MovieChat Forums > Raging Bull (1980) Discussion > Really didn't like it

Really didn't like it

posted 12 years ago by cmkenny
42 replies | jump to latest

Finally got round to watching this and felt fairly disappointed. It looked great and both De Niro and Pesci give great performances, but the story and characters just left me cold and uninterested.

La Motta was such an unsympathetic bag of *beep* I really didn't care what happened to him and couldn't feel even engaged in his story. He's essentially just a thug, and not even interesting in a flawed/troubled/tragic way, he's just an asshat.

That said, the fight scenes were very well done and could easily have been real footage.

I'd be interested to hear the arguments for this being the classic its often held up to be.

[–] tarotwitch0 11 years ago

We ended up watching it in 20 minutes by fastforwarding through all the violence. And still didn't miss a thing in the story.

Classic? In who's opinion. Yuck

[–] fede_4488 8 years ago

In anyone who knows anything about cinema

[–] bond_98 11 years ago

Well that was my felling when i saw Goodfellas. I didn't so much relate to Jake. But i did find him to be interesting and complex. That a lot better than Goodfellas where all the character felt like they were made out of cardboard.

[–] takeocyber 11 years ago

It's not that you have to like a character to enjoy a movie - it's that the character needs to have 'something' about him or her that draws you in and invests you in them (and therefore the film) in some way. For example, Michael Caine's character in Get Carter: he's a horrible human being in so many ways, yet he had a certain charm that drew me in and made me fascinated by what would happen to him.

I just watched Raging Bull and thought it was okay; but one of the problems I have with it is that it built up to an interesting and explosive point - the moment he attacked his brother and wife - but from then on just petered out. The same with Goodfellas - great until it gets to the 1980s, then it just seemed to go out with a whimper.

[–] siray 11 years ago

If you don't like characters that are 'unsympathetic bag of *beep*',does that mean you don't like scorsese's crime films.

----------------------
sloppiest blowjob ever:
http://lookpic.com/O/i2/718/c7JJDKOL.gif

[–] movie-op 11 years ago

This film never worked for me, but I understand why others like it. From a technical standpoint, it’s superb, and the acting, with the exception of Moriarty, is excellent. I would even argue that there is subtext there, but the problem is that the whole thing is stagnant.

Jake remains the same nasty guy throughout most of the film. He undergoes a slight change at the end, but it’s really not much. Not all movies require character’s to change to be interesting, but as takeocyber said, there needs to be something to hook you, to make you care. Unfortunately, this film hit on a major pet peeve of mine (misogyny) that I just couldn’t get past. It’s one of those films where I just had to shrug my shoulders and admit that it’s not for me.

movie-op.blogspot.com

[–] cookiela2001 9 years ago

the acting, with the exception of Moriarty, is excellent.

I think she's very believable, and certainly looks the part.

How would you have liked to see it performed differently?

.

[–] annie-agard 11 years ago

I'm with you. The acting is excellent, and it's cinematically interesting, but the story and the characters left me so cold that I had to make myself sit through it--which I did because it is an acclaimed classic. It's hard to get into a story in which there are no likable characters, and I just didn't like and of these people.

[–] allstrangehours 10 years ago

Why does a character need to be likeable for a movie to be a classic? La Motta being a scum-bag is why this is my favorite film. All of his dialogue is on point and often hilarious.

[–] AbhiMathews 10 years ago

The lead performances by De Niro and Pesci were great, but the movie just failed to resonate with movie.

[–] barry-marino9 10 years ago

I agree. It's grossly overrated!

[–] Errington_92 10 years ago

Raging Bull ultimately is an intense character study. Audiences observing LaMotta's personality was the main aim rather than necessarily telling an entertaining storyline. DeNiro's performance and dedication to the role was phenomenal.

I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not.