Review of Raging Bull (1980) by Christian John V — 18 Oct 2011

Martin Scorsese's supreme artistic masterwork is a extraordinary and compelling film of enormous power and rare distinction, a searing biography of middleweight boxing champion Jake La Motta, his rise to glory in the 1940s, his personal battles due to numerous inner demons and his fall as a lounge lizard parody of his former self in the 1950s, it stars Robert De Niro in one of the most astonishing performance ever recorded on film, he completely immersed himself in the ultimate method-acting tour-de-force, as a young lean Jake LaMotta, he rigorously trained with the real Jake LaMotta mastering his crouched in-close style of boxing to become a completely convincing fighter, he gain 60 pounds to play the bloated boxer in his later years, I was not surprised when De Niro won a well-deserved Oscar for Best Actor for this legendary performance.

The brutal, visceral, no-holds-barred, highly stylized fight sequences are some the best ever filmed, showing devastating blows hitting the bodies of the fighters and blood spraying out of their faces, it captures the intensity of the bouts with considerable force, the unforgettable climactic fight between LaMotta and Sugar Ray Robinson is one the bloodiest and most gut-wrenching scenes ever.

Michael Chapman's stunning black & white cinematography is magnificent, the lighting of the film was made hash and stark, to provide an expressionistic look and feel to the savage violence in the ring, absolutely impeccable supporting performances from Joe Pesci, Cathy Moriarty, Nicholas Colasanto, and Frank Vincent, Martin Scorsese's masterful direction is exhilarating, editor Thelma Schoonmaker won a Oscar here for her dazzling work, the period recreation is flawless.

This film connects on primal themes with a brilliant Mardik Martin and Paul Schrader script which is rooted in contrary pulls of ambition, lust and redemption. "Raging Bull" has been crowned with so many critical laurels and awards, that another word of praise seems hopelessly redundant, let's just say that it puts to shame virtually any American film made since then, required viewing for anyone who truly loves the cinematic arts.

Nominated for 8 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Director: Martin Scorsese, Best Supporting Actor: Joe Pesci, Best Supporting Actress: Cathy Moriaty. "Raging Bull" is number 24, on the American Film Institute's list of the 100 greatest films ever made.

Highly Recommended.