Analysis of the movie Raging Bull
(The Looser Champion)
Raging bull the real story of a boxing champion Jake La Motta who was best fighter of all time while having unsuccessful personal life indeed, by driving his personal life in a way what he was doing in ring. The movie Raging bull was directed by Martin Scorsese updated by Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin. This movie was made in 1980 having the story of 1940s. Robert De Niro played the roal of Jake La Motta, a middle weight boxing champion having sexual jealousy, rage, violence and animal characters. This aliments made him a champion boxer beside that it destroyed his personal life relationship with his wife and brother. The champion who was the best ever fighter lost his all family at the end of his life and was also apprehended by police in sexual a salt case. Joe Pesci played the roll of his brother as Joey. Cathy Moriarty was casted in the movie as Jakes wife and Robert De Niro as Jake La Motta.
In Raging bull Martin Scorsese used the best camera work and became really successful to show the audience what he really want to show, the situation, feeling and critical moment what was going on with Jake La Motta in movie. He made his massages really clear to understand for every one by using different camera shots and angles. There were many topics to be analyses in that movie but I decided to point out some theam about Power, Jealousy and Rage. Almost more then 85% of movie was shot in black and white which means that those part are really important moment of Jakes life which is really important to be note by Martin Scorsese.
In a very first shot Jake (Robert De Niro)was shown alone in ring while doing some worm up. The scene was shot in slow motion which really gives a kind of power full, not understandable, mysterious sense about the character of Jake La Motta. That shot really makes easy to judge that he is the main character and rest of the other movie will be of his way of life.
In a very first boxing match shot of Jake the camera was setup inside of the ring from fighters point of view. It really gives the feeling of being in boxing ring and Jake, and as well the point of view of the fighters. Jake is directly watching in camera and trying the punch it really shows the power, rage and Violante Jake very clearly. Several closeup shots have been used to shows the expression and rage of Jake.
In the second fight scene against Sugar Ray Robinson (Johnny Burns) we can see clearly that ring is more big rather first fight scene and Jake is moving freely. It really shows the freedom of Jake and also the confidence and power that he was building in every single new boxing fights. The close up shots has been used in that scene when Sugar Ray Robinson is repeatedly receiving the punches from Jake on his face, and the camera angle makes it too clear that how painful and powerful punches he is receiving by Jake and also shows that how confused he is at that specific moment.
In other scene the camera shot begun from Jakes hanging feet from bed and in that very moment Vickie also came and the start having some romantic as well as sexual actions, but that specific moment was shown in a kind of blurry mirror reflection, and in very next shot Jake went to bath room and see his face in mirror deeply, that is a kind of POV shot and means that Jake is thinking about his both life which is so obvious by using the reflection of mirror, one life that he has in ring as a wild boxing fighter and other where he was with beautiful Vickie, but indeed he was thinking about his boxing match at that moment also. That scene ends with the hanging feet again but this time it was of Vickie,s not Jakes,s.
In third fight scene we can see the atmosphere is too smoky and very crowd a kind of disturbing and hot atmosphere and even some time the voices of the crowed sounds like animals or beast. We can see many slow motion shots in that fight which really gives the massage of intensity of that specific fight and even in middle of that fight when Jake sit we can not see his face because it was covered by ropes it really give meaning that how Jake was indulge in that fight and how he was lost in his power and rage. We can see a lot of cameras flashes during that fight and it goes repeatedly it gives the scenes that how hot and burning fights was going on from both fighter and really represent the inner feeling of Jake. The flashes also showing the power and effort of fighters that they were really trying to put in that. When Sugar Ray got knock out and fell down in a ring we can see a lot of smokes just in front of him and too many flashes again but as a sudden the camera angles changes and show his face back which shows that now he has back in his scenes and can stand and keep fighting again against Jake and can know that where his opponent is now.
In one other scene when all of them went to Copacabana, and there are many mafia guys, where Vickie is just socializing with them. That specific scene was shot in slow motion. It was showing the situation as Jakes point of view because he was exaggerating that moment in his mind, Martin Scorsese as director became so successful to show the jealousy of Jakes in his inner feeling what he was thinking at that moment about his wife and mafia relationship. Slow motion shot was really helpful to show the anger and hate which was appearing in Jakes mind and heart for mafia people and his wife when camera was focusing his face in slow motion.
The next boxing fight scene is with Janiro (Kevin Mohan) whom he was jealous from because every time heard his name by his wife Vickie and others calling him as pretty boy. In that fight a lot of close up shots has been used focusing the face of Janiro showing that how he is facing the pain power, personal hate and jealousy by Jake. They also show slow motion shot when Janiro was bleeding after getting heart while receiving the big punch. The mixed combination of close up and slow motion shots really gives the scene that how heard and strong punches he is facing in that fight. Jake was really trying to destroy his pretty face by his powerful punches having a strong hate and jealousy in his heart for him.
In one other shot we see Joey siting in bar and at the same moment Vickie also came in. Again we see the used of mirror there even we can see two reflection of Vickie. This shows the double life of Vickie that she is stacked between her real life and life with the Jake. It also gives the sense of disloyalty of Vickie with Jake thats why after she was having drink with mafia guys Joye started fighting with them. Later on the fight break out and we can see camera perspective to symbolize the hits. The mafia man is inside the car and Joey is out side hitting his head with the cars door, the door is closing time and again on camera and very after that the expression of pain on the face of mafia man. These are the separate shots of course but it really give meaning that these all thing are happening in a same time.
We later see Jake in the same pool place when he met Vickie and approached her after, he talked with her first time from out side of the bar. First he was shot clear and alone and after that it was shot from out side showing Jake from out side and it was raining. The way that camera framed Jake, he was behind the rain and it was looking like Jake is again behind the same bar, because he was thinking that Vickie is flirting with him and trying to be any one els but he was trying to find out that, with whom?
There is one other shot when Jake, Vickie and Joey is in hotel, Jake is waiting for his next boxing match and mafia guys visit him. The combination of slow motion and mirror both has been used in that shot. Vickie say good buy to mafia guy by kissing him and that moment Jake was shot in slow motion showing his perspective showing his jealousy. Very after shot was a long shot that Joey was looking to Vickie and Jake talking with each other loudly, they have been framed in way that really tells us the importance of that moment. Jake slapped Vickie on her face and in same shot we can see two men sitting also inside of the room and watching all things in mirror. Presence of two men in mirror reflection gives meaning the animal characteristic of Jake that he has been reacting same action with Vickie all the time because no reaction was appeared from that two men after Vickie got slept on her face. But there is not any shot that Jakes go to the ring it just starts the ring fight shot and no more closeup shots but scene went on and on to next rounds even till eight round, a slide slow motion has been used in round eight just to gives massage that fight has been now so long and tired and it could not be continue any more, slow motion has been used there to gives a kind of drama touch as well because in that round Jakes won the match and championship belt.
In almost all of the boxing fight scene Martin Scorsese try to use new and deferent things, in order not to make bored the viewers. In a very last fight when Jake was fighting with Sugar Say all the camera works slow motion, close up shots which had been used always for the Jakes opponent was used on Jakes this time. Sugar Ray once again with smoky surrounding view but this time with spot light as well, it gives meaning that he is main character now in that fight, many closeup shots was used showing Jakes feet and a drop of bloods, showing pain and injuries of Jakes, Close up shots of Jakes face(hurt but still kind of smiley) shows that how agree he was from in side for all that happened with him and Vickie. In the last minuets of the fight scene once again use of close up shot showing the rope with Jakes blood giving sense that it is the end of Jakes career as Boxer.
In a very last scene of the movie Jake is talking with him self sitting in front of mirror. He was calm and peace full but the shot was like very first shot with out any cutting. Jake La Motta was talking with his real life but again confident and looking forward, because just before leaving the room again he see him self punching like boxer gives meaning that he will be same forever, Jake La Motta the boxer.
Mortin Scorsese really succeeded to show us what he wanted to show about Jake La Motta by using different scenes different camera shots and angels. The slow motion shows the anger, jealousy and hate. The close up shots show the power and anger of Jake using his fights. The continuous shots show the confidence and calm Jake. Every single shot and angle has its specific meaning in specific circumstances.
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