Raging Bull at FACT
Tom Grieve, Cinema EditorBook now
Raging Bull
Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.
Boxing, with its high-stakes violence, and tales of personal struggle is perhaps the sport that translates best to the big screen, and Raging Bull features some of the most distinctive fight scenes committed to celluloid. Cinematographer Micahel Chapman (also responsible for Taxi Driver) uses slo-mo and point-of-view shots to exhilarating effect, exaggerating the drama of the fight in such a way as to place us, not only inside of the ring, but also inside of the combatant’s heads. Scorsese’s much-loved film guides us through the career of prizefighter Jake La Motta (Robert De Niro), depicting his rise and fall as both a man, and a fighter, whilst managing to examine the destructive urges of the masculine psyche along the way.
