The best film ever made,a flawless masterpiece !

Rating: 10/10 (14 April 1999)

What are great films made of, what do they have to contain that makes them so remarkable ? A moving story, great acting, superb camerawork, exceptional sound, cleverly editing, masterful directions ? Raging bull not only contains all these elements, but its groundbreaking in all of them. Its one of the best films ever made, and as with good wine it just gets better with each passing year. What makes this black and white film so damn remarkable?
When all the technical aspects of a film are used at its best to serve the initial story it creates a magic that is unexplainable. Each boxing-match is individually coreographed and edited. the camera moves in ways it never did before. The soundeffects are heartstopping.
The story is based on the life of the boxing champion Jake La Motta... the meanest sunofabich ever to have played the main character in a film (at least in the 80's), honestly played by Robet De Niro who took method acting to new hights when he decided to get fit in order to play the boxer, and then gained 30.kg to play the older fatter Jake La Motta. He gives his best performance ever, as he is able to bring out the sympathetic side of this monster.
But eventually its the story that moves us... about a boxer whose life consists of fighting, but his biggest fights are the ones fought outside the ring. A man that's filled with so much self destruction that he destroys not only himself but everyone around him, his brother, wife, family.... this film just works in so many layers. Its humane but never sentimental, very straight forward yet so intelligent. a must see for absolutely everyone.
If you will only see one film for the rest of your life, see this one....