Without De Niro’s masterful performance, the film’s central character study would not nearly be as gripping or heartrending.

However, the merit of De Niro’s performance should not be obfuscated by the actor’s intense preparation: his method acting approach can’t account for his ability to convey the totality of LaMotta’s internal conflicts, which are “like a burbling cauldron of jealousy, resent, and self-hatred,” as noted by Rolling Stone’s Scott Tobias. We are now used to seeing actors like Christian Bale and Charlize Theron physically transforming for their roles, but De Niro’s commitment to embodying LaMotta was unprecedented at the time. Notoriously, De Niro gained over 50 pounds in the middle of principal production to convincingly portray the middle-aged LaMotta. The film follows LaMotta’s career, as well as his retirement, which comprises of pathetic stand-up routines and time in prison. Living a life devoid of any real introspection, Jake automatically responds to any conflict-in and outside the ring-with jealousy, a brutal temper, and violence. We focus on LaMotta’s tumultuous, failed relationships with his second wife, Vickie (Cathy Moriarty), and his brother and manager, Joey (Joe Pesci), rather than his successes in the ring. Unlike Rocky and other boxing films, Raging Bull is not an inspirational, rags-to-riches sports story. Raging Bull stars De Niro as Jake LaMotta, a man who rose from the low-income neighborhoods of the Bronx and became a middleweight boxing champion in the 1940s. The self-destructive director found himself connecting to the story of Jake LaMotta, and he eventually agreed to make Raging Bull, a painful portrait about the perils of turbulent jealousy-and one of the best films ever made.

After the lukewarm critical and commercial reception of his big-budget romantic musical New York, New York, Scorsese had lapsed into a deep depression and severe cocaine addiction. Actor Robert De Niro-who would end up playing LaMotta-had been recommending the autobiography to Scorsese for years, but the director decided to pursue other projects. A complex and subtle film about the tragic and violent life of a prizefighter, it was based on boxer Jake LaMotta's autobiography. Raging Bull is a 1980 drama directed by one of the most respected American directors, Martin Scorsese.

Raging bull the film