Raging Bull film review

Review

Cast & crew

Raging Bull

(1980)

Critics and film-makers are always being asked to reel off their desert island films: this, without question, is one such great. Director Martin Scorsese makes no concession to character likeability here as he charts Jake La Motta's downward slide from arrogant prizefighter to frustrated, hateful dropout. Robert De Niro, who piled on the pounds to play the latter-day La Motta, proves he is the ultimate Method actor, both utterly convincing in the ring (the brutal fight sequences are spectacularly staged) and as the empty barrel abusing everyone (including his wife, Cathy Moriarty, and brother, Joe Pesci) at home. Scorsese effortlessly fuses top-drawer acting (De Niro rightly won a best actor Oscar for his efforts), pumping narrative drive and blitzkrieg camera technique to deliver a giddy, claustrophobic classic. JM

Contains violence, swearing.

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Running time

123min

Country of origin

Genre

Biographical Boxing Drama

Original language

English

Screenplay

Paul Schrader, Mardik Martin, from the non-fiction book by Jake La Motta, Joseph Carter, Peter Savage

Theatrical distributor

Park Circus

UK cinema certificate

UK cinema release date

August 2007




awards information


	Award	Category	Name	Nominee/Winner

	Academy 1980	Actor in a Leading Role	Robert De Niro	Winner
	Academy 1980	Actor in a Supporting Role	Joe Pesci	Nominee
	Academy 1980	Actress in a Supporting Role	Cathy Moriarty	Nominee
	Academy 1980	Best Picture		Nominee
	Academy 1980	Directing	Martin Scorsese	Nominee
	BAFTA 1981	Best Actor	Robert De Niro	Nominee
	Golden Globe 1980	Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Drama	Robert De Niro	Winner