Wie ein wilder Stier (1980)

Wie ein wilder Stier: Directed by Martin Scorsese. With Robert De Niro, Cathy Moriarty, Joe Pesci, Frank Vincent. The life of boxer Jake LaMotta, whose violence and temper that led him to the top in the ring destroyed his life outside of it.

“u0026quot;Raging Bullu0026quot; isnu0026#39;t the average, stereotypical underdog boxing movie, because it isnu0026#39;t really about boxing at all. Like most great movies, its focus is much deeper. It came out in 1980, earned Robert De Niro a Best Actor Academy Award, and was marked down as another solid triumph by director Martin Scorsese, whose previous 1976 outing with De Niro earned them both critical acclaim (and for De Niro, an Oscar nomination, although he would actually earn an Oscar for u0026quot;Raging Bullu0026quot; four years later).u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIt dwindled in production hell for quite some time, with Scorseseu0026#39;s drug use halting production and only the duou0026#39;s strong willpower that kept the project moving ahead. It was after De Niro read boxer Jake LaMottau0026#39;s memoirs that he knew he wanted to make the film, so Scorsese and De Niro turned to Paul Schrader for a script. Schrader, who had previously written u0026quot;Taxi Driveru0026quot; (1976), agreed, and wrote the screenplay for them. The rest is history.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eu0026quot;Raging Bullu0026quot; has often been regarded as the greatest film of the 80s. To be honest, Iu0026#39;m not so sure about that, since various genres offer different feelings and emotions (comparing this to a comedy might seem rather silly). But to say it is one of the most powerful films of all time would be no gross overstatement — it is superb film-making at its finest.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eDe Niro gained 60 pounds to play LaMotta, which was an all-time record at the time (later beaten by Vincent Du0026#39;Onofrio, who gained 70 pounds for Stanley Kubricku0026#39;s u0026quot;Full Metal Jacketu0026quot;). His physical transformation is on-par with any great screen makeover, especially the most recent, ranging from Willem Dafoe in u0026quot;Shadow of the Vampireu0026quot; to Charlize Theron in u0026quot;Monster.u0026quot; In addition, co-star Joe Pesci also lost weight for his role of Joey, LaMottau0026#39;s short, eccentric brother. The greatest scene in the film is when LaMotta accuses his brother of having an affair with his wife. The tension is raw, the dialogue amazing, and the overall intensity electrifying.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe film is most often compared to u0026quot;Rocky,u0026quot; more than any other, apparently because they both concern a certain level of boxing. As much as I absolutely adore u0026quot;Rocky,u0026quot; u0026quot;Raging Bullu0026quot; is a deeper, more realistic film. But whereas u0026quot;Raging Bullu0026quot; is raw, u0026quot;Rockyu0026quot; is inspiring, and that is one of the reasons I do not think these two very different motion pictures deserve comparison, for the simple fact that they are entirely separate from one another. The only connecting thread is the apparently central theme of boxing, which is used as a theme in u0026quot;Rocky,u0026quot; and a backdrop in u0026quot;Raging Bull.u0026quot; Theyu0026#39;re entirely different motion pictures — one uplifting, the other somewhat depressing — and the people who try to decide which is better need to seriously re-evaluate their reasons for doing so. They both succeed splendidly well at what they are trying to do, and thatu0026#39;s all I have to say about their so-called connection.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eDe Niro, who could justifiably be called the greatest actor of all time, is at the top of his game here. In u0026quot;Taxi Driveru0026quot; he displayed a top-notch performance. He wasnu0026#39;t just playing Travis Bickle — he was Travis Bickle. And here he is Jake LaMotta, the infamous boxer known for his abusive life style and somewhat paranoid delusions during his reign as world middleweight boxing champion, 1949 – 1951. Throughout the film, he beats his wife (played expertly and convincingly by the 19-year-old Cathy Moriarty), convinced that she is cheating on him, and that is more or less what the film is truly about. The boxing is just what he does for a living, and could be considered as a way to release some of his deeper, harbored anger.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eLaMotta has a close relationship with Joey, his brother, and their interaction is often what elevates the film above others of its genre. The dialogue is great, close to the perfection of Quentin Tarantinou0026#39;s u0026quot;Pulp Fiction,u0026quot; rich in that rapid-fire filthy language and brutal insults. Pesci, who was on the verge of quitting showbiz at the time of pre-production, was spotted by De Niro in a cheap B-movie named u0026quot;The Death Collectoru0026quot; (1975), a.k.a. u0026quot;Family Business,u0026quot; a truly horrid film that nevertheless showcased an early sign of things to come for Pesci. De Niro wanted him for the movie and his premonition was either very lucky or very wise — this is one of the best performances of Pesciu0026#39;s entire career.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eScorsese shot the film in muted black and white, portraying a certain era of depression and misery. To make the blood show up on screen during the occasional fight scenes, Scorsese used Hersheyu0026#39;s Syrup — which is an interesting tidbit of trivia for any aspiring film-making planning on filming a violent movie in black and white. But how often does that happen?u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis is certainly one of the most intense films Scorsese has directed, and one of the most important of his career. Along with u0026quot;Taxi Driver,u0026quot; it is an iconic motion picture that will stand the test of time for years and years to come. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eScorsese and De Nirou0026#39;s partnership over the years has resulted in some of the most influential and utterly amazing motion pictures of all time: u0026quot;Mean Streets,u0026quot; u0026quot;Taxi Driver,u0026quot; u0026quot;The King of Comedy,u0026quot; u0026quot;Goodfellasu0026quot; and u0026quot;Casinou0026quot; come to mind almost instantly. But perhaps the one single title that will be remembered as their most daring effort is u0026quot;Raging Bull,u0026quot; a motion picture so utterly exhilarating that it defies description. It is simply a masterpiece for the mind and senses, leaving you knocked out cold after its brutal one-two punch. If I had to assemble a list of required viewing, this would be up there towards the top.”