Brutal, honest, a mesmerizing film

Rating: Null/10 (24 September 1998)

Raging Bull is a film that is not easy to watch. It is brutal, it is honest and it is a completely mesmerizing film. The boxing scenes alone are enough to make you cringe. The sights and sounds that Scorsese employs to bring you to the feral level of boxers is amazing. Sound of wild animals bring you into the brutality of the sport. The sequence in which Jake beats his opponent so hard that the poor fool just collapses is amazing. The crowning achievement is the final fight of Jake's career. When Sugar Ray Robinson raises his arm, Scorsese lets everything fly. We see Jake stagger against the ropes, we see the blood, we hear the punches, and we see the horror wash across Viki LaMotta's face. But that's all the boxing scenes, what is at the heart of the film is Jake's relationship with his brother Joey, and Jake's insecurities in life. He is not the most sympathetic person. He is violent, suspicious and stubborn. Through DeNiro's amazing performance we see LaMotta as a complex and tragic figure. The scene in the Florida jail cell toward the end of the film is powerful. Jake starts pounding the wall and shouts "Why?" In that one scene we see a man finally coming to grips with his life, and his demons.