“A TRIUMPH OF BRUTALITY”

By Raymond Benson

I once lived on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in the 1980s. Occasionally, I would spot Jake LaMotta in the neighborhood. The former boxer must have lived nearby or had reason to visit sometimes. One day as I was walking along 1st or 2nd Avenue, I spotted LaMotta coming toward me. As he passed me, I quietly (but loud enough for him to hear) spoke in that whispery kind of voice that imitated a “crowd noise.” I said, “Jaaaaake LaMoooooottaaaa!” in the style of a boxing announcer. LaMotta turned to me with a frown. At first I thought he was going to punch me or something. But then he grinned, clasped his hands together in a self-clasping handshake that is a gesture of triumph and victory, and waved them over his head. It was a special moment.

That gesture of triumph from LaMotta is indicative of the man’s redemption he received from the biopic about his life that was released in 1980. Raging Bull, brilliantly directed by Martin Scorsese and superbly acted by Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Cathy Moriarty, is indeed a feat of greatness. LaMotta (played by De Niro), who was a middle-weight champion boxer active professionally between 1941 and 1954, is depicted as a troubled soul who cannot control his anger—his rage—and this is the character trait that propels him through boxing matches. Unfortunately, his rage also propels him through his relationships with his wife, Vickie (Moriarty), and brother Joey (Pesci). The film must have brought some closure to the real Jake LaMotta, who experienced a newfound fame and celebrity after his post-boxing years of ups and downs.

Much has been made by film critics and fans alike about the Academy Awards for 1980—that Raging Bull deserved the Best Picture award over what won (Ordinary People). I recently wrote at length about the latter film in a Cinema Retro review of a new Blu-ray release. In it I defended People’s win, so I won’t go into it again here. That said, Raging Bull is a magnificent piece of film craftsmanship. The double-punch team of Scorsese and De Niro, along with the two-punch partnership of Scorsese and editor Thelma Schoonmaker, all combine to exhibit one of the most dynamic showcases of bravura filmmaking.

Robert De Niro delivers the performance of his career, and there was no question that he deserved the Oscar for Best Actor that year—everyone else could have just stayed home. The actor’s commitment to the role is seen by De Niro famously gaining over fifty pounds—and then losing it—to play the older LaMotta. At the time, this was unheard of for an actor. Joe Pesci also made a name for himself in the picture, as he was virtually unknown to the general public prior to Bull. The same is true for Cathy Moriarty, who was only seventeen when she was cast.

Raging Bull is arguably Scorsese’s most accomplished film in terms of mastery of the craft, although there are other titles that I personally enjoy more. And this is perhaps key to why Raging Bull is problematic to anyone who isn’t a film connoisseur. The movie is about brutality. It features a rather unlikable violent person who is abusive to everyone around him. The movie is nonstop in its assault on an audience, such that at the end we feel as if we’ve just spent a few rounds in the ring with the character ourselves. There is no question that it’s an absolute masterpiece of cinema and should be admired as such… but it’s not a pleasant picture to watch. Therein lies the rub. Of course, art isn’t always safe.

The Criterion Collection presents a gorgeous new 4K digital master approved by Scorsese, in two versions—a 4K UHD disk and Blu-ray. The 4K UHD package comes with the second Blu-ray disk, but the Blu-ray alone can also be purchased separately. Both feature 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks. The UHD disk is the film by itself presented in HDR. The Blu-ray disk contains the film and all the supplements. The movie comes with three previously-released audio commentaries: a) One with Scorsese and Schoonmaker; b) one with DP Michael Chapman, producer Irwin Winkler, casting director Cis Corman, music consultant Robbie Robertson, and others; c) and one with LaMotta and screenwriters Mardik Martin and Paul Schrader.

The supplements are terrific, especially the new video essays by film critics Geoffrey O’Brien and Sheila O’Malley that examine both the film and the actors. Previously released features include a four-part making-of documentary; three short programs highlighting Scorsese and De Niro’s collaborations; TV interviews with LaMotta, Moriarty, and Vickie LaMotta; and a piece with former boxers reminiscing about LaMotta. The booklet contains essays by poet Robin Robertson and film critic Glenn Kenny.

Raging Bull has been issued on Blu-ray more than once, but the Criterion Collection’s presentation is the Cadillac of them all. It is indeed worth the upgrade. For fans of Scorsese, De Niro, and cinema that delivers a K.O.

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