Proof that you don’t fuck with Robert De Niro!
Raging Bull stars Robert De Niro as Jake LaMotta, a middleweight boxer whose sadomasochistic rage, sexual jealousy, and animalistic appetite exceeded the boundaries of the prizefight ring, and destroyed his relationship with his wife and family. Also featured in the film are Joe Pesci as Joey, La Motta’s well intentioned brother and manager who tries to help Jake battle his inner demons, and Cathy Moriarty as his abused teen-aged wife.
So when it comes to boxing films, none can ever top my favorite, and probably everybody else’s, Rocky. That film is one of the timeless classics that the whole family can watch and recite for years and years to come. However, when watching this boxing classic take the family away.
Raging Bull is the best sports film of all-time, close to one of the greatest but you know me I can’t go that far yet. I mean there are so many reasons why it’s just great but I just don’t know how to put it all out.
This is a film that is way different from many other sports films. We never get a look at La Motta’s childhood, we just see him when he becomes a star, and then to where it starts to die out. This is great cause we get a sense that this guy was always like this and really was never happy.
The whole film is beautifully filmed in black-and-white, and to be truly honest it couldn’t have worked any other way. The fighting scenes are what is mostly perfect about the look, cause they are shot in such unrelenting and graphic detail that I really did fully get an idea of exactly what boxing is all about. This whole film looks so realistic that I actually felt like I was in the 40’s with La Motta at the time all this was going down.
One of the main reasons why this film is so great is because of De Niro. Obviously, La Motta is a real person, but De Niro takes this real person and turns into what I may say one of the best characters ever captured on film. His performance is so wonderful that at the end I totally forgot that this was De Niro, and felt like I was just watching La Motta himself. His temper is short and there are plenty of scenes where he just loses it, and you, the viewer, are even scared just watching this man. But one of the better reasons why he is so great, is cause the character himself is so unsympathetic. Now this is what I love to see in movies that is played real well here. Here we have a guy who just doesn’t give a shit about what he does: he cheats on his wife plenty of times, beats the crap out of anyone he wants to, basically just doesn’t care what other people have to say about him cause he knows they will get destroyed by him, and at the end of the day he will say “FUCK YOU!”. This is the kind of character that I want to see in any film, De Niro plays this character with such anger and aggression, that I’m not just scared of this man, but I also have to just say he is one of the greatest tragic hero’s in any film still to this day. Also, the supporting cast with Joe Pesci and Cathy Moriarty who do their very best jobs just to at least handle this crazy S.O.B.
But surely this film wouldn’t even be amazing without one of the greatest, Martin Scorsese. You can just tell with every single scene he is just swinging for the bleachers and is trying so hard to make this film as effective as still is today. He shows us the little spaces in between the high points, but mostly its a film about a life and the end of it, and what is left to say. I was just right away destroyed by the film even as it started, with those beautiful and glorious opening credits, don’t tell me that doesn’t just deserve a 10/10 itself. Honestly, I will never watch another Scorsese film without thinking of this and to be truly honest, nothing that he does in the future will ever, and I mean ever come close to this beautiful piece of work.
Consensus: Without a doubt one of Scorsese’s best films of all-time, that shows a life that is filled with violence and anger, that is often too hard to watch. De Niro plays his greatest role ever as La Motta the unsympathetic hero, and puts so much depth into this performance, that I really felt like I knew who this man truly was.
10/10=Full Priceee!!!!
Usually I don’t like Gus Van Sant, but he is starting to grow on me.
Oh how love is so beautiful.
HAhahahahhahaha, Neil Patrick Harris!!!
This is why stalking is badd!!!!
Watched this movie with 3 of my pals, and let me just say that is what I call a good time!!!
When I think of what God looks like, I know I don’t think about George Burns.
In order to get ready for Precious, I chose another Lee Daniels film, that I’m hoping will make Precious a better trip than what I expect.
Holy shit man. That was my reaction after seeing this movie. Damn this was a darkass movie but shit, who am I kidding, it’s a Coen Brothers movie. Duh!
I could not have imagined these two as once being the best of friends.
Its official, Woody Allen can do no wrong!!!
Does it actually take 8 different point of views to see who assassinated the president?
If only it was six degrees of Kevin Bacon, then this would have been a 10/10!
What a great Thanksgiving!!!!
The one time that Seth Rogen and Adam Sandler, actually aren’t funny.
Nic Cage takes a ride with a bunch of convicts featuring Dave Chapelle, yeah this is a movie.
This King really does know how to mack back in the 16th-century.
Leonardo DiCaprio can honestly be one annoying little shit!!!
Wow, Jim Morrison was kind of an ass now that I think about it.
White kids, please stay in the suburbs.
Note to future action movies: Professional Athletes cannot act!!
Suck on that, Pirates Of The Carribean!!!!!
Why so many people hated this really does go by me.
I remember when I watched this as a kid and thought it was the funniest thing. Now I don’t even know what I was thinking.
Not one of the better films to watch on veterans day.
Killing zombies has never looked so much fun!
After watching this film, I really want to go on a road trip.
When I think of Black people, i really do think of Denzel.
Honestly could this title get any more catchier??!!
What can the Coen Brothers not do?
Oh god Stallone!
I never thought that two completely different things could go together so well.
Jeez, war films in 1998 took over the Oscars.
Never would I have thought that a film starring Shia LaBeouf be one of the most gut-wrenching films I have ever seen.
In 1930s New York City, the purple-clad Phantom’s longtime effort to crush a culture of evil pits him — and his dashing alter ego, Kit Walker (Billy Zane) — against megalomaniacal villain Xander Drax (played by Treat Williams
Truly the definitive horror film that will never get old.
Next film for Halloween is Dawn Of The Dead remake.
The next horror film is sometimes considered a horror film, but not really.
For all this week leading up to Halloween I will be doing 5 movie reviews on horror films startiing with this one first.
There’s a one inside of us.
Guy Ritchie doing what he does best.
The 21st century Fight Club, without the brain-busting plot.
I actually like Shakespeare now because of this film.
An old geezer takes flight.
Finally these two all-stars meet up but in a jail.
All in the title.
Don’t go to sleep!
Turks are so evil.
If Jack Black and Micheal Cera were my ancestors, I would probably be insane.
Somebody needs to burn this film.
Clint Eastwood doing what he does best.
Was not expecting what I got.
What were you thinking Al Pacino?!?!?!
Very first Gen-X romantic comedy.
Could this crap actually happen?
I don’t like it but Warren Beatty is starting to grow on me here.
Wow, Jerry Lee Lewis is a creep.
Sam Mendes takes the indie road.
“How do I teach these kiiidddsss!!”
Crazy times with Shakespeare.
What were these guys thinking!??
Wes Anderson start’s out, with the Wilson brothers.
A 3 hour and 9 minute film, that still needed more.
The place where it all goes down, in the forest.
Love has never been so passionate, damn evil little sisters.
Mel Brooks films never get old.
What Terrence Howard can do best other than acting, pimping.
What happens when you find out your boss is dead act, like he’s alive!
I never knew that the mafia was attracted to Broadway so much.
I don’t think you could stay in any bit of sanity after watching this.
Poor guy, all he wants to do is to get into Stanford, what’s so wrong with that.
I never realized how much I actually care for aliens.
It’s The Blair Witch Project, without the witch.
Instead of the Germans its the Russians, so hilarious!
Thee boys reunite over a lost childhood, in both ways.
Always nice to see two rap all-stars in the ghetto.
Too bad Nicolas Cage can’t see a bad script coming.
I never thought Micheal Clarke Duncan could captivate me so much.
ABBA songs are so fun to just dance to!
Whoever thought Germans could make such good villains.
Samuel L. Jackson doing more upstaging than ever.
A young quartet of gangsters with Christian Slater and Patrick Dempsey, only in the film world can this happen.
How Sean Penn got his start, by playing a stoner.
Jackie really does go crazy.
If your these guys, reality does bite.
A jewel heist film, with a fish’s title.
The film for people who don’t like Spike Lee’s other films.
The white man in Africa never gets no respect.
Never would I thought I would see my action figures come to life.
One Jean-Claude Van Damme is enough, but two now your pushing it.
If you can’t remember anything, don’t be this guy.
The untold world of a salesman sure is funny.
Life is a terrible thing to sleep through, but only if your not this guy.
In what is to be Joaquin Phoenixs’ last film.
The one night in hell, during Christmas Eve.
Warren Beatty needs a second chance.
Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta reunite once again, but this time on the battlefield, and their names aren’t Jules and Vincent.
Yes this movie is about a gay couple, in case you couldn’t all ready tell by the title.
Al Pacino is the devil and Keanu Reeves is his son. Yeah Right!!
One of the greatest rock bands up close and personal.
Music can connect two people, even if the music does kind of blow.
I don’t see many dudes that look like this.
Arnold is at it again but this time he fights in the future.
Whoever thought computer hacking was such a dangerous job.
How can this be, this is the first time Martin and Murphy star together!
No not the time of season, a chick.
Whoever thought after being in over 15 films about mindless action, Vin Diesel actually can act.
Picking up women from a bar isn’t the best thing to do after all.
Mexico sure is a place full of wild crazy things, such as vampires, yeah OK!
One of the craziest acid trips, that I didn’t take acid for.
Working at a amusement park isn’t so bad after all.
This film was a very hard gem to find, thankfully You tube had this, isn’t technology incredible.
For all those guys working behind the counter in suburbia this film is for you.
Mos Def and Bruce Willis, what an odd pairing.
“The world was all normal, until machines decided to go crazy”, I’m serious that’s a line from the film.
The life of Andy Kaufman sure is strange.
Spike Lee has always been known for looking at the slums of New York but now he looks at it in through basketball, also in New York.
You can do so many things with a blowup doll, but never touch it, that’s crazy.
Crazy Sly doing a comedy role as a mob boss what is he doing.
Not many guinea pigs I know can pull this kind of stuff off. Actually none at all.
The life of a weather man can really suck!
A love between a black man and and white woman is something that can be hated but it’s all about the love.
The film that made Jack Nicholson a superstar and Faye Dunaway even crazier.
Making porno’s have never been so funny.
The showdown between a nurse and a patient. Let the games begin.
Don’t mess with Liam Neeson’s family. Or just don’t mess with Liam Neeson in general.
A Romeo and Juliet love but in a 80’s way.
2 brothers kill other bad guys, all in the name of God.
A man kills his wife but can’t be brought down without the big factor….the EVIDENCE!!!