Raging Bull (1980)

Director:

Martin Scorsese

Writers:

Jake LaMotta (book) and
Joseph Carter (book) ...
(more)

Release Date:

19 December 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Sport

Plot:

An emotionally self-destructive boxer's journey through life, as the violence and temper that leads him to the top in the ring, destroys his life outside it.

Plot Keywords:

Comedian | Disturbing | Animal In Title | Bronx New York | Phone

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 19 wins & 16 nominations

Cast

Robert De Niro	...	Jake La Motta
Cathy Moriarty	...	Vickie Thailer
Joe Pesci	...	Joey La Motta
Frank Vincent	...	Salvy Batts
Nicholas Colasanto	...	Tommy Como
Theresa Saldana	...	Lenore
Mario Gallo	...	Mario
Frank Adonis	...	Patsy
Joseph Bono	...	Guido
Frank Topham	...	Toppy
Lori Anne Flax	...	Irma
Charles Scorsese	...	Charlie
Don Dunphy	...	Himself
Bill Hanrahan	...	Eddie Eagan
Rita Bennett	...	Emma
James V. Christy	...	Dr. Pinto
Bernie Allen	...	Comedian
Floyd Anderson	...	Jimmy Reeves
Gene LeBell	...	Ring announcer
Harold Valan	...	Referee [Reeves fight]
Victor Magnotta	...	Fighting soldier
Johnny Barnes	...	Sugar Ray Robinson
John Thomas	...	Trainer [first Robinson fight]
Kenny Davis	...	Referee [first Robinson fight]
Paul Carmello	...	Ring announcer [first Robinson fight]
Jimmy Lennon Sr.	...	Ring announcer, second Robinson fight (as Jimmy Lennon)
Bobby Rings	...	Referee [second Robinson fight]
Kevin Mahon	...	Tony Janiro
Marty Denkin	...	Referee [Janiro fight] (as Martin Denkin)
Shay Duffin	...	Ring announcer [Janiro fight]
Eddie Mustafa Muhammad	...	Billy Fox
'Sweet' Dick Whittington	...	Ring announcer [Fox fight]
Jack Lotz	...	Referee [Fox fight]
Kevin Breslin	...	Heckler [Fox fight]
Louis Raftis	...	Marcel Cerdan
Frank Shain	...	Ring announcer [Cerdan fight]
Coley Wallace	...	Joe Louis [Cerdan fight]
Fritzie Higgins	...	Woman with Vickie [Cerdan fight]
George Latka	...	Referee [Cerdan fight]
Fred Dennis	...	Cornerman #1 [Cerdan fight]
Robert B. Loring	...	Cornerman #2 [Cerdan fight]
Johnny Turner	...	Laurent Dauthuille
Vern De Paul	...	Dauthuille's trainer
Chuck Hassett	...	Referee [Dauthuille fight]
Ken Richards	...	Reporter at phone booth [Dauthuille fight]
Peter Fain	...	Dauthuille cornerman [Dauthuille fight]
Billy Varga	...	Ring announcer [third Robinson fight] (as Count Billy Varga)
Harvey Parry	...	Referee [third Robinson fight]
Ted Husing	...	Himself, announcer [third Robinson fight] (voice) (archive footage)
Michael Badalucco	...	Soda fountain clerk
Thomas Beansy Lobasso	...	Beansy
Paul Forrest	...	Monsignor
Peter Petrella	...	Johnny
Sal Serafino Tomassetti	...	Webster Hall bouncer
Geraldine Smith	...	Janet
Mardik Martin	...	Copa waiter
Maryjane Lauria	...	Girl #1
Linda Artuso	...	Girl #2
Peter Savage	...	Jackie Curtie
Daniel P. Conte	...	Detroit promoter
Joe Malanga	...	Bodyguard
Sabine Turco Jr.	...	Bouncer at Copa
Steve Orlando	...	Bouncer at Copa
Silvio García Jr.	...	Bouncer at Copa
John Arceri	...	Maitre d'
Joseph A. Morale	...	Man at Table #1
James Dimodica	...	Man at Table #1
Robert Uricola	...	Man outside cab
Andrea Orlando	...	Woman in cab
Allan Malamud	...	Reporter at Jake's house
D.J. Blair	...	State Atty. Bronson
Laura James	...	Mrs. Bronson
Richard McMurray	...	J.R
Mary Albee	...	Underage ID girl
Lisa Katz	...	Woman with ID girl
Candy Moore	...	Linda
Richard A. Berk	...	Musician #1
Theodore Sauners	...	Musician #2
Noah Young	...	Musician #3
Nick Trisko	...	Carlo, bartender
Lou Tiano	...	Ricky
Bob Evan Collins	...	Arresting deputy #1
Wally K. Berns	...	Arresting deputy #2 (as Wally Berns)
Allen Joseph	...	Jeweler (as Allan Joseph)
Bob Aaron	...	Prison guard #1
Glenn Leigh Marshall	...	Prison guard #2
Martin Scorsese	...	Barbizon stagehand
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Joseph Bergmann	...	Sailor (At Ballroom) (uncredited)
Bruno DiGiorgi	...	Soda fountain clerk #2 (uncredited)
Marty Farrell	...	Heckler in bar (uncredited)
Tony Lip	...	Patron at Nightclub (uncredited)
Bill Mazer	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Dennis O'Neill	...	Dancer (uncredited)
John Turturro	...	Man at table, Webster Hall (uncredited)
McKenzie Westmore	...	Jake's daughter (uncredited)
Jimmy Williams	...	Reporter (uncredited)

Directed by
Martin Scorsese

Writing credits
Jake LaMotta		(book "Raging Bull: My Story") (as Jake La Motta) and
Joseph Carter		(book "Raging Bull: My Story") &
Peter Savage		(book "Raging Bull: My Story")
Paul Schrader		(screenplay) and
Mardik Martin		(screenplay)

Produced by
Robert Chartoff	....	producer
Hal W. Polaire	....	associate producer
Peter Savage	....	associate producer
Irwin Winkler	....	producer

Cinematography by
Michael Chapman

Film Editing by
Thelma Schoonmaker

Casting by
Cis Corman

Production Design by
Gene Rudolf		(New York)

Set Decoration by
Phil Abramson
Frederic C. Weiler		(as Fred Weiler)

Costume Design by
John Boxer
Richard Bruno

Makeup Department
Verne Caruso	....	hair stylist
Mary Keats	....	hair stylist
Mike Maggi	....	makeup artist
Mona Orr	....	hair stylist
Jean Burt Reilly	....	hair stylist
Michael Westmore	....	makeup designer
Allen Payne	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
James D. Brubaker	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Henry Bronchtein	....	dga trainee
Elie Cohn	....	second assistant director
Jerry Grandey	....	first assistant director
Joan Van Horn	....	second assistant director (as Joan Feinstein)
Allan Wertheim	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Terry L. Adams	....	assistant property master
Kirk Axtell	....	art director: Los Angeles
Hank Bauer	....	chief carpenter
Emily Ferry	....	property master
Sheldon Haber	....	art director: New York
William Lowry	....	construction grip (as William J. Lowry Sr.)
Gene Ludvigsen	....	construction foreman
Alan Manser	....	art director: Los Angeles
Jack Mortellaro	....	set dresser
Eugene Powell	....	scenic artist
Thomas Saccio	....	property master (as Tom Saccio)
Hans Swanson	....	assistant property master
Louis S. Toth Jr.	....	head construction grip (as Lou Toth Jr.)
Linda Conaway-Parsloe	....	assistant art director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Michael Evje	....	sound mixer
Gary S. Gerlich	....	sound effects editor
Walter A. Gest	....	sound recordist (as Walter Gest)
Richard Guinness	....	boom operator
David J. Kimball	....	sound re-recording engineer
Les Lazarowitz	....	sound mixer
Victoria Martin	....	assistant sound effects editor
Donald O. Mitchell	....	sound re-recording engineer
Bill Nicholson	....	sound re-recording engineer
Gary Ritchie	....	sound recordist
Robert Sciretta	....	cable person
Murray Siegel	....	cable person
Chester Slomka	....	sound effects editor
Pat Suraci	....	boom operator
Frank E. Warner	....	supervising sound effects editor (as Frank Warner)
Bill Wylie	....	sound effects editor (as William J. Wylie)

Special Effects by
Raymond Klein	....	special effects
Max E. Wood	....	special effects

Stunts
Jimmy Nickerson	....	stunt coordinator (as Jim Nickerson)
Steven Burnett	....	stunts (uncredited)
David Copeland	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Bennie Moore	....	stunts (uncredited)
Konrad Sheehan	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Dustin Blauvelt	....	first assistant camera
Peter J. Breen	....	dolly grip
Robert Connors	....	best boy electric (as Robert Conners)
Richard Fee	....	second assistant camera
Henry Fusco	....	best boy electric
Tom Gilligan	....	best boy grip
Edward Gold	....	camera operator (as Eddie Gold)
Brian Hamill	....	still photographer
Christine M. Loss	....	still photographer (as Christine Loss)
Bruce MacCallum	....	second assistant camera (as Bruce McCallum)
Joe R. Marquette Jr.	....	camera operator (as Joe Marquette)
Ray Mendez	....	gaffer
Robert Miller	....	key grip
Barry Ping	....	best boy grip
Richard Quinlan	....	gaffer
Ed Quinn	....	key grip
Eddie Ramirez	....	first assistant camera (as Ed Ramirez)
Ricki-Ellen Brooke	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera (uncredited)
Vincent Donohue	....	rigging grip (uncredited)
Don E. FauntLeRoy	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
Albert Hood	....	electrician (uncredited)
Joe Kelly	....	grip (uncredited)
Gábor Kövér	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Casting Department
Gail Kaszynski	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
William Loger	....	costumer (as Bill Loger)
Betty M. Nowell	....	costumer
Marilyn Putnam	....	costumer
Dean Skipworth	....	costumer
Andrea E. Weaver	....	costumer (as Andrea Weaver)

Editorial Department
Craig Bassett	....	assistant editor
Donah Bassett	....	negative cutter
Mellissa Bretherton	....	assistant editor
Lisa Zeno Churgin	....	assistant editor (as Lisa Churgin)
Jeffrey Friedman	....	assistant editor (as Jeff Friedman)
Yoshio Kishi	....	associate editor
John Mavros	....	assistant editor
Michael R. Miller	....	assistant editor (as Michael Miller)
Susan E. Morse	....	associate editor
Sonya Polonsky	....	first assistant editor
Erik T. Ramberg	....	associate editor
Mary Scott	....	assistant editor
Karen I. Stern	....	assistant editor (as Karen Stern)
George Trirogoff	....	associate editor
Mark Warner	....	associate editor
William Chartoff	....	apprentice editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Jim Henrikson	....	music editor
Robbie Robertson	....	music producer

Transportation Department
George Alden	....	transportation captain
Ed Arter	....	transportation captain (as Edward D. Arter)
Tom O'Brien	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Tim Athan	....	production assistant
Dale Benson	....	location manager
Marion Billings	....	publicist
William Chartoff	....	production assistant (as Billy Chartoff)
Bud Conley	....	craft service
Christopher Cronyn	....	location manager (as Chris Cronyn)
Janet Crosby	....	assistant to producers
Jean De Niro	....	production assistant
Lenay Drucker	....	assistant to associate producers
Donna Gigliotti	....	assistant: Mr. Scorsese
June Rachel Guterman	....	production assistant (as June Guterman)
Jim Henry	....	black and white timer
Mary Hickey	....	production assistant
Rob Hummel	....	special assistance
Lori Imbler	....	assistant to producers
Moira Kelly	....	production office coordinator
Jake LaMotta	....	consultant (as Jake La Motta)
Kyle McCarthy	....	assistant to associate producers
Emmet Murphy	....	special assistance
Gloria Norris	....	researcher
Dan Perri	....	title designer
Janice M. Pieroni	....	production assistant
Lydia Resurreccion	....	production accountant
Mark Rubin	....	production assistant
Gene Rudolf	....	visual consultant: Los Angeles
Hannah Scheel	....	script supervisor
Deborah Schindler	....	assistant: Mr. Scorsese
Steve Schottenfeld	....	production assistant
Meryle Selinger	....	production accountant
Al Silvani	....	boxing technical advisor
Shawn Slovo	....	assistant: Mr. De Niro
Donna Smith	....	production office coordinator
Marie Sorell	....	first aid
Helene Spinner	....	production office coordinator
David Ticotin	....	production assistant
Rachel Ticotin	....	production assistant
Johanne Todd	....	assistant: Mr. De Niro
Frank Topham	....	technical advisor
Charles Winkler	....	production assistant
Todd Coleman	....	personal assistant: Mr. De Niro (uncredited)
Mark Del Costello	....	personal assistant: Mr. Scorsese (uncredited)
Michael Neale	....	location manager (uncredited)
Marty Eli Schwartz	....	location manager (uncredited)
Michael E. Uslan	....	production attorney (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Chartoff-Winkler Productions

Distributors

• United Artists (1980) (USA) (theatrical)
• CBS Television (1986) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Criterion Collection, The (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1993) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Cinema Mondo (2007) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Columbus Film (????) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Filmmuseum Distributie (2006) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Park Circus (2007) (UK) (theatrical) (re-issue)
• Tocantins (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• United Artists Films (1981) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (????) (UK) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Big Fights Inc.  Jake La Motta screening material and the voice of Ted Husing announcing the actual La Motta-Robinson fight provided by
• Capitol Records  soundtrack released by
• Cinema Catering  catering
• EFX Unlimited  opticals
• Independent Casting  extras casting: Hollywood
• Modern Film Effects  opticals
• Movie Magic  opticals
• Sylvia Fay Casting  casting: bits and extras, New York
• Sylvia Fay/ Lee Genick & Associates Casting  extras casting

Runtime:

129 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Philippines:R-18 | Brazil:16 | Australia:MA (DVD rating) | South Korea:15 | Portugal:M/16 | Australia:M (original rating) | Iceland:16 | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Argentina:18 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Chile:18 | Denmark:15 (DVD rating) | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Israel:16 | Italy:VM14 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:18 | Singapore:NC-16 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (re-rating) (2000) | UK:18 (video rating) (1986) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Culver Studios - 9336 W. Washington Boulevard, Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Chartoff-Winkler Productions

Trivia:

Martin Scorsese's father Charles Scorsese is one of the mob wiseguys crowding the LaMotta brothers at a Copa nightclub table.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Joey and Salvy are told to shake hands (after the fight), their hands are interlocked in one shot, but in the next, they are back in their respective laps.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Jake La Motta: I remember those cheers / They still ring in my ears / After years, they remain in my thoughts. / Go to one night / I took off my robe, and what'd I do? I forgot to wear shorts. / I recall every fall / Every hook, every jab / The worst way a guy can get rid of his flab. / As you know, my life wasn't drab. / Though I'd much...
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in De Niro vs. La Motta: Shot for Shot (2005) (V)

Soundtrack:

Heartaches

Essential masterpiece; powerful De Niro; simply one of the best films of all time.

"Raging Bull" isn't the average, stereotypical underdog boxing movie, because it isn't really about boxing at all. Like most great movies, its focus is much deeper. It came out in 1980, earned Robert De Niro a Best Actor Academy Award, and was marked down as another solid triumph by director Martin Scorsese, whose previous 1976 outing with De Niro earned them both critical acclaim (and for De Niro, an Oscar nomination, although he would actually earn an Oscar for "Raging Bull" four years later).

It dwindled in production hell for quite some time, with Scorsese's drug use halting production and only the duo's strong willpower that kept the project moving ahead. It was after De Niro read boxer Jake LaMotta's memoirs that he knew he wanted to make the film, so Scorsese and De Niro turned to Paul Schrader for a script. Schrader, who had previously written "Taxi Driver" (1976), agreed, and wrote the screenplay for them. The rest is history.

"Raging Bull" has often been regarded as the greatest film of the 80s. To be honest, I'm not so sure about that, since various genres offer different feelings and emotions (comparing this to a comedy might seem rather silly). But to say it is one of the most powerful films of all time would be no gross overstatement -- it is superb film-making at its finest.

De Niro gained 60 pounds to play LaMotta, which was an all-time record at the time (later beaten by Vincent D'Onofrio, who gained 70 pounds for Stanley Kubrick's "Full Metal Jacket"). His physical transformation is on-par with any great screen makeover, especially the most recent, ranging from Willem Dafoe in "Shadow of the Vampire" to Charlize Theron in "Monster." In addition, co-star Joe Pesci also lost weight for his role of Joey, LaMotta's short, eccentric brother. The greatest scene in the film is when LaMotta accuses his brother of having an affair with his wife. The tension is raw, the dialogue amazing, and the overall intensity electrifying.

The film is most often compared to "Rocky," more than any other, apparently because they both concern a certain level of boxing. As much as I absolutely adore "Rocky," "Raging Bull" is a deeper, more realistic film. But whereas "Raging Bull" is raw, "Rocky" is inspiring, and that is one of the reasons I do not think these two very different motion pictures deserve comparison, for the simple fact that they are entirely separate from one another. The only connecting thread is the apparently central theme of boxing, which is used as a theme in "Rocky," and a backdrop in "Raging Bull." They're entirely different motion pictures -- one uplifting, the other somewhat depressing -- and the people who try to decide which is better need to seriously re-evaluate their reasons for doing so. They both succeed splendidly well at what they are trying to do, and that's all I have to say about their so-called connection.

De Niro, who could justifiably be called the greatest actor of all time, is at the top of his game here. In "Taxi Driver" he displayed a top-notch performance. He wasn't just playing Travis Bickle -- he was Travis Bickle. And here he is Jake LaMotta, the infamous boxer known for his abusive life style and somewhat paranoid delusions during his reign as world middleweight boxing champion, 1949 - 1951. Throughout the film, he beats his wife (played expertly and convincingly by the 19-year-old Cathy Moriarty), convinced that she is cheating on him, and that is more or less what the film is truly about. The boxing is just what he does for a living, and could be considered as a way to release some of his deeper, harbored anger.

LaMotta has a close relationship with Joey, his brother, and their interaction is often what elevates the film above others of its genre. The dialogue is great, close to the perfection of Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction," rich in that rapid-fire filthy language and brutal insults. Pesci, who was on the verge of quitting showbiz at the time of pre-production, was spotted by De Niro in a cheap B-movie named "The Death Collector" (1975), a.k.a. "Family Business," a truly horrid film that nevertheless showcased an early sign of things to come for Pesci. De Niro wanted him for the movie and his premonition was either very lucky or very wise -- this is one of the best performances of Pesci's entire career.

Scorsese shot the film in muted black and white, portraying a certain era of depression and misery. To make the blood show up on screen during the occasional fight scenes, Scorsese used Hershey's Syrup -- which is an interesting tidbit of trivia for any aspiring film-making planning on filming a violent movie in black and white. But how often does that happen?

This is certainly one of the most intense films Scorsese has directed, and one of the most important of his career. Along with "Taxi Driver," it is an iconic motion picture that will stand the test of time for years and years to come.

Scorsese and De Niro's partnership over the years has resulted in some of the most influential and utterly amazing motion pictures of all time: "Mean Streets," "Taxi Driver," "The King of Comedy," "Goodfellas" and "Casino" come to mind almost instantly. But perhaps the one single title that will be remembered as their most daring effort is "Raging Bull," a motion picture so utterly exhilarating that it defies description. It is simply a masterpiece for the mind and senses, leaving you knocked out cold after its brutal one-two punch. If I had to assemble a list of required viewing, this would be up there towards the top.