Cinematically Speaking One of the Best Films of All Time

Rating: 10/10 (21 November 2000)

This is maybe one of the greatest films ever made from Cinematic point of view, meaning that it uses many new techniques involving editing that were never tried before. This is also maybe one of the best character studies of any one character in cinema history. SPOILER ALERT The story tells the story of a boxer, named Jake La Motta and whose brother, Joey, played incredibly well by Joe Pesci. Soon Jake falls for Vickie, a very attractive girl and they fall in love, which in my opinion was a different kind of love for both of them. Jake was looking for someone to take care of him, but Vickie was looking for man to satisfy her need for a father figure. From there the story progresses and it shows in the most eleoquen detail the fall of a great boxer. In it it involves the mafia and its gambling, it involves love and the fall of a once-great figure in boxing, it involes portraying life in a manner of luck having to do a lot with what happens with, and the detruction of a man caught by his own paranoia of thinking his wife is cheating on him.
This is maybe on the best movies of the 1980s and maybe even of all time in terms of eloquent study of the character and his downfall. The acting by De Niro and Pesci as two brothers was incredible. You could almost feel the two actually being brothers in real life. The scene where Joey comes in and is instigated by his brother to hit him on the face was incredible in that you could actually feel two little boys pestering each other. It was kind of odd in a certain way, but it reminded me of two brothers who haven't grown up.
This is also in some ways a very touching stories in use of images and dialogue. The characters seem very real. Martin Scorsece was also very wise to show at the beginning of the film a very fat Jake La Motta in 1961 and then immediately switching to 1941 so as to make the audience prepare for what was to happen later so that they could keep an eye out for the touching things and events that would later prove the downfall of this boxer.
This movie also contains some of the most gruesome scenes involving boxing that I have ever seen. The scenes and the close-ups of punches on boxer's faces were so grotesque and yet so realistic that you can't take your eyes of the screen. For these scenes, did it win the editing award in 1980s Oscars.
This is maybe the greatest acting performance done by De Niro to date, and probably will not be topped later. De Niro had to play a realistic character with features that would make him interesting and yet sadly unlikeable. The audience almost feel that they should like him but they really can't in no way.
My favorite scene was the close up of the blood stained rope as the winner was announced in a fight that Jake was in. The shot was incredible in that made the audience not actually see something and by doing that added the effect of sadness and loss that we feel for the winner. Another favorite scene was of De Niro saying to the character of Sugar Ray Robinson in his most witty way "You didn't get me down" which really symbolized the life of Jake, being that it doesn't matter how much you suffer, just as long as you win in the wrong run.
This is a sad story and I haven't even scratched the surface while telling yout the plot. A lot more happens later, with the Chracter gaining on 50 pounds and finally snapping and beating up his brother for his suspicion of sleeping with his wife.
The story ends on a somber note with Jake kicking his head against the prison walls screaming... "Why? Why? Why?"
This is a movie that is strong and thoughtful. This is not a movie for popcorn or entertainment value. This is an indepth study of a character and his life. It's sad and not gentle. It's gruesome and not tidy. This is an incredible movie but only if watched for the right reasons.