Rage Against the Masses

Rating: 8/10 (3 March 2013)

I only watched Raging Bull finally and for the first time a few nights ago to avoid one of the despised questions critics get asked: "You call yourself a movie critic, but you haven't seen?!"
Truthfully, I didn't have much interest in ever seeing the almost-32-year-old film. I have to be dragged to sports films, like Westerns and Musicals. Although, I generally end up liking them – I loved Chicago, and had to be dragged to that one, too – it's still a chore for me to get started with them.
And the nice thing about this film experience is: I knew practically nothing going in. I literally popped in the DVD and pressed play. Prior, I only knew it was directed by Martin Scorsese, starred Robert De Niro, was black & white and centered on boxing. That's it. I didn't know the length – which I love to know for what I'm getting myself into at night. I didn't know if it was a true story. I didn't know it also starred two favorites of mine: Joe Pesci and Cathy Moriarty. (That last one was interesting; within a period of one week, I saw two brand-new-to-me Moriarty films: this one and Neighbors. Although, it was revealed that I did see Neighbors prior, I was only seven and I only recall blurry memories and that I had seen it.)
I like these movie-watching experiences, i.e. going in almost blind. It was as if I saw it for the first time opening weekend, December 19, 1980, before everyone had their opinions, praise or whatever published or spoken.
At any rate, I enjoyed this piece of work. The cinematography was superb and crisp. The acting, namely De Niro and Pesci, excellent, as was the score and music. And I believe this statement must have been said countless times before: the direction (by Scorsese) was so masterful, so perfect, this film should be taught in film schools on how exactly to direct a movie.
The movie follows Jake La Motta's (De Niro) boxing career from the beginning to (ha-ha) present (in 1964) and we see the absolute rise and self-destructive fall of the paranoid fighter. This time bomb and his nickname, Raging Bull is so blatant in both the ring and in his personal life.
Honestly, I could've made that synopsis even shorter, but that pretty much sums it up. There really isn't much story here – it is based on true events, after all – so the movie relies and rightfully so, on the beautiful black & white, mood, acting, camera angles and suspense (for when La Motta will crack for the x time.) And none of these are bad things.
Exceptwhen you get into the pacing. As mentioned, since the story is thin, there are far too many stretched out scenes that had already moved past the established "mood" in the beginning of said scene. For instance, the courtship between second-wife Vickie (Moriarty) and La Motta wasn't just enormously awkward, it seemed to stay on the screen for much too long.
Also, I'm wondering if it was a budget thing, but EVERY SINGLE RING La Motta fought in, no matter the city, looked 100% the same, including the spectators, smoke and "mysterious" darkness beyond rows 5+.
Eh, I know that's really incidental to the fantastic and one-of-a-kind shots taken within the ring, namely the best of all fights: the final one between La Motta and Sugar Ray. That one scene was worth the entire time of film.
Although it's not a movie I will probably ever see again – as stated: this isn't my type of genre or subgenre, I would still recommend it, especially at over-30-years-strong, it holds up for both normal movie-watchers and film students.
Side Note: I don't think I've ever seen Robert De Niro this young, or, hell, even this thin (for the most part of Raging Bull.) So watching him here, I could NOT help but laugh every time I saw him with his sharp and curly hair inches above his head and NOT think of John Turturro (from Rounders.) Literally, for the first half I had to remind myself: this is De Niro, not Turturro.
Side Note II: Since I stated, I haven't seen De Niro younggo ahead and ask. Ask the question I hate: "You call yourself a movie critic, but you haven't seenTaxi Driver?!" Yes and yes. And yet.