Almost no sport can be more fruitfully adapted to film than boxing. Already in the twenties to thirties and later also in film noir, boxers and their fights provided a breeding ground for storytelling: Stories of boxers rising from nowhere only to fall again; Stories mainly about men with moral dilemmas. And in connection with this will always tells a piece of American history, that of the gangsters and the dirty money that flows through the ring.
The fight itself serves both dramaturgy and show value: The spectators essentially step into the ring and are there firsthand when someone gets their nose bashed in. For most of a boxing movie, the boxer is little more than his body: training, fighting, then treating his injuries.
At the same time, the boxer offers opportunities for reflection on masculinity outside his body through insights into his private life. Martin Scorsese combines all this in his boxer biopic ‘Raging Bull’ and goes over it in a virtuoso way – by introducing us to Jake LaMotta, a character who can hardly begrudge a triumph.
To this day, the film, which was sharply criticized for its depiction of violence and language, remains one of the most important American films and included in the list of ‘Best American Movies of All Time” from the American Film Institute in 4th place. You can currently stream the masterpiece on Amazon Prime Video.
Very close in the ring
Jake LaMotta (Robert De Niro) and his brother Joey (Joe Pesci) are determined to take Jake to the world boxing title. Through contact with mafia boss Tommy Como (Nicholas Colasanto), he manages to get started in gambling fraud. As he continued to rise in the ring and won the title in 1949, things became increasingly difficult for him privately: preparing for the fight was already a challenge for him because he had gained weight. His angry jealousy of his wife Vickie (Cathy Moriarty) eventually causes the officer to see red and attack his wife and brother. His career ended with the legendary fight against Sugar Ray Robinson in 1951, in which he allowed himself to be slaughtered defenseless.
‘Like a Wild Bull’ would be worth it just for the staging of this last major fight: the camera is much closer to the action than was usual at the time. Here it happens in large close-ups in rapid succession. Blood spurts out in quick cuts, causing LaMotta’s face to swell beyond recognition. In addition to an Oscar for Robert De Niro for best actor, a trophy also went to Thelma Schoonmaker for best editing. On the Blu-ray you will find a joint audio commentary by her and Martin Scorsese with even more extras.
Almost documentary-like middle-class scenes meet boldly staged black-and-white images of battle. But here is something not only for the eyes, but also for the ears: “Like a Raging Bull” is sound-intensive cinema at its best. The blows are almost noticeable through the sound – and were mixed by sound designer Frank Warner based on the sounds of bursting watermelons and gunshots.
A character that tests us
“Character is plot and plot is character” once said the American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald (“The Great Gatsby”*). And with the ‘raging bull’, LaMotta, Scorcese and De Niro deliver a character that is difficult to deal with. Jake LaMotta is an aggressive, self-centered, short-tempered man who is not exactly a classic identification figure.
De Niro embodies his LaMotta with a fervor, with a consummate purpose, that is rarely seen: And yes, here character becomes plot, the actor becomes figure – his visual transformation and weight gain alone are remarkable. Ultimately, LaMotta is a man whose stubbornness has cost him his happiness: a fat ex-boxer who has to make jokes at his own expense.
‘Like a Wild Bull’ does not tell the glorified career of an athlete and shows little insight. But perhaps that is the strength of the film: its authenticity. Just think of Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa, who comes across as powerful yet sensitive, almost tender. Hurt even a hair on Adrianne’s head? Never.