Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull (Cambridge Film Handbooks)

Since its initial release, Raging Bull has been called the greatest film of the 1980s, the greatest boxing film ever made, the greatest sports film ever made, and, indeed, one of the greatest films of all time. The introduction to this study tells the story of how the film came about, examining its inspirations and positioning the film within the history of cinema. Subsequent chapters, each written by contributors from different disciplines, critique the film from a variety of perspectives. Raging Bull Has Been Called The Greatest Film Of The 1980s, The Greatest Boxing Film Ever Made, And One Of The Greatest Films Of All Time. This Volume Provides A Timely Critical Appreciation Of This Work. In His Introduction, Kevin J. Hayes Recounts How The Story Of Jake La Motta, The Protagonist In Raging Bull, Came To Be Made Into A Film. He Examines The Film Through The Oeuvre Of Martin Scorsese, Traces Its Sources, And Positions It Within The History Of Cinema. Subsequent Chapters Examine Raging Bull From A Variety Of Methodological And Critical Perspectives And Lend New Insights Into The Work. Aimed For Use In Undergraduate And Graduate Film Courses, Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull Will Also Enhance Appreciation Of This Seminal Film For General Audiences.--jacket. Introduction: The Heritage And Legacy Of Raging Bull / Kevin J. Hayes -- Art And Genre In Raging Bull / Leger Grindon -- Visual Absurdity In Raging Bull / Todd Berliner -- Raging Bull And The Idea Of Performance / Michael Peterson -- Women In Raging Bull: Scorsese's Use Of Determinist, Objective, And Subjective Techniques / Peggy Mccormack -- My Victims, My Melancholia: Raging Bull And Vincente Minnelli's The Bad And The Beautiful / Mark Nicholls -- Reviews Of Raging Bull. Edited By Kevin J. Hayes. Filmography: P. 149-156. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 157-158) And Index. Raging Bull (1980) represents American film making at its best. Since its initial release, the film has been called the greatest film of the 1980s, the greatest boxing film ever made, the greatest sports film ever made, and, indeed, one of the greatest films of all time. Raging Bull: A Cambridge Film Handbook presents the fullest critical appreciation of Scorsese's film available. The introduction tells the story of how the film came about, examining its inspirations and positioning Raging Bull within the history of cinema. Subsequent chapters, each written by contributors from different disciplines - film studies, literary history, theater history - discuss the film from a variety of perspectives. Though primarily directed toward undergraduate and graduate film courses, this collection should enhance appreciation of Raging Bull for all readers. Contributors to this volume have been issued a challenge: to write chapters that contain fundamental information for students, to include new information and ideas for seasoned film scholars, and to write in a jargon-free style that all readers can appreciate. Raging Bull has been called the greatest film of the 1980s, the greatest boxing film ever made, and one of the greatest films of all time. This volume provides a timely critical appreciation of this work. In his introduction, Kevin J. Hayes recounts how the story of Jake La Motta, the protagonist in Raging Bull, came to be made into a film. He examines the film within the oeuvre of Martin Scorsese, traces its sources, and positions it within the history of cinema. Subsequent chapters examine Raging Bull from a variety of methodological and critical perspectives and lend new insights to the work. Aimed for use in undergraduate and graduate film courses, Martin Scorsese's "Raging Bull," will also enhance appreciation of this seminal film for general audiences. Frontmatter List of Illustrations (page vii) List of Contributors (page ix) Abbreviations (page xi) Introduction: The Heritage and Legacy of Raging Bull (Kevin J. Hayes, page 1) 1 Art and Genre in Raging Bull (Leger Grindon, page 19) 2 Visual Absurdity in Raging Bull (Todd Berliner, page 41) 3 Raging Bull and the Idea of Performance (Michael Peterson, page 69) 4 Women in Raging Bull: Scorsese's Use of Determinist, Objective, and Subjective Techniques (Peggy McCormack, page 92) 5 My Victims, My Melancholia: Raging Bull and Vincente Minnelli's The Bad and the Beautiful (Mark Nicholls, page 116) REVIEWS OF RAGING BULL (page 135) Filmography (page 149) Select Bibliography (page 157) Index (page 159)