A masterpiece

Rating: 9/10 (30 August 2007)

Watching Raging Bull is a truly exhausting experience. It is undoubtedly the most intense biopic ever committed to celluloid. The misogynistic and mascohistic Jake La Motta is a truly detestable figure, and hence some find it impossible to feel any emotional attachment towards him. Raging Bull is a very difficult film to love, but is easy to appreciate.
The delicate details from Scorsese, make the fight scenes impassioned but also wonderfully hyperbolic. Scorsese's ingenious idea of putting smoke under the camera and using Hershey's chocolate for blood make the fight scenes completely incogitable. Thelma Schoonmaker's Oscar winning editing is especially salient in these scenes.
In my opinion, De Niro's performance as Jake La Motta is the finest hour of his decorated career. 'Raging Bull' sees De Niro's ultimate immersion into 'The Method'. He gained 60 pounds and trained fervently so he could play Jake La Mota in the best possible way. As many have said before me, there are few moments in cinema that compare to a robed De Niro shadow boxing in slow motion to Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana.