Some points, Reivew on Raging Bull

I really appreciate several cinematographic decisions made in this film. The first would be the use of black and white. Though the movie is from 1980, when color films already became a standard, the film-makers still chose to use black and white for most of the time. This choice really adds a solemn tone to the violent scenes. It also goes well with the overall tragic downfall of Jake's life. In fact, the only colored part of the film is the montage of Jake's happy years with Vicky. The colored and dynamic scenes pose a stark contrast with the greyscale static “screenshots” of Jake's progress in career.

The second would be the close-ups and extreme close-ups combined with high-speed photography. There are two times when the close-up shots of Jake and the ones of Vicky are edited together by Jake's point-of-view. The first time is when Jake falls for Vicky. We see him gaze at one direction and then we see the slow motions of Vicky. These treatments put us in the shoes of Jake and feel the infatuation. The second time is when Jake starts to suspect Vicky's relationship with other men. We see the interactions between Vicky and others slow down and the close-ups exclude all the information around. At this time, we see through the eyes of a paranoiac. These cinematographic decisions open us up to the emotions and feelings of Jake and prepare up for the following actions, such as the fights and rages with both Vicky and Joey.

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