De Niro & Scorsese in their peak

Rating: 10/10 (23 August 2014)

Raging Bull is quite simply one of the best works that cinema has offered and part of that is attributed to a genial directing job by Martin Scorsese and a brilliant performance by Robert De Niro (My 2nd favorite of all time). This movie is about the downward spiral of boxer Jake La Motta, who due to his jealousy and temper issues alienates all those close to him. With the objective of becoming the middleweight champion, Jake is angry, stubborn and always finds a reason to start arguing. Robert De Niro gives his career best performance that earned him his second Oscar. La Motta is a despicable human being that mistreats his wife and nearly murders his brother. However with De Niro's own mark, one can see that this man isn't all bad. He manages to conquer his girl by being sweet and caring, while also sharing a deep connection with his brother Joey, at least until his dark side wins over. Speaking of Joey, Joe Pesci also delivers a poignant performance of Joey La Motta, who always tries to bring his brother to reason, until he can no longer help Jake. Complementing this movie's emotional strenght we see spectacular cinematography work and great boxing sequences that are as gripping as you can get. I have yet to see a better Scorsese movie. This is the one that always leaves me baffled and De Niro gives the 2nd best performance I have ever seen, only surpassed by Daniel Day Lewis in There Will Be Blood. Raging Bull is a timeless classic and a movie that exemplifies the best of Martin Scorsese & Robert De Niro.
Rating: 10/10