beauty; moral failings; broken noses

Rating: 8/10 (5 November 2001)

Robert De Niro is a brilliant actor. Martin Scorsese is a brilliant director. This much is clear. 'nuff said.
I am deeply troubled by what, to my eyes, is an attempt to find beauty and redemption in a flawed boxer. Some men manage to be flawed without hitting their wives. But I often find moral failings in Scorsese--this movie just fits his flawed guys thing.
But the most impressive part of the movie is La Motta quoting "On the Waterfront" to himself in the mirror. He is truly the one who should have looked out for himself a little bit. He is the reason he was not a contender.