Martin Scorsese’s luminous study of a man at war with his own nature remains undimmed after almost 30 years.
Raging Bull (1980)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:52
Fresh:51
Rotten:1
Average Rating:9/10
Consensus: Arguably Martin Scorsese’s and Robert De Niro’s finest film, Raging Bull is often painful to watch, but it’s a searing, powerful work about an unsympathetic hero.
Theatrical Release:17-08-2007
Synopsis: With RAGING BULL, Martin Scorsese's personal approach to filmmaking is taken to a whole new level. Shooting in a crisp black and white, Scorsese tells the story of middleweight boxer Jake La Motta,... With RAGING BULL, Martin Scorsese's personal approach to filmmaking is taken to a whole new level. Shooting in a crisp black and white, Scorsese tells the story of middleweight boxer Jake La Motta, played with incredible intensity by Oscar winner Robert De Niro. As La Motta rises through the ranks to earn his first shot at the middleweight crown, he falls in love with Vickie (Cathy Moriarty), a gorgeous girl from his Bronx neighborhood. Jake's inability to express his feelings pours out in the ring and eventually takes over his life in his dealings with his brother, Joey (a brilliant Joe Pesci). Irrational jealousy over Vickie, as well as an insatiable appetite, sends him into a downward spiral that costs him his title, his wife, and his relationship with Joey. As the out-of-control fighter, De Niro delivers one of the screen's most unforgettable performances. Pesci is just as intense as Joey, who finally realizes that he is unable to tame his animalistic brother. Cinematographer Michael Chapman shoots the film with a stylish flair that fills the boxing scenes with boundless energy and adds immediacy to the arguments that erupt whenever Jake is outside the ring. Simply put, RAGING BULL is one of American cinema's masterworks. [More]
Starring: Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Cathy Moriarty, Frank Vincent
Starring: Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Cathy Moriarty, Frank Vincent, Nicholas Colasanto, Theresa Saldana, Frank Adonis
Director: Martin Scorsese
Director: Martin Scorsese
Screenwriter: Mardik Martin, Paul Schrader
Story: Jake La Motta, Joseph Carter, Peter Savage
Producer: Irwin Winkler, Robert Chartoff
Reviews for Raging Bull
A classic that has everything to do with the capacity of even highly successful men to cope with life in general, and women in particular.
This film does more than make you think about masculinity, it makes you see it -- in a way that's relevant to all men, not just Bronx boxers.
Widely acclaimed as both the greatest film of the 1980s and of its director, Martin Scorsese, this is one of a select handful of films that everyone should see.
Every swirling camera movement, every distinctive angle, has a real reason for existing in this story of world middleweight boxing champ Jake La Motta.
De Niro and Joe Pesci are impeccable and Cathy Moriarty is iconically sexy.
This savagely authentic film about flawed masculinity is worth seeking out for another viewing if the summer’s toothless blockbuster fodder is getting you down.
Martin Scorsese makes pictures about the kinds of people you wouldn't want to know.
Often unpleasant and painful to watch, the film is a no-holds-barred look at a violent man in a brutal sport, in which, amazingly, the wholly unsympathetic LaMotta attains a state of grace at the end that is inspiring.
The most obvious basis for the film's claim to greatness lies in Scorsese's devastating critique of the very codes of masculinity that shaped him as a filmmaker, and in Robert De Niro's performance, through which that critique is made flesh.
If you've never seen Raging Bull, it's nowhere near as artwank as you've been led to believe.
Latest News for Raging Bull
September 17, 2009:
Five Favourite Films with Nick Love
Nick Love isn't known for heart. The film which earned him his "From the director of..." title card, The Football Factory, is nothing if not violent, loud and not particularly... More...
June 22, 2007:
AFI Announces Top 100 Movies of All Time ... Again
Ten years ago the AFI gave us a list of the Top 100 American Films Ever Made -- and when that was done they churned out 15 other lists every few years. And then last night they... More...
June 21, 2007:
Scorsese & De Niro: Together Again
Do you even have to know the plot? It's the ninth collaboration between Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro. Period. More...
February 26, 2007:
How Does "The Departed" Rank Among Oscar's Best?
So Martin Scorsese finally has his long-overdue, much-deserved Oscar. But where does "The Departed" stack up in the annals of Academy history? More...
More DVDs
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 95% 95% | Star Trek |
| 14% 14% | The Ugly Truth |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 86% 86% | A Christmas Tale |
| 60% 60% | Paper Heart |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Around The Network
- Raging Bull at Rotten Tomatoes
- Raging Bull at IGN
Fresh Links
Featured

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.



Top Critic

