directed by Martin Scorsese
USA 1980

In one of the most famous fights in boxing history, "The St. Valentine's Day Massacre", their sixth fight, Sugar Ray Robinson beat Jake la Motta to a bloody pulp, landing 56 unanswered punches in the 13th round, before the referee stopped the fight and announced Robinson the new middleweight champion of the world. But the fight was fixed and notes upon the dark chapter in boxing history, when the mafia controlled who fought who and who would win. La Motta, a 3-1 favourite was ordered to throw the fight, and later before a congressional hearing would admit so, naming names. And while la Motta never regained the title, one thing has remained with him throughout his life. The fact, that Robinson never knocked him out, "You never got me down."

One of the greatest films ever made, Scorseses "Raging Bull" tells the story of the rise and fall of Jake la Motta. Completely uncompromising and emotionally painful to watch, Scorsese was fascinated by the self-destructive nature of la Motta and depicts him as a fighter, forced to sell his soul in order to become a champion and his fall as a human being, then losing everything, even his own humanity, clinging to the one fact, that he never "lost" a fight, brilliantly exemplified thru the final scene, where la Motta sits in front of a mirror, quoting Shakespeare and Brando from "On the Waterfront", "I could have been a contender."

Everything in "Raging Bull" notes upon personal best, especially Robert de Niro, who went thru a personal hell, transforming himself, first to a buff middleweight boxer, then gaining 90 lbs to portrait the fallen la Motta.

A masterpiece, "Raging Bull" is perhaps the only American film of recent years, who alongside "The Godfather" deserves being called one of the
greatest films ever made. It is a triumph of filmmaking. out of

Henrik Sylow

Posters

Theatrical Release: November 14, 1980

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DVD Comparison:

MGM (S.E.- 2 disc) - Region 1 - NTSC vs. MGM (1.85:1) - Region 1 - NTSC vs. MGM (20th Anv.) - Region 2 - PAL

Big thanks to Enrique B Chamorro and Henrik Sylow for all the Screen Caps!

(MGM (S.E.- 2 disc) - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT vs. MGM (1.85:1) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. MGM (20th Anv.) - Region 2 - PAL - RIGHT)

DVD Box Covers

   

   

NOTE: The SE (2 disc) edition of Raging Bull is available in the The Martin Scorsese Film Collection which also includes New York, New York, The Last Waltz and Boxcar Bertha. Reviewed HERE

CLICK to order from:

             
Distribution

MGM (SE)

Region 1 - NTSC

 MGM
Region 1 - NTSC		 MGM
Region 2 - PAL
Runtime 2:08:52 129 min 123 min (4% PAL speedup)
Video

1.81:1 Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 7.75 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

1.85:1 Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 4.16 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

1.85:1 Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 6.52 mb/s
PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes
Bitrate:

MGM (SE)

.

Bitrate:

 

MGM (1.85:1)

 

Bitrate:

 

MGM (20th Anv.)

 

Audio English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), DUBS: French (Dolby Digital 1.0), Spanish (Dolby Digital 1.0)

English 2.0, French, Spanish 1.0

English 2.0, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch 1.0
Subtitles English, French, Spanish, none English, French, Spanish, none English, French, Spanish, German, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Swedish, none
Features Release Information:
Studio: MGM (2 Disc SE)

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen letterboxed - 1.81:1

Edition Details:
• Commentary by director Martin Scorsese and editor Thelma Schoonmaker
• Commentary by director of photography Michael Chapman, producer Irwin Winkler, music producer Robbie Robertson, producer Robert Chartoff, actress Theresa Saldana, actor John Turturro, and supervising sound effects editor Frank Warner
• Commentary by writer Mardik Martin, writer Paul Schrader, boxer-author Jake LaMotta, and LaMotta's nephew Jason Lustig
• "Raging Bull: Before the Fight": documentary on the writing, casting, and preproduction of the film
• "Raging Bull: Inside the Ring": in-depth look at the choreography and the shooting of the fight scenes
• "Raging Bull: Outside the Ring": Behind-the-scenes stories
• "Raging Bull: After the Fight": featurette on the sound design, music, and impact of the film
• "The Bronx Bull": making-of documentary
• "De Niro vs. LaMotta": shot-by-shot comparison of De Niro and LaMotta in the ring
• Newsreel footage of the real LaMotta
• Original theatrical trailer

DVD Release Date: Feb 8th, 2005
Keepcase

Chapters 35

 Release Information:
Studio: MGM

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen letterboxed - 1.85:1

Edition Details:
• Static Menus
• Theatrical Trailer 2:02
• Accurate English Subtitles
• 8 page booklet

DVD Release Date: March 25th, 1997
Keepcase

Chapters 30

Release Information:
Studio: MGM

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen letterboxed - 1.85:1

Edition Details:
• Static Menus
• Theatrical Trailer 2:04
• Summarized English Subtitles
• Also on DVD trailers 4:33
• On Disc 2; Jake's Jokes 5:51
• The Bronx Bull Interviews 26:44
• Easter Egg 1 - 6 recent photos of LaMotta
• Easter Egg 2 - Movietone clip from Jake LaMotta vs. Laurent Dauthuille Sept. 1950 fight 0:55
• 16 page booklet
• 3 B&W postcards
 

DVD Release Date: 11/27/02
Fold out digipac

Chapters 30

 

Comments

The new SE shows the contrast boosting of the other two editions. It has softened the image and removed the grain (but I, personally, prefer the grain!). They have put in some dastardly awful subtitles - that are barely legible. Of course, the extras are extensive. The original MGM release was slightly cropped on the bottom edge, but shows a shade more on the top. The new SE has gone the framing route of the PAL edition. The new edition is cropped on both edges and is 1.81.

One of the big upgrades is the audio boost to non-original 5.1 in the new edition. Aside from this and the extensive extras - I don't think the image is a great improvement. I don't think I would recommend picking up the Scorsese Film Collection Boxset - reviewed HERE, just for this unless you are keen on some of the other genre-unrelated films New York, New York, The Last Waltz and Boxcar Bertha. At least you can buy this as a single disc as well if you desire, but that would be defeating one of the only big plusses - the 2nd disc of extras. I found the commentaries a little labored and certainly only for strong fans. I would say take a pass on this - it just smells like MGM, a poor DVD production house, is trying to put your money in their pockets.

Bottom line: the new image is good for blowing up onto a big screen - tube owners won't feel much of a difference. The extras are the selling feature. The bumped audio is a bonus for fans of that technology. Overall this is a disappointment - why couldn't Warner own this title so we know it would be done right.

 - Gary W Tooze

 

DVD Menus

(MGM (S.E.- 2 disc) - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT vs. MGM (1.85:1) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. MGM (20th Anv.) - Region 2 - PAL - RIGHT)
 

 

 

 

 

Subtitle Sample

(MGM (S.E.- 2 disc) - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. MGM (1.85:1) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. MGM (20th Anv.) - Region 2 - PAL - BOTTOM)

NOTE: Not exact frame capture.

 

 

Screen Captures

From the Criterion Laserdisc:

(MGM (S.E.- 2 disc) - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. MGM (1.85:1) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. MGM (20th Anv.) - Region 2 - PAL - BOTTOM)

 

 

 

(MGM (S.E.- 2 disc) - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. MGM (1.85:1) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. MGM (20th Anv.) - Region 2 - PAL - BOTTOM)

 

 

 

(MGM (S.E.- 2 disc) - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. MGM (1.85:1) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. MGM (20th Anv.) - Region 2 - PAL - BOTTOM)

 

 

 

 

(MGM (S.E.- 2 disc) - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. MGM (1.85:1) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. MGM (20th Anv.) - Region 2 - PAL - BOTTOM)

 

 

 

(MGM (S.E.- 2 disc) - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. MGM (1.85:1) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. MGM (20th Anv.) - Region 2 - PAL - BOTTOM)

 

 

 

 

(MGM (S.E.- 2 disc) - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. MGM (1.85:1) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. MGM (20th Anv.) - Region 2 - PAL - BOTTOM)

 

 

 

Hit Counter

Report Card:

 

Image:

SE

Sound:

SE
Extras: SE
Menu: SE

 

DVD Box Covers

   

   

 

NOTE: The SE (2 disc) edition of Raging Bull is available in the The Martin Scorsese Film Collection which also includes New York, New York, The Last Waltz and Boxcar Bertha.

CLICK to order from:

             
Distribution

MGM (SE)

Region 1 - NTSC

 MGM
Region 1 - NTSC		 MGM
Region 2 - PAL

 



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