Raging Bull (1980)
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A volatile middleweight boxing champion's career and personal life are consumed by a cycle of rage and jealousy.
The story
In 1941, Jake LaMotta is a young up-and-coming middleweight boxer who faces a series of challenges in the ring and in his personal life. While he refuses the help of the mob to secure his career, he begins a complicated relationship with a young woman in his neighborhood. As his fame grows, his internal turmoil and external conflicts with his brother and the underworld intensify. The film explores the volatile nature of a man whose identity is tied to the violence of the ring, capturing the escalating tension of his life as he fights to maintain his status while grappling with his own internal demons.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film follows Jake LaMotta from 1941 through the 1960s. After a controversial loss, Jake refuses mob assistance to win the middleweight title. He enters a relationship with a 15-year-old girl, Vickie, and eventually marries her. His career is marked by intense bouts, including a victory over Sugar Ray Robinson and a later title win against Marcel Cerdan. However, his personal life unravels as he becomes paranoid about Vickie's infidelity, leading to a violent confrontation with his brother, Joey. After a grueling 15-round fight, Jake's relationship with his brother is severed. By 1956, an aging Jake moves to Miami, where he faces a divorce and legal troubles. The film concludes in 1964 with Jake performing stand-up comedy, where he is seen alone in a dressing room, reflecting on his past and his identity as a fighter.
- First release year
- 1980
- Runtime (minutes)
- 129
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Martin Scorsese
- Writers
- Paul Schrader · screenplay; Mardik Martin · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Robert De Niro · LaMotta; Joe Pesci · Joey; Cathy Moriarty · Vikki; Theresa Saldana · not specified; Frank Vincent · Salvy Batts; Nicholas Colasanto · not specified
- Genres
- biographical; sports drama
- Themes
- rage; jealousy; identity; violence
- Tone and mood
- intense; somber
- Premise and plot tags
- biographical; sports; boxing; crime
- Source material / true-story basis
- Jake LaMotta's 1970 memoir Raging Bull: My Story
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics initially but has since been widely acclaimed and considered one of the greatest films ever made.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 92% · scale: percentage · review count: 151
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Actor · win; Academy Award · Best Editing · win; Academy Award · Best Picture · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was shot in black and white to distinguish it from color films and address issues with film stock.; Robert De Niro gained significant weight to portray LaMotta in his later years.; The film was selected for preservation in the US National Film Registry in 1990.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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