In spite of Friday being a working day, many youngsters came over to watch Raging Bull, which was screened at the Oxford bookstore.
Before the movie could start, they involved themselves in conversations on other ‘boxing genre’ movies like Golden Boy, Body and Soul, Champion and The Set-up. As the lights went off, the conversation died and some of them picked up a cup of coffee and slowly settled down comfortably to watch the movie.
Raging Bull is a dramatic tragedy based on the real-life story of an unlovable, very stubborn middle-weight boxing champion. As he struggles to be a champion, his life passes through various successive stages of punishment, compromise, and self-disintegration, due to numerous inner demons. The movie takes the life of boxer Jake La Motta, a middle-weight icon from the 1940s and 1950s, and develops one of the most compelling character studies ever to reach the silver screen.
Hiranya, who watched the movie, said, “I liked the movie a lot. These days, we get to see more of love stories, but this movie is good for a change.”
As Jake La Motta beats up his opponents in the ring, the audience, who were watching the movie, also flinched with pain. Such was the effect of the movie. The youngsters present there totally enjoyed all the action. When Jake La Motta steps into a boxing ring and obliterates his opponent, he’s a prizefighter. When he treats his family and friends the same way, he’s a ticking time bomb, ready to go off at any moment. Though La Motta wants his family’s love, something always seems to come between them. Perhaps it’s his violent bouts of paranoia and jealousy. This kind of rage helped make him a champ, but in real life, he winds up in the ring alone. Manav, who was also part of the audience, said, “I’ve heard a lot about this story and was waiting to watch it. I loved Robert Di Niro’s acting. Raging Bull is a great motion picture.”
