“I’m not an animal!”

I don’t need to tell you that Robert De Niro is arguably one of the best and most committed actors to ever live. I don’t need to tell you that Joe Pesci’s mere presence in a countless number of films is nothing short of iconic. And I certainly don’t need to tell you that Martin Scorsese is an absolute master filmmaker whose career is, without even the slightest doubt, legendary. And 42 years after its release, The Criterion Collection has given us all a chance to revisit (and be in complete awe of) the film that brought the iconic trio together for the first time in Raging Bull with a beautiful, brand-new, director-approved 4K restoration.

Based on the boxer’s real life, Raging Bull is all about middle-weight champion Jake La Motta. A complete animal in the ring, but sadly…also a complete animal outside of the ring. To him, boxing is the definition of being a man. He’s fierce. He’s intimidating. He unrelenting. He’s a winner. But all of the things that make him successful in the ring are the things that destroy his life outside of the ring. La Motta’s jealousy, rage, and paranoia consume his life. He causes tensions and explosive scenes with his family, all of whom ending up leaving him in one way or another. La Motta wants to believe he is not an animal, but he is his own worst enemy.

Let’s start with De Niro. The role won him an Oscar, and there is no doubt he deserved nothing less than that. He’s got the walk, the accent, and the sharp look of a predator about to make its kill. And of course, there is the infamous weight transformation that De Niro insisted on doing to absolutely disappear into the sad, washed-up La Motta that bookend the film so beautifully. No one else could have played the complicated La Motta any better than De Niro.

You want to hate La Motta, and you do. However, it is hard not to feel this weird sympathy for him. As mentioned before, and as Scorsese shows in a kind of visual, violent poetry, La Motta is an animal. A caged animal. He unacceptably still acts like an animal outside of the ring, but what else is he supposed to do? He cannot articulate his feelings. He doesn’t have that language. He can’t have that language. He’s supposed to be a man, right? Is this whole complicated mess what the real La Motta experienced? Maybe only to a certain extent. But the La Motta character that was created through Raging Bull is a very extraordinary and complicated character that is played to a tee by De Niro.

Of course, I have to talk about the fight scenes. For someone who has declared that they never really had an interest in or an understanding for sports, Scorsese created some of the most visceral, explosive, and gorgeous fight scenes to ever be shot on film. The non-stop jabs to the face. The flying blood and sweat. The close ups of the bloody fighters and a stubborn La Motta who will not go down for anyone. The fight scenes are unmatched. Despite the lack of color, the audience can feel the drops of blood and sweat through the television screen as though it were happening right in front of you. You are in the ring. You live the fights of Raging Bull.

One more thing I would like to highlight in this film is the “at-home” movies. These 8 mm, scratched-up fleeting memories are the only sequences shot in color. They seem almost dream-like, and they go by too quickly. What is so interesting about this part of the film is that the memories are paired with title cards of fight dates for La Motta (all fights that he won). It seems that both memories good and bad are only remembered in relation to his fight dates. Another example to reinforce the fact that everything in La Motta’s life revolved around boxing. The good times he had with Vickie (Cathy Moriarty) and with his manager/brother (Joe Pesci) are never revisited. They were apart of his La Motta’s life, but they were not what he places importance on. We experience what La Motta experiences, and that is the genius of the picture.

Raging Bull is a film that stands the test of time. I’m not sure how well the movie would fair in this day-and-age, but I feel like it could come out now because of the timeless quality it has. With the absolute avalanche of performances by the whole cast and the explosive yet beautiful photography in black-and-white, Raging Bull is an epic rise-and-fall that is no doubt a classic. And if you’ve never seen it or if you want to revisit it, the new 4K restoration by The Criterion Collection is the definitive copy that everyone should own!

4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray

Home Video Distributor: Criterion
Available on Blu-ray - July 12, 2022
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles: English SDH
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Discs: 4K Ultra HD; Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set
Region Encoding: 4K region-free; blu-ray locked to Region A

With this stunningly visceral portrait of self-destructive machismo, Martin Scorsese created one of the truly great and visionary works of modern cinema. Robert De Niro pours his blood, sweat, and brute physicality into the Oscar-winning role of Jake La Motta, the rising middleweight boxer from the Bronx whose furious ambition propels him to success within the ring but whose unbridled paranoia and jealousy tatter his relationships with everyone in his orbit, including his brother and manager (Joe Pesci) and his gorgeous, streetwise wife (Cathy Moriarty). Thelma Schoonmaker’s Oscar-winning editing, Michael Chapman’s extraordinarily tactile black-and-white cinematography, and Frank Warner’s ingenious sound design combine to make Raging Bull a uniquely powerful exploration of violence on multiple levels—physical, emotional, psychic, and spiritual.

VIDEO

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, this new master (approved by Mr. Scorsese himself) created in 4K resolution was taken from the 35 mm original camera negative is just stunning. The depth of the blacks is remarkable, especially in the fight scenes when the area behind the fighters just looks like an endless void encircling the ring. There are no traces of dirt and any marks. The grain exposure gives the film a nice grainy feel without it ever being too distracting. Overall, it is a great, sharp restoration.

AUDIO

The original 2.0 surround soundtrack was remastered from the 35 mm three-track magnetic disc shows no problems. The mix between the music and dialogue is great. And is really shows off the wonderful sound effects in the mix, especially during the fight sequences with the layering of a multitude of different sound effects.

Supplements:

You got THREE commentary tracks, beautiful video essays, and interviews galore! These supplements are something to absolutely relish in. Every other home video release should strive to be this thorough with their special features because this one is the champion!

Commentary:

• Three audio commentaries, featuring Scorsese and editor Thelma Schoonmaker; director of photography Michael Chapman, producers Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler, casting director Cis Corman, music consultant Robbie Robertson, and others; and boxer Jake La Motta and screenwriters Mardik Martin and Paul Schrader

Special Features:

• New video essays by film critics Geoffrey O’Brien and Sheila O’Malley
• Fight Night, a making-of program featuring Scorsese and key members of the cast and crew
• Three short programs highlighting the longtime collaboration between Scorsese and actor Robert De Niro
• Television interview from 1981 with actor Cathy Moriarty and the real Vikki La Motta
• Interview with Jake La Motta from 1990
• Program from 2004 featuring veteran boxers reminiscing about La Motta
• Trailer
• PLUS: Essays by poet Robin Robertson and film critic Glenn Kenny

	Movie
	Video
	Audio
	Extras
Composite Blu-ray Grade

MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime: 129 mins
Director: Martin Scorsese
Writer: Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin
Cast: Robert De Niro; Cathy Moriarty; Joe Pesci
Genre: Sport | Biography
Tagline:
Memorable Movie Quote: "I'm da boss, I'm da boss, I'm da boss, I'm da boss, I'm da boss"
Theatrical Distributor: United Artists
Official Site: https://www.criterion.com/films/29158-raging-bull
Release Date: December 19, 1980
DVD/Blu-ray/4KUHD Release Date: July 12, 2022.
Synopsis: Robert De Niro pours his blood, sweat, and brute physicality into the Oscar-winning role of Jake La Motta, the rising middleweight boxer from the Bronx whose furious ambition propels him to success within the ring but whose unbridled paranoia and jealousy tatter his relationships with everyone in his orbit, including his brother and manager (Joe Pesci) and gorgeous, streetwise wife (Cathy Moriarty).