A classic and that's no bull

Rating: 8/10 (22 June 2009)

Martin Scorsese's "Raging Bull" is a classic of American cinema, and rightly so. In 2008, an AFI poll placed the film at the top of all American sports films but it's really much more than that. It's an artfully executed character study of a paranoid, destructive man who just happens to be a great boxer.
In portraying Jake La Motta, Robert De Niro won his second Oscar and it's easy to see why. He famously put on sixty pounds to play the boxer in his retirement years but his performance needs no such gimmickry in order to succeed. He effortlessly handles all aspects of the role, from raging bull to pitiful has-been. The rest of the cast gives him capable support. In fact, Joe Pesci & Cathy Moriarty both landed Oscar nominations.
The direction by Scorsese is near flawless (I say near flawless because some of the fisticuffs aren't totally convincing as far as I'm concerned). While Scorsese didn't get the Oscar that he deserved, Thelma Schoonmaker's editing did. It should also be noted that the cinematography landed an Oscar nomination as well. Also worth noting is the soundtrack, which mostly sticks in the background but also makes superb use of the intermezzo from Pietro Mascagni's "Cavalleria Rusticana".
Ultimately, though, I do think that the film has a bit of a weak link and that's the story. Perhaps it's La Motta's lack of redeeming features but, to me, his journey seems somewhat inconsequential. That being said, it's not a bad story; it's just not at quite the same level as the other elements of the film.
All in all, this is indeed a worthy classic but I don't completely agree with the critical consensus that typically identifies it as one of the very best of all time (I'm thinking top 10 or so here). However, all that really boils down to is that I think it's slightly less of a masterpiece than other masterpieces.