At least Charles Foster Kane started out on top of the world. We can't say the same for Jake La Motta, whose personal life has already fallen apart at the start of Raging Bull. His career eventually catches up as well.
We watch in agony as he descends ever further into his personal hell. By the middle of the film, La Motta is already there. He channels the parable of Lazarus when asking for a piece of ice to cool his tongue while excercizing in a sauna. The scary part is waiting for him to inevitably lose control and hurt someone he cares about.
Raging Bull (1980)
