Review of Raging Bull (1980) by Jim C — 01 Oct 2011

Raging Bull is one of the most intense and incredible sports films of all time, but its not really all about sports, its mostly about a man, and that man is named Jake Lomatta. The plot is based on a true story, but I was just watching his story and I realized there are few sports films that are as intense with the personal lives of the protagonists but this movie doesn't stray from showing us characters that are colorful and real, and I think thatsthe best kind of story, when the audience is watching a story and people who are real and we see them much differently then how we saw them before.

The cast surely did their homework about their characters because they all got an A+ in my book. Robert DeNiro deserved his Oscar, he plays possibly his greatest role he has ever done and I truly loved him and he may have been the best part of the film, and Joe Pesci is always great and fun to watch.

The boxing scenes are not your usual boxing scenes, they are very fast paced and quick and there even some moments that were just pure strokes of genius. My favorite sports film is Rudy, but I don't consider this much of a sports film, I consider it a dramatic work of art about a man who tried everything to be great and all he wanted was to be the best, but all he did was lose as much as he gained, and Raging Bull should be considered in the leagues as the greatest film ever, because it is just so amazing I cannot consider it anything else from perfect, this is one of Martin Scorseses masterpieces.