Raging Bull

The Criterion CAV edition features the usual splendid supplements: stills, shooting script, storyboards, film clips and other material along with Scorsese’s and film editor Thelma Schoonmaker’s spoken commentary. This is a powerful study of the art of filmmaking.

Martin Scorsese’s 1980 boxing ring extravaganza, is based on the book by middleweight champion Jake LaMotta. DeNiro stars in a legendary performance as LaMotta along with an Oscar®-winning performance by Pesci as Joey, his guardian younger brother. DeNiro is seen first as the fighting fit young contender at his prime, followed by a 60 pound overweight LaMotta through the years of his decline (DeNiro actually put on the weight). This is a film about dreams, loneliness and the frustration LaMotta suffers from his inability to reconcile himself either to Joey or his wife (Cathy Moriarty).