If there's one film in which De Niro manages to surpass his performance in Taxi Driver as Travis Bickle, then that film is Raging Bull. It is the role which won him the Academy Award for Best Actor, the supreme honour for any actor, and few other performances have been so deserving. De Niro plays Jake LaMotta, the self-destructive middleweight boxer whose explosive, rage-fueled personality spirals out of control. Shot in stark black and white which recalls the photojournalism of the era and with incredible boxing scenes shot with far more style than a film like Rocky could ever hope for, it's frequently uncomfortable yet thoroughly engrossing viewing. Scorsese and De Niro are masters of portraying ugly characters living ugly lives with a degree of sympathy, and Raging Bull can be said to be their best work together - De Niro's weight gain before taking on the role is just a fraction of what makes it so great; there's an underlying commitment you can see in his eyes, as if he's channelling the emotionally disconnected man driven by primal emotions. Raging Bull is a contender for the greatest actor-director collaborations of all time. Do you agree with the placing of Martin Scorsese's movies on this list? Why not let us know in the comments below?
