Very unsympathetic - on purpose?
In the credits in the beginning, it mentions that the real Jake LaMotta was a consultant for this movie.
Yet, the main character seems completely unsympathetic. He cheats on his wife, beats her, serves booze to 14 year olds for kisses, is generally very violent, distrustful, jealous and paranoid. And apparently loses a match on purpose due to match fixing. I felt most sorry for his brother for being related to him.
Did Scorsese and/or LaMotta himself want the raging bull to be depicted as a brute without noteworthy redeeming qualities? Or did you people like him?