Scorsese and Di Nero's unbeatable one-two punch.

Rating: 10/10 (30 March 2008)

Robert Di Nero wins his Oscar early and often as Jake Lamotta in Martin Scorcese's bio of the former middleweight boxing champion, Raging Bull. Di Nero pulls no punches as he gives one of the most unsympathetic portrayals of an actual living person ever shown on screen. From the buff middleweight in his prime to a punchy nite club entertainer Di Nero delivers the most brutal male performance in American film since Brando's Stanley Kowalski in Streetcar.
La Motta, an up and coming boxer is finding it hard to get a title shot by not paying respect to local mob figures. Possessing a volcanic temper and more than a hint of paranoia he is incapable of settling any matters without his fists. Violent both inside and outside the ring he slowly erodes the loyalty of his wife and manager brother with his paranoid outbursts and physical beatings. Never has a fighter been more deserved of his nick name than this raging bull.
Providing a magnificent stage for this uncaged animal, Martin Scorsese is unrelenting in his depiction of La Motta and the "sweet science". Moving and jabbing with slow mo and jump cut he vividly conveys the brutality of the sport so graphically that it could make the case for its abolishment. In color it would be unwatchable. In the skillful hands of Scorsese though it becomes blood drenched poetry. From the Cavalara Rusticana serenading of La Motta shadow boxing, tightly edited fight scenes depicting the fury, to his meticulous detail of flesh and fluids Scorsese moves his film along gracefully as well as with force. The tracking shot that follows Jake from his dressing room to the center of the ring for his title fight against Marcel Cerdan is one of his best not only in terms of logistics but also in the story lines eb and flow. It is the moment that La Motta has been waiting for his entire career and Scorsese beautifully allows the audience to be part of his entourage in this crowning moment. Scorsese also skillfully utilizes sound as a smooth transitional device. His use of ambient noise from tenements and the local pool as Jake pursues future wife Vicki counterpoints La Motta's ring roar confidence and momentarily softens him in this toned down arena.
Joe Pesci as his manager brother and Cathy Moriarty as wife Vicki both offer splendid support as they hold their own in every scene with Di Nero. Battered but tough in their own way they soldier on as long as they can with the impossible Jake whose biggest fight remains with himself.
This is the best of all Scorsese/Di Nero teamings and probably the best work they ever did individually. It is a tough watch that may have you checking yourself for bruises and blood splatter as you leave the theatre but their is no denying its mesmerizing form and brilliant performance. Raging Bull is a winner by unanimous decision.