**** out of **** Mascagni's "Cavalleria Rusticana" is a beautiful song. I have heard it in a great many films, because I'm clearly not the only one to feel its divine power; although I think that Martin Scorsese's "Raging Bull" undoubtedly uses it best. The song plays over the opening credits; to the image of infamous boxer Jake LaMotta (Robert De Niro) doing a sort of victory dance, punching the air, his actions adored by the on looking photographers outside of the ring that … more
RAGING BULL Written by Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin Directed by Martin Scorsese Starring Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Cathy Moriarty Jake LaMotta: Hey Ray! Never went down, man. You never got me down, Ray. When Martin Scorsese’s RAGING BULL was released theatrically in 1980, it was actually not as well received as you might think. Scorsese’s sixth feature film is generally today considered to be one of the best American films ever made but at the time, it was … more
Pros: Grows with every viewing Cons: Violent The Bottom Line: I hate the bottom line Im not an animal. Thats the sentence repeated by Robert De Niros character Jake La Motta while he is breaking down emotionally near the end of Raging Bull. Theres a small hint of irony in the scene because La Motta has spent the first two hours of the movie showing us otherwise. Martin Scorseses … more