Raging Bull

This is real all-time great territory. The Scorcese/ De Niro biopic is perfectly executed in every respect, and we have been stumbling to come up with reasons why this isn't, along with a few others, the greatest film ever. It isn't quite, but it is as near as damn.
Scorcese is a absurdly good storyteller, tight, able to have scenes of characterisation and quiet dialogue which keep one riveted. Indeed, dialogue is often mumbled, quiet, or in content (but never tone) unimportant in this film, the relentless physicality of all concerned (not just Scorcese) delineating proceedings. The film is paced wonderfully, the two hours fly by. The story is in many ways a classic one, by our growing knowledge of the sociopathic Jake adds tension to it, especially when he is around women.
Scorces films beautifully at times, grasped moments of a hanging microphone framed againt a black background, or the wide open spaces then close breathlessnesses of the rung. The black and white high contrast accentuates such matters. He rarely dwells, perhaps he does more in this film than others, so it never, not that it would in its subtedly, gets in the way of the story.
The acting, as is famous, is spectacular. De Niro manages to give a tour-de-force and at once not been too actorly, overwrought, or depressingly severe. Pesci, and Moriaty are equally starightforward excellent. Indeed, they all have something this film does; a certain sparse calmness, a lack of hysteria or unnecessary frills around the edges. In a sense, this is a very quiet film, with straight storytelling, quick moves between scenes and eras, not too much on show. It has a sincerity and a sharpness in its lack of messing about; it gets to the point, beautifully.
So why isn't this the greatest film ever, and Scorcese the best director? Perhaps it does not have the quality of 'love' (maybe only 'The King Of Comedy' gets near this), a kind of affection. Not that we don't identify, sympathise, and feel human emotions (with Jake, Joey, Vicky...), but rather that we don't....'love' is all we can say. This criticism is inept. This is a monster of a film, a classic among classics, unparralled in its field.