#100 - Raging Bull

Powerful, striking imagery. Elegant use of classical music creates a poetry to the fighting that likens it to ballet. De Niro is immersive and strong of mind. The black and white adds beauty to the environments and allows a timeless quality. The quietness of the sound and character speech pulls you in, drawing you into the story. Silence is demanded to hear each word and the actors, all superb, use this to realise every moment. Conflict within the mind and body of La Motta ebb against the things he loves and it's shocking to watch a man of such masculine comand knowingly destroy his life. The women of the film are repressed but smart and often put their duty before themselves which is something the men focus on boxing, rather than family. The brothers, at first playfully aggressive then psychotic relationship symbolises the sacrifice that can damn those that strive for success at any cost. However Raging Bull is as much of a complex visual study of the male mind as it is a thoughtful price of fame narrative. Hard to watch at times due to the violence. It's not so much graphic but emotive. La Motta beats his wife, while the kids watch, and thinks it's acceptable. The brutal assault on his brother, a remarkable performance by Pesci, is horrific because we know La Motta loves his brother but his rage easily blinds hims. De Niro, unrecognisable as his aged self at the start, strikes a cord instantly. We like the man and accept, for whatever reason, him for the testosterone fuelled animal he is despite his many damaging qualities. I'm not sure why I followed his story but I did, maybe because behind La Motta's eyes is a man who can't not have everything his own way. Scorsese accents the story with a gentle touch, even in the heat of a fight, he steadily holds his own, capturing the action delicately. I enjoyed the visual touches at unexpected moments, Vikki by the pool, La Motta's dressing room chatter, the photographic era spanning montage, are all so superbly imagined. You get the feeling it was all very much planned, and yet feels so natural. I guess that's an apt way to leave Raging Bull. A film about a man who planned, but was unravelled by his nature.