Raging Bull overrated???

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Raging Bull overrated???

I have had Raging Bull for a while in my DVD collection and I finally got around to watching it last week and I have to say it is very overrated! It took me 3 nights to watch, fell asleep twice trying to watch it but felt I had to finish it to understand why it is so rated, but nope it never happened what a highly rated load of bollocks. Please tell me I am not the only 1 that thinks this?

Re: Raging Bull overrated???

Says the guy with the most single overrated film in history in his avatar.

Nah, 'overrated' is just a word. It's depending on your taste whether you like the movie or not. If a highly regarded film doesn't catch up with somebody's expectations, it's often called overrated...

Re: Raging Bull overrated???

It's my favorite Scorsese film. Raging Bull is an honest character study and examination of masculinity. The brutal, perfectly choreographed boxing scenes are just icing on the cake.

Originally Posted by Mr Minio (Post 916622)

Says the guy with the most single overrated film in history in his avatar.

Take that back, b*tch :(

I think Raging Bull is great, although I prefer other Scorsese films over it now, I probably need to re watch it actually.

But yeh it's a matter of taste, judging by your favourite films list you prefer modern stylistic/action films and a black and white character study was probably never gonna be your cup of tea, although I could be wrong.

One of the first Martin Scorsese films that I ever watched and one of the first classic/critically acclaimed films that I deliberately seeked out to attempt to become a more serious film viewer. I used to regard this as Scorsese's finest work but I don't any more thanks to some of his others getting even stronger on more viewings, but that's no insult to this truly great film.

Robert De Niro portrays the explosive Jake La Motta, an extremely capable boxer who often struggles to control is short temper outside of the ring, finding himself often in conflict with those closest to him such as his wife and his brother. He gives a mesmerizing performance and is perfect in displaying the emotions of an extremely troubled man, in every scene we can feel the anger of La Motta. There are some truly great scenes where we are terrified by his character as he heats up and explodes, such as when he accuses his brother of having an affair with his wife as his paranoia grows.

Raging Bull paints Jake La Motta as an extremely troubled and not very likeable man, and gives a depressing outlook on his life and career. Paul Schrader who collaborated with Scorsese for the also brilliant Taxi Driver, delivers along with the help of others a fantastic screenplay, this film has some of the best written dialogue ever heard in film.

That's what I wrote about it in my fav films thread, like Mingusing's said it's a fantastic character study of someone who is a really broken and explosive character.

Re: Raging Bull overrated???

I thought it was a powerful film, I gave it 4/5 stars

Re: Raging Bull overrated???

While I like or have a far better connection to Scorsese's other work, Taxi Driver in particular, I can't really say Raging Bull is overrated. It is beautifully shot in stunning black and white and has one of the best movie tandems with Pesci and De Niro.

Pulp Fiction on the hand I find highly overrated. Sorry Daniel M, you know my feelings on QT. Though I will say I can't say it is THE most overrated movie ever. For that I probably have to go with 8 1/2.

*Shrugs*

I like it a lot. It's not one of my favorite Scorsese flicks to watch on a regular basis, but it is clearly one of his best, if not his best as far as technical brilliance and creative flair. The opening credits alone are better than many films I have had the displeasure of seeing.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sOYpVxhofH...agingbull2.JPG

Come on now... the fight scenes, when examining their differences and metaphorical meaning, are enough reason to watch it more than once. What about the steady-cam shot that follows Jake out into the arena and then the camera lifts up into the air? All one shot, no cuts... I can watch that scene 100 times and never get tired of it.

Say, what about this?

http://altscreen.com/wp-content/uplo...3139082696.jpg

...perfect composition.

Oh, and this?

http://cineleet.com/wp-content/theme...gingbull14.jpg

So good!

So, no, not overrated as far as I am concerned.

Then again, there is no accounting for taste!

Re: Raging Bull overrated???

Haven't watched Raging Bull in a long time but liked it a lot. Not even close to my fave Scorsese movie, though.

Overrated? Nah, it's clearly a great film. Just doesn't appeal to me as strongly as Scorsese's other work.

Originally Posted by The Gunslinger45 (Post 916629)

Agree strongly on 8 1/2. Tedious...

Re: Raging Bull overrated???

I like Raging Bull and consider it one of Scorsese's best efforts.

Re: Raging Bull overrated???

I haven't seen Raging Bull in a long time but I remember liking it quite a lot. There are other Scorsese movies that I like more, but I was immediately struck by the technical brilliance of it all; objectively speaking, it was clearly one of the "greatest" films I had ever seen. I desperately need to rewatch it. Also, it's not really meant to be an entertaining movie. Jake La Motta is not a very likable protagonist and the film is rooted in his numerous flaws and the violent ways they interfere with his personal life. It's uncomfortable to watch, but always true to its subject.

Re: Raging Bull overrated???

I thinks it's fantastic. I only watched it a year or 2 ago and to fair I didn't think I would enjoy it, but after finally watching it I was surprised how good it was. Ime a big boxing fan so maybe that's why I enjoy it,, but I still think it's one of his best.

Raging Bull is not a movie about boxing, and this is the greatest strength of the movie. Raging bull is a movie about survival, about animal part of man, about redemption, about humanity...is an extraordinary movie! (sorry for my little english)

Originally Posted by thisistheend (Post 916716)

And about a boxer. :p

yes, but the boxer is an excuse to analyze the psychology of a man under the thumb of his own nature, for better or for worse:p

Originally Posted by thisistheend (Post 916716)

(sorry for my little english)

No problem. Mine is big. Not only English.

Agree strongly on 8 1/2. Tedious...

:highfive:

Re: Raging Bull overrated???

I mean Scorsese has directed some master pieces in his time so far but Raging Bull just dosent cut it for me sorry, my opinion Scorsese has several films way above the bar of Raging Bull. Also looking forward his release of The Wolf of Wall Street.

Originally Posted by Mingusings (Post 916623)

It's my favorite Scorsese film. Raging Bull is an honest character study and examination of masculinity. The brutal, perfectly choreographed boxing scenes are just icing on the cake.

I like Raging Bull but that particular assumption made about the movie has always annoyed me. I'm a life long boxing fan and I assure you, the boxing scenes are far from being choreographed to accurately represent the sport. I actually think The Fighter has done the best job thus far of presenting "life like" boxing sequences. Raging Bull's scenes are only slightly better than Rocky in terms of actually looking and feeling like boxing.

Heck the Valentine's day massacre scene has almost next to nothing to do with the actual fight. There's a bit where LaMotta keeps screaming at Ray that "you couldn't put me down!" That never happened. Watch the real fight, you see Jake walk meekly back to his corner, head down, knowing he was thoroughly beaten by the greatest.

Ok rant over

Re: Raging Bull overrated???

A tad bit overrated. But I agree with 8 1/2 as well, that movie is probably the most overrated, with Fight Club and The Rules of the Game the other big contenders.