RAGING BULL (1980)

The opening scene is shot in slow motion with Jake La Motta (Robert De Niro) dancing on the balls of his feet in a boxing ring while wearing a robe with the hood over his head.  The area in which the boxing ring is located is full of cigarette smoke, as occasional flashes of cameras try to capture the moment before a fight.  Jake throws some punches into the smoky air while soothing music is played throughout the scene.  It seems absurd to play this kind of music to boxing, yet the music continues.  Despite the absurdity of the music it will make sense to the audience as the story unfolds.  The blood red title, Raging Bull, appears as a bad omen between the ropes of the boxing ring while Jake keeps dancing on the balls of his feet.  Shortly after, the screen shows the year to be 1964 and the name of the city as New York.  The audience can hear Jake’s voice saying, “I remember those cheers, they still ring in my ears, for years they remain in my thoughts, ‘cause one night, I took off my robe and what’d do? I forgot to wear shorts.”

After the recital by Jake in 1964, the film turns into one monumental flashback beginning in 1941, which is unlocked by a powerful hook into Jake’s face.  This punch into Jake’s face has a symbolic value as to how he sees the world.  Hubris comes to mind when one thinks of Jake’s persona, a man with exaggerated pride and confidence.  Overtly he walks the talk that he backs up with his two lethal fists and an attitude that can take any kind of beating.  His attitude also projects an image that he needs no body, as he punishes those who he fights in the ring through murderous punches.  Through boxing Jake dreams of getting a title match, but his attitude seems to turn people away from him.  His brother, Joey (Joe Pesci), tries hard to get him the match while he tries to sway him to do what the people in power want him to do.

In the world of boxing testosterone flood every aspect of life, as hurting someone is what brings home the bread.  Successful boxers are treated like gold and their aggressiveness is nurtured to perfection.  Hostility is needed to destroy the opponent while compassion and sympathy are being perceived as a weakness. Everything surrounds this attitude in boxing, and Jake is the best there is at hurting others.  Domination is what he brings with him wherever he goes--even home to his small apartment, where his wife slaves for him in front of the stove.  De Niro does a magnificent job in being perceived as a male chauvinistic pig in his role as Jake when he uses his wife as a verbal punching bag.

When Jake first sees the neighborhood girl Vickie (Cathy Moriarty) he falls in love at first sight.  When Jake’s wife finds out about it she leaves him, which probably was the best thing for her, and he begins to date Vickie instead.  Their relationship is not based on mutual respect and commitment, but more on Jake’s bestial desires.  During the time when Jake sees Vickie he continues to box and dream for a title match.  However, no one is willing to give him one.  Something happens at home where Jake does not give into Vickie’s desires, as Jake does not want it to affect his boxing.  Nonetheless, in between fights Jake and Vickie get married.  The moments between fights, including the wedding, are depicted through the only color scenes in the film, seemingly shot by a personal camera without sound, but symbolically it offers some of the happiest moments in Jake’s life.

Through Jake’s attitude he does not get any chance at the title, and because of the way he has been knocking out his opponents no one wants to box him.  When Jake finds out that Joey has set up a fight against a younger and lighter boxer, he gets upset.  This moment turns the whole film in a new direction, as Jake’s inability to understand women is magnified.  His view of women seems to be heavily colored by his upbringing where women were supposed to serve the men while in a social context they are perceived as either virgins or whores.  In addition, Jake must begin to diet which probably plays further tricks with his mind while he is working out to get into top shape for a possible title match.  His aggressiveness turns into jealousy and distrustful paranoia, as he begins to watchfully observe Vickie's every move while he is around.  Eventually, Jake begins to imagine that Vickie is doing something dishonest, which explodes on the day when he asks his brother if he has slept with her.

It turns into a downward spiraling affair for Jake, as he loses everything he has worked so hard to gain in the boxing ring, the only place where it seems that he fits in--a place where he feels that he is in harmony.  This brings back the notion of the soothing music in the opening of the film.  Nonetheless, Jake learns his lesson, but at a very high price.  As the film comes full circle, the audience is brought back to New York in 1964.  In the beginning of the film, the audience can see the same poster that was shown in the beginning of the film, which showed Jake La Motta’s name on the top and botton stating “Tonight 8:30”. This is the second time the audience gets to see the whole poster, which will provide some insight to what Jake La Motta gained throughout the film.

Martin Scorsese directs a powerful film that deals with wisdom, identity, and love through boxing.  Using visual symbolism and other ways he directed many of the scenes.  The black and white photography makes it feel like minimalism, yet all scenes are very rich in details, but not excessively thanks to Scorsese’s meticulous approach to what is in the frame of the camera.  De Niro’s performance was brilliant and well worth the Oscar it won, as he must have gained a tremendous amount of weight during time it took to make the film.  The cinematography is excellent by Michael Chapman, as it helps highlight the emotional moments and the brutal fight scenes.  When all the cinematic aspects of filmmaking come together in Raging Bull it offers a truly brilliant cinematic experience, which will leave the audience in awe for a very long time.

DIRECTED BY
Martin Scorsese

COUNTRY

USA
REVIEWED
3/5/2005
GRADE


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The Internet Movie Database.