Raging Bull currently beats E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial 64–36
Scorsese’s punishment outweighs Spielberg’s comfort.
The Verdict Genre Clash
This matchup has 11 votes. The picture may shift as more people weigh in.
De Niro gained sixty pounds and Scorsese shot the boxing in black-and-white slow motion — each punch landing with a sound design that makes the audience flinch — because Raging Bull isn’t interested in making the violence look like anything other than what it is. E.T.’s Spielberg is interested in the opposite: making the impossible look like it could happen in your backyard. The bicycles, the Reese’s Pieces, the shed where a child hides an alien from the government. At 64 to 36, the film that refuses comfort is edging the one that offers it. In a Spielberg-Scorsese bracket, the audience that showed up knows both registers and is reaching for the harder one.
The Numbers
| E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial | Raging Bull | |
|---|---|---|
| Head-to-Head | 36% | 64% |
| Overall Win Rate | 44% | 43% |
| Championships | 7 | 6 |
| Budget | $11M | $18M |
| Box Office | $797M | $23M |
Where This Matchup Sits
Among 21 films from the 1980s on BingeBracket, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is in the bottom quarter and Raging Bull is in the bottom quarter.
Against shared opponents, Taxi Driver splits them: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial wins that matchup comfortably, while Raging Bull can't get past it.
Despite the lopsided head-to-head, the tournament records are competitive: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial with 7 titles, Raging Bull with 6. The broader record is tighter than this specific matchup.
The box office gap is clear: $797M for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, $23M for Raging Bull. But Raging Bull wins head-to-head despite earning less.
Think E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial deserves better?
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