Raging Bull

The film Raging Bull, produced by Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkle, and directed by Martin Scorsese, was established from the writing of American professional boxer, Jake LaMotta. The film illustrates the emotionally captivating story of LaMotta, played by Robert De Niro, who struggles to recognize his own self-destruction as his coping mechanism is that of punishment and confusion. Despite marrying a beautiful young lady named Vickie, played by Cathy Moriarty, LaMotta naively believes he is not worthy of her devotion and becomes nearly paralyzed by his own conviction that Vickie has become unfaithful. Ultimately, burdened by jealousy, rage, and insecurity, LaMotta progressively deteriorates, physically abusing Vickie and lashing out at everyone, including his brother, Joe, played by Joe Pesci, who LaMotta believes had an affair with Vickie. As the film progresses, it becomes apparent that LaMotta is not only fitting opponents in the ring, but battling with those closest to him, along with his own convictions, and ultimately pushes everyone away and becomes the manifestation of his own jealousy, anger, and sexual insecurities. The plot of the film is very dramatic, and I truthfully found the movie to be violent and aggressively disturbing. Anger and violence are very prominent throughout the entirety of the movie, and I believe this brutality to be most apparent outside of the boxing ring during LaMotta’s interaction with others. With that being said, the boxing scenes were beautifully portrayed. The background audio of animal noises, camera flashes, and the energy of the crowd can be felt in each match. The audio, accompanied by the film’s distinct black and white coloring, creates an ominously captivating visual tone. A particular detail that is unmistakable throughout the boxing scenes is the sweat and blood that beads from the fighters with every vicious punch. In an effort to create a unique sensation for the viewer, the camera movement within the boxing ring creates action and truly helps capture the intensity of the moment. Overall, this film exceeded my expectations, and I would highly recommend this movie to those interested in a beautifully captured tragic drama. However, I would not suggest this movie to those who are uncomfortable with physical violence, as the physical mistreatment of women is a pronounced theme along with the expected ferocity of the fighting scenes.

I watched this movie today and i thought it was a great movie a classic from robert de niro a great story a great cast great boxing movie worth seeing

Wonderful film!