Raging Bull (Special Edition)
by Martin Scorsese
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Cathy Moriarty, Frank Vincent, Joe Pesci, Robert De NiroDirector: Martin Scorsese
Brand: DENIRO,ROBERT
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; French (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 1.0; Spanish (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 1.0
Format: AC-3, Black & White, Collector's Edition, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 129 minutes
Published: 2005-02-01
DVD Release Date: 2005-02-08
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Movie Reviews of Raging Bull (Special Edition)
Movie Review: Scorsese's Film He Will Never Be Forgotton For.
Summary: 5 Stars
Raging Bull is possibly the finest boxing film that you can see, and have to see. The feature was released in 1980 and was directed by Martin Scorsese, with Paul Schrader(also wrote Taxi Driver) and Mardik Martin with the writing credits. The film won two oscars, one for Robert De Niro and one for Thelma Schoonmaker for best editing. Both were rightly deserved wins, but one of the most outrageous decisions from the acadamy was the best director award, Scorsese was robbed once again, but I'll speak about that later. This is considered Martin Scorsese's best feature, and possibly his most popular and most acclaimed film to date. This film is shot in a beautiful black & white picture and also has colour footage in only one segmant of the film.
Raging Bull is a film that depicts the rise and fall of Jake LaMotta's boxing career, which spanned from the 1940's to the 1960's, the film doesn't just follow his boxing life, but it also follows his life after boxing, when he retired. The film starts off with Jake(De Niro) in the 60's as an overweight man reciting some words for an upcoming show he is preparing for(you find out what the "show" is in the movie), emediatly after his last words and a puff of his cigar, we are thrown into the 40's with a gritty boxing match. He's taking a beating, but turns around to knock out the other fighter. He leaves his opponent dazed and confused, but still loses the fight. His brother Joey(Joe Pesci) who is also his boxing managertells him to stay in the ring, all the spectators and Joey think that Jake was the victor and that he won the fight fair and square. Eventually a riot breaks out at the fight and we are hurled into a chaotic moment in the film. Afterwards we see Jake's marriage and living problems at home, him and his wife spark an argument which leads into a fight. Later on he meets a young girl named Vickie(Cathy Moriarty), who he dates and eventually marries during the film, the rest of the film follows his troublesome life with boxing, weight, his brother, and his family. The film is a telling of his rise and fall of the boxing world and his personal life. Remember, this is all based on true events, and is all from a book based on Jake LaMotta's boxing career.
The cast and crew's efforts to make brilliance are accomplished with a brilliant performance by De Niro, where he put on weight, trained with Jake LaMotta and could've actually been a professional boxer, he was wonderful as LaMotta and definately deserved the oscar for best actor. Joe Pesci's excellent performance as Jake's supportive brother Joey is not a weak performance at all, their chemistry on screen is wonderful to watch, and you get a clear idea of how they got along and how they fought in their personal lives involving boxing, family, friends, and Vickie, Joe Pesci was nominated for best supporting actor as Joey. Cathy Moriarty is Vickie, Jake's young girlfriend and, later on, wife. She is also a stunning example of fine acting when under pressure with great actors and a great director on board. She is another actress that's showed great chemistry on screen with her fellow actors and their characters, she is actually the perfect Vickie, a brilliant casting choice, she was nominated for best supporting actress as Vickie. The script is a great piece of writing and storytelling, with character writing and story plot that creates tension, love, loyalty, betrayel, and distrust between the characters. The cinematography is an eye opener here, and keeps you focused and inlove with the film, plot, and it's characters, with brilliant camera work in the boxing scenes(only used one camera in each fight scene), and an excellent switch from black & white to colour during the home video footage of them. Thelma Schoonmaker's editing is some of the finest editing ever, with complex fight scenes put together, and just carefuly put together with a love for the film. Scorsese's direction is indeed noteworthy, he managed to guide inexperienced actors like Joe Pesci and Cathy Moriarty through a tough task of a very technical and important film. His imagination for the perfect fight scenes, visuals, and performances caused stressful problems, especially the boxing sequences with one camera, but paid off with his most perfectly made film that will be remembered in cinema history for generations to come. It is radiculous that he did not win the oscar for best direction, instead it went to Robert Redford for Ordinary People, Scorsese's brilliance and tireless effort isn't rewarded once again. But for someone this good, you don't need awards to prove that he's brilliant. The music is classical music that gives the film another beautiful edge to it, finishing off the film's perfection.
The cast and crew's blood, sweat and tears are rewarded with a film that pleases audiences with rivetting performances, stunning visuals, brilliant direction, and absolutely breathtaking cinematography. The use of drama and exilarating boxing scenes blend well with dialogue, story, and beautiful music. A beautiful film in every aspect, and will bring you back time and time again to crave your lust for more black & white films you don't get too often, and makes you wonder why Scorsese hasn't won an oscar yet. This is a film anyone can enjoy, and will find a place in your heart. This is an inspiring film that you should definately watch and add to your DVD collection. The opening sequence alone is another reason to purchase this. A Must-see.
This "Ultimate Edition"(special edition) is definately worth buying, It has all the facts the film enthusiast needs to know, and every other person that is interested to learn about the film's grueling process. It has a highly detailed, but greatly awarded commentry by all the people who were involved in the film(including Scorsese and Jake LaMotta), it has a feature called "Before the Fight", which is another rewarding doc about the casting, writing and preproduction of the film, with how they started the idea to adapt LaMotta's biography. "Inside the Ring" contains the highly detailed look at how the actors trained and prepared for each carefully planned boxing fight, as well as the extremely tough shooting of each fight that was carefully planned and expertly finnished. "Outside the Ring" is simply a behind the scenes look at the film, and all the interesting stories and facts that happened on the sets and production period. "After the Fight" is a look at the impact that the film made on audiences, and a look at how the sound and music were carefully planned together. "The Bronx Bull" is the making of documentary, bassicly everything before that is summed up into a 30 minute doc.
"De Niro vs. LaMotta" is shot by shot comparison with De Niro and the real LaMotta in the ring, this bassicly follows the accuracy of the film. There's also newsreel footage of Jake LaMotta and the original theatrical trailer. This is the definitive edition of Raging Bull, and is a brilliant set with an excellent film and brilliant extra features. The film: 4.5/5 The extras: 5/5
Summary of Raging Bull (Special Edition)
Robert De Niro teams with director Martin Scorsese in this "extraordinarily compelling" (Leonard Maltin) film that introduced unflinching realism to stunned audiences in 1980. An "exceedingly violentas well as poetic" fight picture that maps "the landscape of the soul" (The New York Times),Raging Bull garnered eight OscarĀ(r) nominations* and won two, including Best Actor for De Niro. De Niro gives the performance of his career as Jake La Motta, a boxer whose psychological and sexual complexities erupt into violence both in and out of the ring. Joe Pesci and Cathy Moriarty are unforgettable as the brother who falls prey to Jake's mounting paranoia and jealousy, and the fifteen-year-old girl who becomes his most prized trophy. A "brilliantly photographed film of extraordinary power and rare distinction" (The Wall Street Journal), Raging Bullis filmmaking at its riveting best. *1980: Best Picture, Director, Supporting Actor (Pesci), Supporting Actress (Moriarty), Cinematography, Sound, Editing (won)Similar DVD Movies
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