#3 Raging Bull

Robert De Niro in "Raging Bull." Photo: http://www.listal.com/viewimage/521758 .

The number three movie in The Ultimate Book of Sports Movies is "Raging Bull." In my view it's the best sports movie of all-time, the greatest of all boxing movies, and director Martin Scorsese's best work (with his mafia film "Goodfellas" a close second). All that being said, this is not a movie for everyone. Think of "Raging Bull" as the anti-"Rocky."

The movie is a biopic of boxing great Jake LaMotta. De Niro plays him in what may be the best performance of his career. How fitting that "Raging Bull" won him an Oscar. It follows the full arc of his boxing career. What's fascinating and sets "Raging Bull" apart from most sports movies is it isn't just about an athlete and his career in a given sport. Far from it. "Raging Bull" deals with La Motta's life as much out of the ring as it does his life inside the ring. Equally as compelling as the boxing scenes (which are filmed in gory detail) are the scenes depicting his destructive lifestyle. He is insecure, abusive to his wife, and has a love/hate relationship with is brother Joey (Joe Pesci). The scene's depicting La Motta's family life are some of the most raw and resonant in all of cinema. He not only beats people in the ring, but at home.

While DeNiro is exceptional in the lead role (he is an incredibly convincing boxer), credit should be given to the supporting cast. Joe Pesci is brilliant as his brother and Cathy Moriarty shines as La Motta's wife Vickie. She's not just a woman who stands around and gets beaten by her husband. She has scenes where she is the victim, but also scenes where she sticks up for herself in a powerful way.

"Raging Bull" brilliantly shows the arc of an entire career and life of an athlete. Aside from the brilliant acting and directing, the movie is beautifully photographed. Michael Chapman's black and white cinematography gives the film added weight. It works particularly well because black and white brings back memories of a time when boxing was one of the biggest sports in America and it also makes the boxing scenes more effective. Finally, the use of classical music enhances the experience further, especially the use of Mascagni's Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana as the theme.

While "Raging Bull" doesn't have a character we can root for (after all La Motta is vile, profane, and oozes way too much testosterone) it is a brilliant character study. It is not merely a boxing movie but a great work of cinematic art. As rough as it is to sit through, it is a great movie that should be seen at least once by everyone who loves movies.

2. Hoosiers

Gene Hackman in "Hoosiers." Photo: http://www.overthinkingit.com/2008/02/04/henry-rowentgardner-vs-lou-gehrig/

It seems fitting that "Hoosiers" came in number two on the list of the greatest sports movies of all time after "Rocky." After all, movie audiences love an underdog, and you'd be hard-pressed to find two more enjoyable underdog sports movies. The story in a nutshell, is about the Hickory Huskers, a small school in Indiana, and their run to glory under coach Norman Dale (Gene Hackman) and their obstacles on the way to making history for sports teams from small towns. Sounds predictable and boring right? But it's not. While predictable, the story is really involving because the characters are so well realized.

At the center is Hackman, as a coach with a checkered past. He hasn't coached in 12 years and back then he was coaching at the college level. Now he is coaching at a small high school in Indiana. Even before meeting the team he is met with obstacles: a skeptical teacher played by Barbra Hershey and the townspeople. The town lives and breathes basketball. Winning players are treated like gods. The fans are obsessive, but not to the lengths of say the fans in "Friday Night Lights." Myra Fleener (Hershey) tells coach Dale that she wants him to stay away from the best player because she wants kids at the school to look beyond basketball and the small town in which they live. Dale does, but then, eventually, that player decides he wants to play because he believes Coach Dale deserves a chance. In fact, he says he won't play unless Dale coaches. This sets in motion Hickory's run to the state championship.

There is also a great subplot involving Dale and Shooter, the town drunk (played by Dennis Hopper). Shooter's knowledge of basketball, especially about the Huskers, is encyclopedic. His son also plays for the team and he used to be a player himself. But he has become an alcoholic. Dale decides to give him a chance and make him an assistant coach. The ups and downs of Shooter create great human drama and Hopper is amazing in one of the best performances of his career.

Many movies have tried to be "Hoosiers." Not surprisingly, most fail. From the style of film editing, to the music, to the Cinderella plot, "Hoosiers" has been ripped off, but never duplicated. While the story is predictable the characters are continuously engaging and it doesn't hurt that the plot is based on a true story. When Hackman's greatest performances are listed, "Hoosiers" rarely comes up. This is probably because it's not flashy and edgy. What Hackman does here is more subtle and moving. Great performances and an inspiring story makes "Hoosiers" a winner.

1. Rocky

One of the many icon images from "Rocky." Photo: http://www.boxofficereport.com/media/my100.shtml

The #1 greatest sports movie of all-time according to "The Ultimate Book of Sports Movies" is "Rocky." The plot (if you've been living under a rock and somehow missed it) is about Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), who works as a debt collector and also as a fighter. But alas, Rocky is a struggling fighter. Enter Apollo Creed, champion boxer. Upon arriving in Philadelphia and having no luck arranging a fight with a known boxer he decides to fight an unknown. The USA is the land of opportunity after all and how appropriate to give a nobody like Rocky a chance to be a somebody. Creed thinks it will be a cakewalk but he ends up getting more than he bargained for. That's the story in a nutshell.

"Rocky" is one of the most iconic of sports movies. Whenever an underdog achieves something that person is often called "Rocky" after Stallone's character. And of course their is Bill Conti's score. You can't walk into a sports arena without hearing "Gonna Fly Now" from "Rocky" (or "Eye of the Tiger" from "Rocky IV"). I thought that since it had become such a part of our culture it would get old upon repeat viewings. I was wrong.

"Rocky" holds up better than I imagined. It's not just an underdog sports movie. It's a real story with fully-realized characters. Stallone is great in the title role and of course he is the heart and soul of the film. If we don't buy him as a boxer the movie is done. But he really makes you believe he is a boxer. What a shame that Stallone's career has gone downhill in recent years. He fought to get this movie made and his performance is nothing short of amazing.

While "Rocky" is a showcase for Stallone, the rest of the performances deserve equal credit. This time around the performance that I was really drawn to was Talia Shire as Adrian. Her performance as Rocky's love interest is so subtle, tender, and honest. Pay close attention to the scene where she finally confronts her brother Paulie (Burt Young) about how he treats her. She almost steals the movie. And then there is Burgess Meredith as Mickey, Rocky's trainer. He is in the great pantheon of sports mentor figures in movies: gruff, unforgiving, but also a true believer in his athlete.

I'm not sure I would rank "Rocky" #1 on my list of all-time great sports movies, but it would surely be in my top ten. The fight scenes are quite good, but I found those in "Raging Bull" to be the best ever. That is a minor quibble with a great movie. This movie more than goes the distance.

Ultimate Sports Movies Challenge

Earlier this year I set out to watch all of Roger Ebert's "Great Movies." I realize now I bit off a little more than I could chew. As much of a movie buff as I am, there is just no way I could get through all of them. That, and the list is constantly growing so it would never end. I have decided instead o a more reasonable goal: make it through the 100 greatest sports films as laid out in "The Ultimate Book of Sports Movies." 100 seems a little more reasonable number of movies to watch and blog about. I will be watching and writing about all of them. This is mt New Year's Resolution. I look forward to feedback about my take on these 100 movies. Stay tuned for the first installment: my review of "Rocky."