Well-done in every respect, "Raging Bull" nevertheless made me feel somewhat ambivalent about its content. As a depiction of real life boxer Jake Le Motta (amazingly portrayed by Robert De Niro)'s degeneration from a rage-filled fighter to a fat, unkempt slob of a man, the movie can be forgiven for not giving us a warm and fuzzy reiteration of the events.
However, the characters the film portrays are so hard to care about, that it's hard not to look at it with a mix of disbelief and stoicism. That said, "Raging Bull" as a piece of cinematic history is magnificent. The black-and-white photography, which might peeve some, is a fascinating stylistic approach.
