Most people in general consider Raging Bull the best movie of the 1980's. I am not most people. I consider The Killing Fields (1984) or Born on the Fourth of July to be much better films. However, this is not to say in any way that Raging Bull is a bad film. Far from it.
Raging Bull is the story of boxer Jack La Motta (Robert De Niro) and his tremendous fall from grace. Jack, managed by his brother Joey (Joe Pesci), is climbing the ladders of professional boxing. By defeating almost all of his opponents, Jack is able to take on better and better challengers untill he finally goes up agianst Sugar Ray Robinson, one of the best.
In the meantime, Jack meets a fifteen year old girl (played horribly by Cathy Moriarty) whom he soon marries, and has children with. (Moriarty's performance gets MUCH better towards the end of the picture; she does NOT play a convincing fifteen-year-old.)
Jack wins the middeweight championship because he is very good at what he does. But it doesn't last long. Sugar Ray reclaims the championship belt from La Motta after La Motta lets himself go.
La Motta, extremely jealous of his wife and violently abusive, cannot stop thinking that his wife has slept around on him; fooled around on him. At one point, Jack gets so abusive the he beats his wife silly and then goes after his brother, Joey, who he knocks out. Joey resigns as his manager and does not speak to Jack for a long time afterword. His wife divorces him and takes the children with her.
With his world collapsing around him, Jack has dug himself a hole he may never be able to climb out of.
I still don't know what all the fuss about this film is. It was pretty good in most respects, but I didn't think it was that good. I guess that's just my opinion.
The film received a BIG boost from the performances of De Niro and Pesci, who carry the whole film. De Niro, in his usual violent self, gives a masterful performance, and Pesci, who, with his constant use of the word fuck, gives a stunning performance that rivals his performance in Goodfellas.
Plot: 
Based on the real-life story of the boxer Jack La Motta. Decent plot, De Niro was his usual excellent self.
Visual Effects:
Stunning cinematography on the boxing fights. Nice touch on adding the movie clips in color. Maybe this was supposed to be a twist... normally, movies are in color, and clips like that are in black and white. Who knows?
Sound:
Good score.
Character Development:
You can really see the change in attitude in both Jack La Motta and Joey La Motta, and even in Jack's wife.
Atmosphere:
Raging Bull starts off with this "1967" scene and then switches to the 1940's... I don't understand it, but nevertheless, once you are beyond this point, the movie gains speed and plays at a steady pace.
Realism:
Warren’s Rating:
Movies nominated for Best Picture with it:
Coal Miner's Daughter, (1980); The Elephant Man, (1980); Ordinary People, (1974); Tess, (1979)
8.14/10 Is the movie worth your time to watch?
11-06-04
Age at win: 31
Nominated for: Best Actor in a Leading Role, Jack La Motta, Raging Bull
Nomination: 4/6 (acting), 4/6 (total); Win: 2nd
De Niro's violent acting, coupled with his great chemistry with Joe Pesci makes his role of Jack La Motta not only a great role, but his best work since The Godfather: Part II.
De Niro's firocity, along with his personal desire to create the part so convincingly, is why he is one of the best actors of our time. You can see the passion in his eyes when he is in the boxing ring; you can tell that he is striving to creat a great performce.
Not only does he pull it off so well, but he could remake the whole movie and his performance would be identical.
11-06-04
