Raging Bull 4K UHD Screenshots (Patreon)

Video

Beautifully presented and clean, Raging Bull's 4K debut is gorgeous. Stellar black and white cinematography sees benefits in a lush gray scale, pristine shadows, and rich contrast. The visual energy is marvelous from the HDR pass. A subtle touch is all Raging Bull needed, and Criterion provides.

A thick yet flawlessly resolved grain structure doesn't show any signs of digital tinkering or compression. Resolution keeps the imagery sharp, firm, and textured. Definition shows at every level, whether it's a pinstripe suit or De Niro's mashed up face during a fight. Sweat glistens from the boxers, every droplet seen by this master. Any softness is inherent to the cinematography. The print is a spotless, ageless wonder.

Audio

Satisfying DTS-HD 2.0 surround mix preserves the material wonderfully. There's vintage clarity abound, the dialog so clean, so precise, it doesn't sound 40+ years old at all. What's missing in the range hardly matters - Raging Bull sounds practically new in places, with a design that touches on the '40s era period through raw, unaltered background noise.