A “masterpiece” biopic starring Robert De Niro is streaming on Netflix in the UK
A “masterpiece” biopic featuring Robert De Niro is available to stream on Netflix in the UK as of this week.
Raging Bull (1980) stands as a biographical sports drama adapted from world champion boxer Jake LaMotta’s memoir.
De Niro portrays LaMotta, whose “violence and determination led him to the very top inside the ring but destroyed his relationships outside it”, according to the BBC’s synopsis.
The cast of this Martin Scorsese-directed picture, a frequent De Niro collaborator, features Joe Pesci as Jake’s younger sibling and former manager, plus Cathy Moriarty as Jake’s long-suffering spouse Vickie.
The production secured two Academy Awards, with De Niro claiming Best Actor honours and Thelma Schoonmaker earning Best Editing recognition, cementing its status as a timeless classic, reports the Express.
Film blog Taste of Cinema declared it the “greatest biopic of all time” in a glowing post, celebrating both its performances and “surrealist” boxing sequences.
Devotees have flocked to IMDb to heap praise upon the picture, with one branding it a “masterpiece” whilst commending Scorsese’s directorial prowess.
“The fight scenes are famous for their brutal realism and it’s easy to see why,” they penned.
“He puts you right in the ring with the fighters and you cant help but admire their technical brilliance. However, the most stunning aspect of all is Thelma Schoonmaker’s editing.
“It’s some of the best editing I’ve ever seen especially during the fight scenes where it’s positively breathtaking.”
Another viewer praised: “Besides the legendary performance of Robert De Niro, there are many things in this film that will remain in my heart forever: the splendid black & white, the contrast between the slow moving scenes and the frenetic ones, the choice of the music and the sense of loss which entangles the whole movie.”
A third fan hailed the fight scenes as “are the most brutal that I have ever seen on film even though there’s only like 12 minutes of them and the editing is simply brilliant”.
They lamented: “It should have earned Scorsese a best director Oscar but at least they had enough sense to award de Niro the best actor Oscar,” adding: “I’ll come back to this film forever.”
Watch Stranger Things on Netflix for free with Sky
Sky is giving away a free Netflix subscription with its new Sky Stream TV bundles, including the £15 Essential TV plan.
This lets members watch live and on-demand TV content without a satellite dish or aerial and includes hit shows like Stranger Things.
A fourth critic, who rated the film a perfect 10/10, enthused: “Terrific performances by the leads, particularly De Niro and Joe Pesci. Overall this is rightfully one of the greatest films ever made!”
The film carries a 15 certificate and includes strong violence, domestic abuse, sex references, and very strong language – so viewers are advised to exercise discretion.
Raging Bull is currently available for streaming on Netflix.
**For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website**