Street: Feb. 8
First Run: W, Nov. 1980,
$30 mil.
MGM
Hailed by many as Martin Scorsese's crowning achievement and the best American film of the '80s, Raging Bull is the sort of meticulously constructed masterwork that deserves the deluxe DVD treatment accorded these days to many empty-headed, big-budget potboilers. The two-disc set contains slightly less than two hours of featurettes, which explore the film from every key angle. Laurent Bouzereau's four newly made documentaries have an advantage over the recent supplements for Warner Bros.' deluxe Goodfellas reissue: Actors Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci participate here, as well as all the key technical personnel, the producers, scripters and costar Cathy Moriarty. The history of the project is traced, from the moment De Niro approached Scorsese in 1974 with boxer Jake La Motta's autobiography to the film's 1980 release, uneven critical notices and later re-evaluation as one of the last great triumphs over the '70s "maverick" spirit in mainstream Hollywood. Praises for two of the film's unsung heroes are sung at length: Oscar-winning editor and Scorsese stalwart Thelma Schoonmaker, who is the most ubiquitous person on the DVD, providing copious amounts of anecdotes and behind-the-scenes info; and sound effects supervisor Frank Warner, who talks about his methods for creating the film's unique soundscape (his secrets include the strategic use of various animal sounds for the tour-de-force boxing sequences). Taken as a whole, the featurettes are so exhaustive that the notion of audio commentaries becomes almost redundant, but three are provided. The first features Scorsese and Schoonmaker; considering their close working relationship, it's interesting to note that they were recorded separately. A second track focuses on the producers and crew, including cinematographer Michael Chapman, music consultant Robbie Robertson and actors Theresa Saldana and John Turturro. The liveliest commentary is supplied by the real-life "bull," La Motta, whose interview by his nephew is intercut with comments from Schrader and co-scripter Mardik Martin. Here, we can more clearly understand the poetic license taken by Scorsese and company, as De Niro's peerless, Oscar-winning performance as the old brawler is more eloquent than the man himself could ever be.