History Film / RagingBull

While critical reception was mixed at the time of its release, and it was [[AwardSnub passed up]] for [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardForBestPicture Best Picture]] and [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardForBestDirecting Best Director]] at the [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Oscars]] in favor of ''Literature/OrdinaryPeople'', ''Raging Bull'' [[VindicatedByHistory has since become a critical favorite]], and is regularly regarded as one of Scorsese's crowning achievements and one of the best movies of all time. It won De Niro his second Oscar (this time for Best Actor, following his Best Supporting Actor win for ''Film/TheGodfatherPartII''), and his performance is frequently cited as one of the greatest in the history of cinema.

* VillainProtagonist: Jake.

** EarnYourHappyEnding : [[spoiler: As [[WordOfGod stated]] by Creator/MartinScorsese, Jake at the end has genuinely accepted who he is and is a changed man at the end,]] and so is, paradoxically, happier [[HowTheMightyHaveFallen having lost everything]] than when he had it all. The Bible quotation doesn't hurt.

A sequel was long in DevelopmentHell (with [=LaMotta's=] involvement), but eventually under the threat of a lawsuit from Creator/{{MGM}}, the title was changed from ''Raging Bull II'' to ''The Bronx Bull'' in order to disassociate itself from the original. The film stars Creator/WilliamForsythe as the older Jake [=LaMotta=], Morjean Aria as a young [=LaMotta=], and has a supporting cast including the likes of Creator/JoeMantegna, Creator/TomSizemore, Penelope Anne Miller, Creator/NatashaHenstridge, Creator/AliciaWitt, Creator/RayWise, and James Russo.

** Possibly justified, as the real life Jake may have had the hardest head in boxing history. The fact that LightningBruiser Sugar Ray Robinson couldn't knock him down in real life despite administering a vicious NoHoldsBarredBeatdown, (in a fight that was later dubbed "The Saint Valentine's Day Massacre", no less) says ''a lot''. He also ended up living to age 95 despite all the damage he took.[[note]]While the movie portrays LaMotta as a brawler who took a lot of punishment, LaMotta was actually a better boxer and had a better defense than credited. As the real LaMotta once remarked to an interviewer, "if I took as many punches as they say, do you think I'd be here talking to you now?"[[//note]]

** Possibly justified, as the real life Jake may have had the hardest head in boxing history. The fact that LightningBruiser Sugar Ray Robinson couldn't knock him down in real life despite administering a vicious NoHoldsBarredBeatdown, (in a fight that was later dubbed "The Saint Valentine's Day Massacre", no less) says ''a lot''. He also ended up living to age 95 despite all the damage he took.

The film begins in 1964, as we see an overweight, aging [=LaMotta=], now a comedian, practicing his routine. The scene then changes to 1941, as [=LaMotta=] boxes and throws his fights at the behest of {{the mafia}}. His brother and manager, Joey [=LaMotta=] (Creator/JoePesci), does his best to support Jake and get him a chance at success. At the same time, Jake seduces Vikki, [[{{Ephebophile}} a 15-year-old girl]] he met at a Bronx public pool.

While critical reception was mixed at the time of its release, and it was [[AwardSnub passed up]] for [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardForBestPicture Best Picture]] and [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardForBestDirecting Best Director]] at the [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Oscars]] in favor of ''Literature/OrdinaryPeople'', ''Raging Bull'' has since become a critical favorite, and is regularly regarded as one of Scorsese's crowning achievements and one of the best movies of all time. It won De Niro his second Oscar (this time for Best Actor, following his Best Supporting Actor win for ''Film/TheGodfatherPartII''), and his performance is frequently cited as one of the greatest in the history of cinema.

While critical reception was mixed at the time of its release, [[AwardSnub and it was passed up for Best Picture and Best Director at the Oscars in favor of]] ''Literature/OrdinaryPeople'', ''Raging Bull'' has since become a critical favorite, and is regularly regarded as one of Scorsese's crowning achievements and one of the best movies of all time. It won De Niro his second Oscar (this time for Best Actor, following his Best Supporting Actor win for ''Film/TheGodfatherPartII''), and his performance is frequently cited as one of the greatest in the history of cinema.

* NasalTrauma: Vikki absently mentions that his next opponent, Tony Janiro, has a pretty face... and Jakee takes it personally: when they meet in the ring, the Bronx Bull goes straight for Janiro's face and doesn't stop until he's satisfied. Close-up shots show the poor bastard's nose being squished flat with a loud wet ''crunch,'' gushing blood everywhere.

* {{Fanservice}}: Vikki's introduction, especially the [[ShesGotLegs shot of her legs kicking in the pool.]]

* GoodPeopleHaveGoodSex: Before Jake's jealousy begins to rear its ugly head, he and Vikki are quite hot for each other, to the point that Jake gets quite close to breaking the "no sex before a fight" guideline.