ARTICLE WRITTEN & EDITED BY:
Lee Fenton
RAGING BULL
a film Directed by Martin Scorsese.
From the splendid opening theme:
the Intermezzo from Mascagni’s “Cavalleria Rusticana”, we are told by the filmmaker that this picture is one of weight and meaning.
Scorsese utilizes slow-motion shots of Jake LaMotta shadow-boxing to emphasize the amount of training
involved in professional fighting, and perhaps, by extension the amount of sacrifice in the craft of filmmaking itself. I don’t believe it’s a huge leap to assume that at least a portion of the characteristics of La Motta may have spoken to Scorsese. Films that feature tough men, with deep character flaws — seem to be his cinematic stomping ground, after-all.
Reasons Why ‘Raging Bull’ Might Be Scorsese’s Most Endearing Film.
-Unfiltered Scorsese, early in his career — unrefined yet more raw — works out to benefit the piece as a whole.
-interludes have a dreamlike veneer, mesmerizing visuals.
-The fighting in the ring reflects LaMotta’s mercurial nature.
-Dialogue is more realistic than any other Scorsese film.
-Robert De Niro gives a performance that embodies unbridled rage and disillusionment.
-The scenes of domestic violence bring a grotesque tone to parts of the film, contrasting the serene interludes and moments of ebullience in the picture.
-Since ‘Raging Bull is a depiction of real life events, La Motta’s behaviour towards his wife is emotionally exhausting to witness, while being essential to the overall narrative. I feel Scorsese handled this subject matter as tastefully as he could, emphasizing the obscenity of what was taking place.
– As Joey LaMotta (Jake’s younger brother) Joe Pesci’s energy is contained, highlighting his ability for providing an interesting delivery of everyday dialogue allowing the viewer to really lose themselves in the going-on’s of these two Italian-American men . It’s a glimpse into a bygone era through the lens of Pesci’s exchanges with de Niro, and the two form a highly believable pair of brothers — the intensity of family drama embodying their on-screen relationship.
– The misogyny of La Motta is dealt with in a way — that it’s very apparent it is a character flaw and rarely highlighted as a positive. This is something that Martin Scorsese veered away from in his later projects, choosing to take less of a moral stance and allow the moviegoers to come to their own ethical conclusions.
See below quote —- which outlines the criticism surrounding, ‘Wolf of Wallstreet’
upon its release, for context:
In a new GQ feature that partnered Scorsese with Dune actor Timothée Chalamet, the director was asked about his penchant for refusing to tell the audience how to feel about characters, and he brought up the 2014 film.
“In the case of The Wolf of Wall Street, for example, I only learned the other day from an interviewer who said, ‘You’re not aware of the war [over] Wolf of Wall Street?,” Scorsese said. “So I said, ‘What are you talking about.’ They said, ‘Well, there was a big screening at Paramount of the picture, for the critics in New York.’ Apparently, I was told this, there were two camps: One camp that loved the picture and the other camp that was furious, saying I didn’t take a moral stand on Jordan Belfort. And one of the critics from the other group that liked the picture said, ‘Do you really need Martin Scorsese to tell you that that’s wrong?’ You really need him to tell you that’s wrong? He knows it’s wrong.” [1] -Hollywoodreporter.com
Sources:
[1] https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/martin-scorsese-wolf-of-wall-street-criticism-1235623815/
