History YMMV / RagingBull

* AwardSnub: One of the more notorious ones. It won for Actor and Editing, but not for Director, Screenplay, or Picture.
** Some people theorize that ''Film/RagingBull'' didn't win Best Picture because Creator/UnitedArtists couldn't afford to finance an Oscar campaign following the financial debacle that was ''Film/HeavensGate''.
* FunnyMoments:

* FunnyMoments: While Jake is calling Joey long after Jake beat him to a pulp, Joey, thinking it's Salv, unknowingly hurls insults towards Jake. That shouldn't be funny but it is when Joey tells him that his mother sucks big elephant dicks, essentially insulting ''his own mother''.

* RetroactiveRecognition: John Turturro makes his film debut as the man at table at Webster Hall.

** Jake himself becomes one when he turns into a washed-up hack, averting sports movie sentimentalism by showing that VictoryIsBoring. The fact that he comes out a changed man and finally owns up to being a colossal asshole doesn't hurt either.

* HeartwarmingInHindsight: As noted under CreatorBreakdown, Creator/MartinScorsese was struggling with a cocaine addiction at the time and planning on retiring as a director. Creator/RobertDeNiro specifically brought the project to Scorcese in hopes that its themes of self-destruction would help Scorcese overcome his problems. Needless to say, they succeeded.

* HypeBacklash: it's fairly common for viewers to approach this film with its reputation as a masterpiece in mind and come away confused or disappointed. Many find it difficult to watch due how unlikable Jake is and others come expecting a boxing movie in the vein of ''Film/{{Rocky}}'' rather than a slow character piece with a handful of brief fight scenes. The movie's real quality lies in more subtle areas like its editing and sound design, which are less likely to impress viewers than the humanistic triumph of a ''Rocky'' movie.

* MagnumOpus: Cited as one for Scorsese (alongside ''TaxiDriver'' and ''Film/{{Goodfellas}}''). Notably, ''Raging Bull'' is the highest of the 3 on the AFI Top 100 list.

* MagnumOpus: Cited as one for Scorsese (alongside ''TaxiDriver'' and ''Film/Goodfellas''). Notably, ''Raging Bull'' is the highest of the 3 on the AFI Top 100 list.

** JerkassWoobie: Joey can be a {{Jerkass}} to his wife, but he also acts at the MoralityChain for Jake, being the one person who keeps him ground. [[KickTheMoralityPet At least until the end.]]
** Jake is also a JerkassWoobie when he ends up a washed up hack and does time in prison, averting sports movie sentimentalism by showing that VictoryIsBoring. That he has to sell his title belt hammers it home. The fact that he comes out a changed man and finally owns up to being a colossal asshole doesn't hurt either.
*** Jake no doubt does some very, very horrible things during the film, but try not go feel at least a bit sorry for him when he starts punching the walls of his cell in self-punishment. It sheds a lot of light on his character.

* VindicatedByHistory: When it came out, it received pretty mixed reviews and was snubbed by the Oscars. Now if you ask most critics what the best film from 1980s was, most of them will say ''Film/RagingBull''.

** JerkassWoobie: Joey can be a {{Jerkass}} to his wife, but he also acts at the MoralityChain for Jake, being the one person who keeps him ground. [[KickTheMoralityPet At least until the end.]]

* TheWoobie: Vikki [=LaMotta=], although if you ''were'' to give her a hug then Jake would probably fly into a rage and attack you and her both, because he is a {{Jerkass}}.

* HighOctaneNightmareFuel

** Some people theorize that ''RagingBull'' didn't win Best Picture because Creator/UnitedArtists couldn't afford to finance an Oscar campaign following the financial debacle that was ''Film/HeavensGate''.

* VindicatedByHistory: When it came out, it received pretty mixed reviews and was snubbed by the Oscars. Now if you ask most critics what the best film from 1980s was, most of them will say ''RagingBull''.

** Some people theorize that ''RagingBull'' didn't win Best Picture because UnitedArtists couldn't afford to finance an Oscar campaign following the financial debacle that was ''Film/HeavensGate''.

* TheWoobie: Vikki [=LaMotta=], although if you ''were'' to give her a hug then Jake would probably fly into a rage and attack you and her both, because he is a JerkAss.

** Some people theorize that ''RagingBull'' didn't win Best Picture because United Artists couldn't afford to finance an Oscar campaign following the financial debacle that was ''Film/HeavensGate''.

* {{Vindicated By History}}: When it came out, it received pretty mixed reviews and was snubbed by the Oscars. Now if you ask most critics what the best film from 1980s was, most of them will say ''RagingBull''.

** Some people theorize that ''RagingBull'' didn't win Best Picture because United Artists couldn't afford to finance an Oscar campaign following the financial debacle that was ''HeavensGate''.

* {{Nightmare Fuel}}

* {{Vindicated By History}}: When it came out, it received pretty mixed reviews and was snubbed by the Oscars. Now if you ask most critics what the best film from 1980s was, most of them will say ''RagingBull''.