enhanced Lethal Paranoia.

De Niro gained 60 pounds to play an older Jake La Motta, a feat that is amazing by itself. He goes the extra mile, and actually changes everything about his younger self. The posture, the movement, the attitude. De Niro gives the performance of the century as a shy man who just so happens to beat the shit out of people for a living. In his most believable performance ever, De Niro perfects his character. While as an audience member, I wasn't necessarily cheering when Jake slapped his wives, I was cheering for De Niro's performance and Scorsese's direction. In several scenes, Jake reveals his capability for violence. He despises the Mob, a sentiment shared by his rival Ray Robinson, and is constantly on edge when it comes to his wife's faithfulness.

Joe Pesci and Cathy Moriarty play the tragic figures in this film. Cathy Moriarty as the Jake La Motta's teenage wife, and Joe Pesci as Jake's trainer as well as his brother. Joe Pesci is the more joyful of the two (he and Jake), and has a more positive view when it comes to dealing with the Mob. Pesci is - as always - the angry little man. But instead of playing an insane bloodthirsty psychopath, he plays a loyal adviser. He is a spectator when it comes to Jake's life, often only getting involved when he feels his brother is in danger. Cathy Moriarty does not stand out in this film, only offering one significant scene as an actor. She plays a woman that can be viewed as a victim, but as you gradually see her motives, it becomes apparent that he character is not a victim at all.

What is really amazing about this film is the unfiltered, almost unscripted feel to it. When De Niro and Pesci(Joe) are having a conversation at the Copacabana, you can hear whispering in the background. Ordinarily, this would ruin a scene, but instead, Scorsese manages to make it seem like you are actually there.

RAGING BULL is perfection by both lead actor and director.