Raging Bull [1980]

Director: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Cathy Moriarty
Points: 100 out of 100
Comment: "Ranked amongst the foremost in cinema history, and I agree..."

The story of Jake LaMotta, a former middleweight boxer brilliantly portrayed by Robert De Niro. He's not nearly as well-known as Muhammad Ali, whose life story is much more captivating. But Jake LaMotta is a pretty interesting character himself due the fact that he is not just a boxer. This film tells it all. Well, almost everything. The film omitted the story about the early days and simply began with his boxing career and his later years.

The film was made in 1980 but director Martin Scorsese opted for the black-and-white style, just like how films prior to the 1960's were made. But it was tastefully done, complete with the aesthetics of films from that era. One such example is how blood spatter is exaggerated during the boxing scenes.

One thing you will notice as soon as the film begins is how fat Robert De Niro is. Indeed, he actually put on a lot of weight (from 66 to 97 kg) for the sake of doing the role justice. By today's standards, the feat may not seem that impressive as actors from today's era are also doing it. Actor Christian Bale is notorious for not only gaining considerable amounts of weight, but also for losing it. But bear in mind that De Niro is probably one of the earliest major film stars do begin this trend, hence making it an amazing feat until today.

Points Calculation

The Good [+100]
- Interesting plot
- Tasteful aesthetics
- Great performances from cast
- Story told beautifully

The Bad [-0]
- (None)

100 - 0 = 100 points