Raging Bull (1980)

Raging Bull (1980), MGM

"Raging Bull," Martin Scorsese's biographical drama based on the memoir of ex-professional boxer, Jake Lamotta, is dark, tumultuous, and brilliant. It's the story of a man whose life is on a constant slow burn, with frequent explosive episodes, due to his intense paranoia and insecurity.

Robert De Niro is on his A-game as the deeply troubled Jake Lamotta; a professional boxer who has a serious mean streak and no qualms about bullying everyone around him to get his way. The two that receive the brunt of his temper are his teenage wife and younger brother. Nobody can convey mentally disturbed through their eyes quite as subtly or expertly as Robert De Niro.

Joe Pesci, in his first major film role, doesn't miss a beat as Joey, manager and younger brother to Jake. Pesci is almost too good; as Joey, he portrays the perfect mix of unwavering loyalty, frustration and grudging respect for his brother so naturally, that it almost makes it look easy. 

Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro, brothers in Raging Bull (1980)

Cathy Moriarty is unbelievably good in her film acting debut as Jake Lamotta's second wife, Vicky, whose young but quietly confident.

Notes:

NEW YORK CITY 1964

Jake LaMotta is middle-aged, overweight, and smoking a cigar in his dressing room. He's rapping? He's rhyming about his life? Practicing a comedy routine? (Turns out he's rehearsing a comedy routine).

"Rhymey, rhyme, rhyme"

JAKE LAMOTTA 1941

Jake is in a boxing ring in Cleveland, Ohio, fighting local, Jimmy Reeves, a man he is having trouble beating. Jake's brother Joey (Joe Pesci) is there at the side of the ring, spurring him on.

"Losing to Cleveland is not an option!"

Jake is able to knock Reeves out in the tenth round, but it's too little, too late, and the judges declare Reeves the winner. There is mass chaos in the arena after this decision is announced, as spectators begin protesting, rushing the ring, and fighting with one another.

THE BRONX, NEW YORK CITY, 1941

Jake gets in a screaming match with his wife over dinner.

"Could you give me my steak already?"

Joey walks in, and Jake's wife shuts herself in the bedroom, and Jake and Joey sit down at the kitchen table. Jake starts talking about how he'll never be able to fight Joe Lewis because his hands are too small. Joey points out that Joe Lewis is a heavyweight and Jake is a middleweight, so the fight would never happen anyways. Jake tells Joey that he wants him to punch him in the face, and Joey refuses, saying that he's crazy and he's not going to do it. Jake eventually badgers Joey into doing it, and Joey wraps a dishtowel around his knuckles and punches Jake in the face.

"Why can't I have a normal brother?"

Jake harasses Joey into punching him over and over again, until his cuts start to open up on his face. Joey finally says enough, and asks Jake, "so what, I punched you in the face, what does it prove?" Jake simply looks at him and smiles a crazy little smile, his eyes lit up with his craziness.

Jake and Joey are hanging out at the neighborhood pool. Jake suddenly spots a beautiful, young blonde girl (Cathy Moriarty) lounging around, talking to Salvy (Frank Vincent), and a few other of Joey's Mafia friends.

"I'm 15, really?"

Jake asks Joey if he knows who the girl is, and Joey responds that her name is Vicki, she's 15 years old (only there's no way she's only 15) and that she's not the kind of girl you use for a one night stand. He asks Jake why he cares anyway, seeing that he's already married.

Joey sees Vicki at the pool a few days later, and introduces her to Jake, whose standing by his car. Jake asks if she wants to go for a ride, and she says yes. Jake takes her for a ride, miniature golfing, and then back to his apartment. He calls out for his wife, but luckily she's at the market. They hang out in awkward silence at the table.

"This is super awkward"

Jake takes her on a tour of the rest of the apartment so that he can get her into his bedroom and make out with her.

LAMOTTA VS SUGAR RAY ROBINSON, DETROIT 1943

Jake is victorious over the undefeated Robinson.

Jake and Robinson fight for a third time that year, and Robinson wins.

Jake and Vicki get married in 1945.

Joey gets married to Lenore (Theresa Saldano) in 1946.

BRONX, NEW YORK 1947

Jake, Joey, Lenore, and Vicki are all in the kitchen. Joey, who is Jake's manager, has set up a fight between Jake and Tony Janiro, and he tells Jake, that win or lose, it will get him a shot at a title. Vicki chimes in, agreeing with Joey, and happens to describe Janiro as "good-looking," and Jake goes off on her. He tells her to leave the room, and shorty after, Joey tells Lenore to leave the room when she tries to defend Vicki. (These guys, they're real charmers).

Once their wives have left the kitchen, Jake leans in close to Joey and asks him to keep an eye on Vicki while he's gone, because he's worried about her cheating on him. Joey tells him there's no need and that he's losing it, but Jake insists.

Jake, self-conscious about gaining some weight, starts obsessing over the idea that Vicki might cheat on him. He obsesses over the fact that she described Janiro as good-looking, and he continues to ask her about it. 

LAMOTTA VS JANIRO, NEW YORK 1947

Jake beats Janiro senseless, smashing his face over and over, until he breaks his nose and knocks him out cold. After Jake is announced as the winner, he smiles cockily into the crowd, and Vicki is staring up at him, not happy.

Joey is out at a nightclub called the Copacabana when he sees Vicki come in and sit down at a table with Salvy and a few other Mafia guys. Joey is furious on his brother's behalf. He hurries over to the table and makes Vicki get up, and then pulls her away and tells her to leave. Vicki protests that she's just having a drink and that she's sick of feeling like a prisoner, and she goes back over to the table and sits down. Joey once again makes her get up, and when Salvy complains about it, Joey smashes Salvy in the face with a glass and they get into a big brawl.

There's a showdown between Joey and Tommy Como, a mob boss, in a diner, where Tommy is telling Joey that Jake is embarrassing him by refusing his help, and that his head is made of rock. Joey is always loyal to Jake, and explains that Jake just wants to get a title on his own, and that once his brother gets an idea in his head, no one can steer him away from it. Tommy tells Joey that there is no way that Jake is going to get a title without his help, and he insists that Joey get his brother to understand that.

LAMOTTA VS FOX, NEW YORK 1947

Jake throws the match for the mob bosses, to the anger and disgust of the crowd. He sobs uncontrollably afterwards to his coach, saying over and over, "what did I do?" Jake finds out the next day that he has been suspended by the board, and he is angry at the mob bosses, asking Joey, "what more do they want? I lost the match. They want me to go down? I don't go down for nobody!" Joey asks him how hard it is to fake falling down from a punch, but Jake repeats that he won't go down for nobody. Joey assures Jake that Tommy won't forget about them, and he'll get Jake a shot at the title.

TWO YEARS LATER, DETROIT 1949

Jake is set to fight Marcel Cerdan for the middleweight championship. He is in his hotel room with Joey and Vicki, when Joey suggests they order food. Vicki says she just wants a piece of cake, but Joey suggests that she get a cheeseburger and fries, a proper meal, and she agrees. This exchange between his wife and brother makes Jake jealous, and he gets angry. Tommy Como arrives to wish Jake good luck at the fight, and before Tommy leaves, Vicki gets up to kiss him hello and goodbye. After Tommy leaves, Jake asks her what she was doing, and she responds that she was just saying hello. Jake slaps her and tells her not to disrespect him again, and Joey gets up and tells him to cut it out. Jake lashes out at his brother, telling him that he'll deal with him later, and that he's very disappointed in both he and Vicki.

"Jealousy Town is my permanent residence"

Jake defeats Marcel Cerdan, and wins the middleweight championship title.

"Middleweight champion!"

NEW YORK 1950

Joey is sitting on the couch in Jake's living room, while Jake is trying to get the television to work, when Jake's craziness comes to a head.

"I'm about to unleash some serious crazy"

"I sense a craziness in the force"

Vicki arrives home and kisses both Joey and Jake hello, and then leaves the room. Joey calls after her, asking suspiciously where she's been, and Vicki tells him that she was at her sister's house. Jake then turns to Joey and asks him why he kissed Vicki hello on the mouth. Joey responds, "I can't kiss my sister-in-law hello?" Jake then asks him about what happened at the Copacabana nightclub with Salvy. Joey tells him it was nothing to do with him, and Jake says that's not what he heard. He and Joey go round and round, with Jake accusing him of lying, and Joey insisting that Jake is crazy. Jake finally asks Joey the (now iconic) question: "Did you fuck my wife?"

"Diiiiid you?"

 Joey demands how Jake could possibly ask him that, his own brother, and he refuses to answer the question. Joey tells him that he is losing it, and leaves.

Jake goes upstairs to where Vicki is folding the bed, and he asks her about what happened at the Copacabana. She says she doesn't know what he's talking about, and he slaps her several times. He then asks if she slept with Joey, and she tells him he's crazy and climbs over the bed and locks herself in the bathroom. Jake breaks down the door and asks her again if she slept with Joey and she loses it, screaming at him that she's slept with everyone- Tommy, Salvy, Joey- everyone. She asks him if that's what he wants to hear, and says he's crazy. He slaps her several times more and then leaves. She follows him down the street and into Joey's apartment, where Jake attacks Joey and begins beating him relentlessly. Vicki and Lenore grab at Jake, trying to get him away from Joey. Jake punches Vicki unconscious and then leaves.

Vicki returns home to the apartment that night and begins packing a suitcase. Jake begs her not to go, they hug, and she stays.

LAMOTTA VS DAUTHUILLE, DETROIT 1950

Jake is successful in defending his title. After the match, Vicki urges him to call Joey, to make amends. She dials the number for him, but when Joey answers, Jake is unable to speak.

Jake's next fight is against Sugar Ray Robinson, his old nemesis, and he is unable to take Robinson down. Instead, he stands still and tells Robinson to take him down.

"I so dare you"

Robinson begins to pummel his face with punches, blood flying everywhere, but Jake remains standing and takes it. The referee is eventually forced to call Robinson off because Jake refuses to go down. Robinson wins the fight and takes the middleweight championship title from Jake. The cinematography for this fight is amazing, poetic and inspired.

MIAMI 1956

Jake is retired from boxing and has opened a nightclub, "Jake LaMotta's," where he does standup comedy and makes out with random girls.

"I got jokes!"

Vicki shows up at the club one morning to tell Jake that she's leaving him.

The DA shows up at Jake's apartment, showing him a picture of one of the girls he made out with and let drink at his club. They tell him that she's 14.

Jake shows up at Vicki's apartment to smash the jewels off of his championship belt to pawn for money for his defense lawyer fees. He is unable to get the money he needs from the jewels, and he's thrown in jail. While in his cell, he has a meltdown and begins punching his fists and head into the stone wall, and breaks down crying.

NEW YORK CITY 1958

Jake is leaving a dive bar where he's just finished doing a standup comedy routine, when he spots Joey coming out of a corner store. Jake tries to talk to him, but Joey keeps walking and Jake follows him to his car. He hugs and kisses Joey, trying to be friendly, but Joey wants nothing to do with him.

"Brothers?" "Bite me"

The final scene of the film is Jake sitting in front of a mirror in his dressing room, reciting the iconic scene from "On the Waterfront," where Marlon Brando's character is telling his brother, Charlie, that he could have been a contender. It's brilliant. Robert De Niro is brilliant.

"I coulda been a contender!"

"Raging Bull" won Best Actor (Robert De Niro) and Best Film Editing (Thelma Schoonmaker) at the 1981 Academy Awards, and was also nominated for Best Picture (Irwin Winkler, Robert Chartoff), Best Supporting Actor (Joe Pesci), Best Supporting Actress (Cathy Moriarty), Best Director (Martin Scorsese), Best Cinematography (Michael Chapman), and Best Sound (Donald O. Mitchell).

Raging Bull (1980)

Director: Martin Scorsese

Screenplay by: 

Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin

Based on the book by:

Jake LaMotta

Cinematography by:

Michael Chapman

Cast:

Robert De Niro- Jake LaMotta

Cathy Moriarty- Vickie LaMotta

Joe Pesci- Joey LaMotta

Frank Vincent- Salvy

Theresa Saldana- Lenore

Nicholas Colasanto- Tommy Como