Classic Review: Raging Bull
- Half Glass Guy
- May 6, 2019
- 4 min read
Updated: May 6, 2019
Jake La Motta: "Though I'm no Olivier, I would much rather... And though I'm no Olivier , if he fought Sugar Ray, he would say, that the thing ain't the ring, it's the play. So give me a... stage. Where this bull here can rage. And though I could fight. I'd much rather recite... that's entertainment."
Martin Scorsese's 1980 film "Raging Bull" is considered the savior for the iconic directors career and life. Upon farther research, I came across that Robert De Niro help Scorsese out of a depression, getting him back into the directors chair for this film. De Niro knew that Scorsese would handle this story with care and precision. There was even a potential chance that Scorsese would retire from directing after "Raging Bull," which would have been bananas, but luckily he pulled through and continued on his filmmaking path. "Raging Bull" is seen as a classic film by today's standards. And one will have to understand the history of when the film was made, but I believe this was a film that was ahead of its time because of Scorsese's fearlessness. It is a classic, but it does come with some flaws that either viewers can look passed or not, especially for today's audience members.
"Raging Bull" is about Jake La Motta (aka Robert De Niro) and how he rose in the boxing world from the 1940's to where he eventually dropped off in the 1950's. The film shows Motta's personal life during those era's, and shows how much of a violent, aggressive and troubled individual he was. Although his rise in the boxing world happened, he still lost along the way. Painting the picture that he was not a perfect person, and had a hostile personality alongside some problems that he handled poorly. Scorsese is known for creating characters like these, and the one that sticks out the most to me is his film "Taxi Driver." That film, starring Robert De Niro too, dives into more psychological behavior, which is essentially the entire narrative. Much like "Taxi Driver," "Raging Bull" is a character study and a dark, realistic tale of a boxer who never truly overcame his inner struggles.
The positives from this film are fairly obvious if one sits down and experiences it. Scorsese's directing is nothing short from masterful, the acting is on a high level, and everything else is fabulously well done that one can even just appreciate the film for what it is. One of the aspects I want to talk about is Robert De Niro's acting. He gives, what some call, one of the best performances ever. This character is complex and vicious. De Niro portrays that excellently, through the boxing matches (that he actually trained for), to even putting on 60 pounds of weight as La Motta slowly derailed from his winning days. I suggest to watch "Raging Bull" for the performance alone. I was blown away by how well De Niro immerse himself in a character.
The side performances should not go unnoticed either. Joe Pesci as Joey (Jake's brother) is a performance that will be overshadowed. As is Cathy Moriarty as Jake's wife, Vickie. Both of those performances are knockouts. While De Niro is cruel in his role as Jake, Moriarty and Pesci are the ones that have to be attacked from Jake's behavior. Vickie gets slapped, punched and thrown around, as does Pesci. They essentially get put into the ringer. They support Jake as he went along, but never could help him overcome his actions. They give strong performances that help the films narrative overall.
Some other notes that should be addressed is how "Raging Bull" is a sports film that is not optimistic at all. When we watch sport films, we tend to get cliches that revolve around the ideas of redemption or "overcoming the odds." "Raging Bull" shows redemption to an extent, but overall the film is about a man who had a boxing career that ultimately led him down a dark path, and how he did not overcome much. And since this film did not want to be associated with "Rocky," Scorsese made the film black and white. Plus, as I stated, it is a sports film that does not follow the cliches one should expect. This is very much its own film, on a different level than "Rocky."
As I stated earlier, the direction is on a masterful level that only Scorsese could do. The way he tells the story is slow and drawn out, but ultimately unpredictable if one does not know of La Motta's story. This is an extreme story to handle, which brings me to my criticism of "Raging Bull." While the film can be seen as a masterpiece of cinema to many, I believe the film follows a grim nature that could sway viewers away. Plus, the film is drawn out and takes its time to tell a 20 year story in two hours and nine minutes, so it can feel sluggish in some areas.
"Raging Bull" is an unconventional sports film that is not filled with any cheerfulness, which is what most viewers want when they watch a sports film. There is a difficult experience that lies in "Raging Bull" and it requires much from a viewer to pay attention and see the painfulness that is in La Motta's story. It might feel too relatable for a viewer, and that is why I admire the picture. It is a two-way sword that most viewers will either like or not. I found it to be compelling and challenging, and when filmmakers tell the story faithfully, I appreciate it and see it as art.
"Raging Bull" does take its time in telling La Motta's story, and leaves a viewer despondent by what they just saw. As if they got to breathe once the story finished. I appreciate the film for being realistic and being faithful to La Motta's story, and from a filmmaking perspective, "Raging Bull" is exquisite cinema. It won't inspire people to overcome their odds. It is, more or less, about looking at this story and learning not to go down that ominous path that La Motta did. Film teaches us, and "Raging Bull" is another lesson that most should watch because of what it depicts. It is sad, authentic, competent and most of all, powerful. It is a slow experience, but an unforgettable one. The bull does rage on, especially all these years later.
Rating: A
Run Time: 2 Hours 9 Minutes
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