When one watches a film that has been critically acclaimed as one of the best movies ever made the expectations can often play a huge role in the way the film is reviewed. It is up to the viewer to keep an open mind and judge the movie in a unique and objective way. Raging Bull has received many valuable reviews throughout the years. Various renowned movie critics have praised the film highly and the few critics that negatively reviewed the film overlooked several factors that should have been taken into account. Films will always have a different effect on people due to the fact that movies are interpreted with different perspective views. In this review, we will address a number of factors that I believe should be considered when reviewing a classic film, such as; camera use, sound integration, special effects, actors interpretation of role, actors dedication, cultural aspects, and plot development. By following this procedure, the process of the critique will be more objective.
Raging Bull follows the life of a boxer (Jake LaMotta) who is actively trying to get a title shot. LaMotta is an overly jealous, and aggressive person in and out of the ring. LaMotta is portrayed as a person who follows a self-destructive path and often overlooks his personal relations when his aggressive side kicks in. This plot could make a great storyline, however, the way in which the plot develops, it pushes the viewer away from focusing or further exploring certain aspects of the film. One can say that the transition between scenes is lacking in several aspects. One way to keep the viewers interested is by making the viewer focus on the plot line, and while watching the film I often kept wondering what happened in between certain scenes. The various camera angles and the way in which the scenes were shot is very successful. By incorporating close-up shots of the dialog between actors, it makes the viewer develop a higher focus on the storyline. The sound effects and music used in Raging Bull are minimal compared to modern films. Yet it helps viewers with the transition of scenes by setting a mood. The use of sound effects during the fight scenes adds a sense of power to LaMotta and makes the fight scenes look more gruesome that they actually are. As far as the actor's role, and the way he played the character, I would have to highly praise Mr. Deniro for flawlessly playing his character. The way in which LaMotta transitions between a loving character and overly aggressive person is very believable and easy to relate to when we take into consideration the cultural aspects the movie portrays. One added factor in this review is the actor's dedication to the film. Taking into account the fact that this film is a classic, and noting the lack of technology one can learn to appreciate the level of dedication from the actors to the film. Robert Deniro followed strict diets in order to shoot certain scenes, while in many scenes he had to be portrayed as a lean and well-defined fighter in the latter aspects of his life he had to show a grotesque physique, and due to the lack of CGI this was accomplished by his diets alone. Although this can be and is often overlooked, I believe that it should be considered when reviewing the film.
In conclusion, I would say that Raging Bull is a good film that ultimately had greater potential. However, the way the plot develops it affects the involvement of the viewers. The cultural aspects it portrays are easy to identify with because of how accurate the depiction of the characters is. It gives the viewer the opportunity to witness firsthand the detrimental effects of being overly possessive, as well as aggressive. The lack of respect shown toward women ultimately does not go unpunished in the film. When watching Raging Bull one must thoroughly adjust the expectations that come from many reviews but also keep in mind the era in which the film was created. A good review must be chronologically accurate. Raging Bull is a good film and it should be seen as a means of exploring the ever-evolving cultures shown on the film.
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