10 Intense Performances In Heart-Breaking Movie Scenes
2. Robert De Niro Raging Bull
Robert De Niro is a contender for the greatest actor of all-time, and Raging Bull is his peak. A famous method actor, he trained to professional standards for this film and entered genuine Brooklyn boxing matches, two of which he won. He even gained 60 pounds for the latter portion of his portrayal of Jake La Motta. Its an incredibly raw film with its improvised acting and innovative sound design and editing. It packs a punch. The most heart-breaking moment of the film comes near the end after Jake has lost everyone close to him but his bar, and a mistake by serving alcohol to minors lands him in prison. In a mix of shame and anger he pummels the wall with his head and fists asking why. Even though hes a despicable character for what hes done to those who love him, De Niro and the dark lighting make his isolation and regret palpable and surprisingly sympathetic proving that his rage has never gotten him anywhere outside the ring. Its utterly tragic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6J8I9XgwfmU De Niro deservedly won an Oscar for the role and it frequently appears near the top of greatest of all-time performances. Heres hoping he reunites with Scorsese one last time.
Recently graduated from University of Hertfordshire with a Film & Television Production degree. Usually found watching films, listening to music, writing for whatculture and writing reviews for awardscircuit.com and my blog.
