Robert De Niro: Jake LaMotta

Joe Pesci: Joey LaMotta

Cathy Moriarty: Vicki LaMotta

Screenplay by Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin from the memoir Raging Bull: My Story by Jake LaMotta

Directed by Martin Scorsese

Hi, there. It’s me, once again, your weekly older movie reviewer, Ethan Huggins. Today, I am review a newer film (if you call 1980 a new film). Anyway, this is my first sports movie, kind of. I will explain later. The film is said to be the best film of the 1980s, and one of the top 10 films of all time.  The film I’m talking about is Raging Bull.

The film is about the triumph of famed boxer Jake LaMotta. He ascends to greatest, but eventually loses his mind, body, and career. He loves his greatness. He loves his family. However, the mantra of being a champion takes its toll on Jake. He questions everyone, whether it is a stranger walking down the street or his own brother or wife. His brother, Joey is manager, so he knows how tough it is to be a fighter. In the end, he wastes his talent and eventually owns a nightclub.

The film is a drama, but a sports drama. The sport of boxing does help move the story along as it helps develop his tragic downfall. Without the “sport,” there is no story. The film’s angles help intensify the impact of the punches, and of the big body blows. The cameraman did get nominated for an Academy Award, but eventually lost.

The film was nominated for eight Academy Awards, but only won two. De Niro won for Best Actor when he weighed145 pounds to get in fighting shape, then he gained 60 pounds to get into the fat Jake. The film would have one more, but an assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan happened, which hurt the film, as Scorsese’s Taxi Driver had a person of who went crazy and tried to kill a president. Scorsese had to leave the ceremony early, so no one would try to harm him.

Despite the negative publicity, the film became one of the greatest of all time. It reached number four on the AFI’s Top 100 Films of All Time, the Tenth Anniversary Edition. It as been deemed "culturally significant" by the United States Library of Congress, and was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.

I would give Raging Bull *****/5.