IDMb top 250: #102
Rating 9/10
Director: Martin Scorsese
Writers: Paul Schrader & Mardik Martin
Starring: Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Cathy Moriarty
"You didn't get me down, Ray"
As a film lover it shocks even myself that I have never seen Raging Bull. A film so highly regarded by anyone who has seen it. I think probably the main reason I haven't seen this movie is I'm not a huge fan of sports movies! I'm not a huge fan of sports, period! My dad recently bought the 30th Anniversary Blu-ray addition and last night I decided to watch and kick off this blog.
Going into the movie I knew nothing about Jake La Motta or boxing, turns out I didn't need to. Whilst a boxing movie there isn't a whole lot of boxing scenes, but what boxing scenes they are! They are so beautifully shot and edited, I felt every punch. I loved the shot after La Motta takes a beating from Sugar Ray during their final fight and the camera pans to show the blood dripping from the ropes whilst the real life commentary from that fight plays over it. It's perfect.
This is more a character piece than a boxing movie and the acting from De Niro, Cathy Moriarty and Joe Pesci is truly amazing. In fact to me De Niro isn't acting, he is his character. A character I actually routed for yet found completely unlikeable. His performance is so layered, a violent and confident man in the ring but one consumed with jealousy and insecurities outside of a it. I felt the emotions behind his eyes! His physical transformation is also unbelievable, to put on all that weight in the name of art! Maybe, his greatest performance ever!
The subtlety in which Cathy Moriarty plays Vickie with is superb and all the more impressive when I learnt she was only 19 when playing the role and this was her first film! The looks Vickie gives to Jake, it seems as though she liked pushing his buttons, she liked making him jealous. There were times during the movie I wanted her to explode and play it loud and over the top but thinking about it now, that wouldn't have worked, she played it just right.
It's a disgrace to the Academy that this movie lost out to Ordinary People (?) at the Oscars in 1981 in both Best Director and Best Picture category's. Robert Redford was obviously Hollywood Golden Boy at the time! However the Academy did get it right by having enough sense to give De Niro the Oscar for Best Actor. It was fully deserved.
This is a beautifully shot and acted movie and kept me entertained throughout it's 2hr running time. A must see!
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