Review of Raging Bull (1980) by Akashvijay — 21 Jan 2015

Raging Bull 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).

As the title suggests, it's not tactics or strategy but rage that drives LaMotta as a boxer. But what's interesting is that his perception doesn't seem to change when he steps outside the ring. He still feels that he has to fight the world on his own with no one in his corner but his brother. Lamotta often destroyed his opponents with a couple of chaotic blows. But sometimes we watch him stand strong, allowing himself to be hammered, refusing to go down. Why? I believe it was his way of confession, it was his way of acknowledging the wrongs he'd done and paying for the sins he'd committed. He hurt everyone around him too much, to forgive himself. Raging Bull is extremely aesthetic and over time, it has come to represent the gold standard in film-making. People can argue that this might be the greatest American film ever made. There's not too much one can say to fight that argument.