Marty's Masterpiece; De Niro's greatest performance

Rating: 10/10 (21 April 2003)

RAGING BULL (1980) **** Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Cathy Moriarty, Frank Vincent, Nicholas Colasanto, Theresa Saldana.
Martin Scorsese's masterpiece film bio of pugilist Jake La Motta (De Niro, who gained nearly 50 lbs and a Best Actor Oscar) and his personal demons plaguing his career's moments of glory.
Excellent portrayal of a man of violence trying to achieve an inner peace and the effects it had on his family. Filmed in gorgeous black and white photography by cinematographer Michael Chapman it captures beautifully the graphic images of boxing and the immediate violence permeating the entire story. Oscar-winning editing by Thelma Schoonmaker. Look sharp for John Turturro in the first bar scene.