Raging Bull Movie Review

Raging Bull (1980)

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Written by: Jake LaMotta  (based on the book by), Joseph Carter and Peter Savage (with), Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin (screenplay)
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Robert De Niro, Cathy Moriarty, Joe Pesci, Frank Vincent, Nicholas Colasanto
Rated: R
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Plot
The life of boxer Jake LaMotta, whose violence and temper that led him to the top in the ring destroyed his life outside of it.

Verdict
Jake never cared about anyone but himself. He wanted to fulfill his desires and hold on to them, anything else was a ruse or just the fantasy he desired that day. Part of this too, is never meet your heroes. Jake is a great boxer and that's all a lot of people see, but he isn't a great person. Even half way into this, I wasn't sure it lived up to the hype. But by the end what this builds and how it builds, it is indeed a great movie. It's a movie that shows one can take the medium a step further when all the pieces fit together just right. Movies are inherently difficult. There are so many moving parts, just one thing going wrong can tank you. In part and in spite of what was going on behind the scenes, this movie excels. The artistry and craft is apparent in every scene.
Watch It.

Review
This is considered to be Scorsese's best film and one of the greatest movies outright, despite mixed initial reviews. De Niro had to convince Scorsese who didn't want to do a sports movie. After a box office flop and an overdose, De Niro convinced him to make this movie. Scorsese was sure this would be the last movie he made, and he meticulously choreographed the shots.
Joe Pesci had been out of acting for four years and was living above the restaurant he worked in before getting this role. Jake LaMotta served as a consultant for the film and trained De Niro to get him in shape. De Niro put on twenty pounds of muscle for the movie, actually boxed in a three genuine matches and won two, claimed boxing came naturally to him, and LaMotta stated De Niro could have been a legitimate contender.

If you think De Niro looks a bit different, his nose is a prosthetic. In part it aided scenes where blood would squirt from his nose, but with this being black and white Hershey's chocolate syrup serves as blood as it looked better.

Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci play Jake and Joe LaMotta

From the start this wants to feel like a much older movie with the black and white color palette and opening credits crawl. That hearkens to an older period i cinema to the time this movie is set. Scorsese says he chose black and white because eight boxing movies were releasing at the time, and he wanted this one to stand out.

This starts with Jake LaMotta (Robert De Niro) in 1964 preparing for a routine, well past his prime. Then we cut to 1941 in his prime during a match. We quickly see that Jake is aggressive, in and out of the ring. His relationship with his wife is contentious at the least. Jake soon pursues another girl that catches his eyes. Jake goes after what he wants, right or wrong. He doesn't plan ahead. That's up to his brother Joey (Joe Pesci) who is his manager.

Scorsese's attention to detail is ever present, and the look of this movie makes it clear. This looks really good, from framing to camera movements. In the boxing scenes, the camera moves in the ring, capturing the feel of being there.

There's a montage mid-way through that vaults the movie forward while establishing families and changing lifestyles. This is what a montage should do, instead of the generic filler we often see in other movies.

Robert De Niro plays Jake LaMotta

Half way in I thought this movie looked beautiful, and it was that craft and artistry that was overshadowing the story, but deeper into the movie I started to like everything about this movie. The protagonist isn't good, he's not a hero. He's powerful, controlling, and paranoid. That's the basis for his problems. As he becomes more well known, he has greater freedom to wreak havoc on those around him. He's filled with rage which is great in the ring, but not outside. Jake can't control himself, but is bent on controlling those around him. That doesn't work out well. You wonder how far Jake can get with his self destructive nature. The closer he got to the title, the less drive he had. With more money and influence, Jake had more opportunity which distracted him from boxing. It's at that point the story really started to click.

We see Jake after boxing. Filming was halted for four months so De Niro could put on sixty pounds through sheer force of eating. Jake couldn't keep it together in our out of the ring after the title fight, living a farce in both. Being a prize fighter allowed him the influence to avoid consequences, but once he's out of fighting, he can't skirt.

I watched Raging Bull years ago as it's one of those must see movies. Watching it again, the craft is undeniable, but I wasn't sold on the story. After the half way mark this comes together. It's certainly deserving of all the praise.