More About Family Than Boxing

Rating: Null/10 (21 January 2019)

Raging Bull is a 1980 film starring Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci. The film is directed by Martin Scorsese and based on the autobiography of the champion boxer Jake LaMotta. LaMotta's rise from contender to middleweight champion is chronicled in the film alongside his tumultuous relationship with his manager and brother, Joey (played by Pesci), and his second wife, Vickie (played by Cathy Moriarty). The latter third of the film depicts LaMotta's equally raucous post-boxing life and the disintegration of his family ties.
Scorsese's direction is superb. The camera angles and cuts during the boxing scenes provide a visceral feel for the audience of the gritty style of boxing employed by LaMotta. Scorsese contrasts LaMotta's ability to quickly turn a certain defeat in the ring into a victory while also showcasing LaMotta's ability to slowly erode his much-needed personal relationships. Shot in black-and-white, the film is reminiscent of a documentary. It sometimes feels as if we are peering into the actual living room where the LaMotta brothers are arguing about the next bout. De Niro, Pesci, and Moriarty give masterful performances of a family propelled by unbridled emotions.
Boxing, however, is simply a canvas for the screenwriters (Joseph Carter, Peter Savage, Paul Schrader, and Mardik Martin) to overlay a raw examination of ego, emotions, and family relationships. Jake LaMotta's ego is so large, and yet so fragile, that he accuses his brother and longtime manager, Joey, of having an affair with his wife. Vickie, Jake's wife, often acts on impulse and responds to Jake's outbursts and abuse by consorting with mobsters. No character here is beyond reproach, yet there are familial bonds that will be recognized by many viewers.
Raging Bull reflects working-class emotions. Even today, many people can relate to the type of raw personalities and family dynamics that are depicted through the LaMotta brothers in this film. In less capable hands, Raging Bull could easily have slipped into caricature. There are very few explanations given for the character's actions. But, Scorsese's keen direction and understanding of the culture, combined with the casts' brilliantly nuanced performances, provide a redeeming sensibility and a humanity to the story. Raging Bull is a dark, but recognizable, film.