Raging Bull

Raging Bull. 1980 United Artists; now owned and released to DVD by MGM.
Starring: Robert De Niro. Cathy Moriarty, Joe Pesci, Frank Vincent, Nicholas Colasanto, Theresa Saldana, Mario Gallo
Director: Martin Scorsese
Amazon listings: Single DVD. Two-disc special edition.

Quite possibly Martin Scorsese's best movie, and a true "modern classic" film.

We open with the overweight and over-the-hill former boxer Jake La Motta (De Niro) practicing his stand-up comedy routine sometime in 1964 before flashing back to 1941, where he loses a fixed boxing match in Cleveland to Jimmy Reeves, which prompts the audience to riot. Despite that, Jake's career is on the rise, even if the local mob is putting pressure on him and his brother Joey (Pesci), who is responsible for organizing Jake's matches, in addition to serving as his sparring partner. At one point, Jake tells his brother that he doesn't have much faith in his own boxing skills.

Jake splits two fights with Sugar Ray Robinson, which are set two years apart, then wins his next six fights while grappling with his insecure feelings about his very young wife Vickie (Moriarty) possibly having feelings for other men, particularly a future opponent, Tony Janiro. Showing off his sexual jealousy, Jake beats Janiro in front of the local mob boss Tommy Como (Colosanto). While Joey is talking his brother up to the press, he sees Vickie socializing with one of his mob connections, Salvy Batts (Vincent). After Vickie tells him that she's giving up on Jake, Joey picks a fight with Batts, which gets him in trouble with Como. After settling that, Joey tells Jake that he'll have to take a dive against Billy Fox (which he does) in order to get a title shot. Despite being suspended briefly, Jake does win the title belt from Marcel Cerdan in Detroit.

Three years later, Jake's insecurity gets the better of him, and he suspects Joey slept with Vickie, and his wife sarcastically replies she had already slept with everyone in the neighborhood. The two brothers fight over it, and after a match with Laurent Dauthuille, Jake tries to make up with Joey, but Joey assumes that it's just Salvy impersonating his brother. This depresses Jake enough that he allows Robinson to land some hard punches on him as punishment in their third and final fight.

Jake retires a couple of years later, telling the press he has bought new property in Miami. Vickie files for divorce shortly thereafter, and Jake is arrested for providing underage girls (passed off as 21 year olds) to men. Instead of raising bribe money by selling his belt, Jake serves a prison sentence, sorrowfully questioning his misfortune. After his release, Jake returns to New York to meet with Joey again. The "I coulda been a contender scene" from On the Waterfront is referenced, as Jake complains that Joey should have been there for him, but he also realizes that he can eventually redeem himself for his past wrongs.

Highly, highly, highly recommended film.