Few films have aged as well as Raging Bull. Martin Scorsese's portrait of boxer Jake LaMotta sits at number four on the American Film Institute's 100 Years...100 Movies list, and the AFI ranks it as the greatest sports film ever made.
Here is the story behind the film, the performance that won Robert De Niro his Best Actor Oscar and the legacy it still carries. Find tribute designs in our movies collection.
Raging Bull Fact File
| Released | 14 November 1980 (New York premiere); 19 December 1980 (US) |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Martin Scorsese |
| Screenplay | Paul Schrader, Mardik Martin |
| Based on | Raging Bull: My Story by Jake LaMotta, with Joseph Carter and Peter Savage |
| Producers | Irwin Winkler, Robert Chartoff |
| Studio | United Artists |
| Main cast | Robert De Niro, Cathy Moriarty, Joe Pesci, Frank Vincent |
| Runtime | 129 minutes |
| Format | Black and white |
| Setting | New York, 1940s-1960s |
Key Films
| Year | Title | Robert De Niro role |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Mean Streets | Johnny Boy |
| 1976 | Taxi Driver | Travis Bickle |
| 1980 | Raging Bull | Jake LaMotta |
| 1990 | Goodfellas | Jimmy Conway |
| 1991 | Cape Fear | Max Cady |
| 1995 | Casino | Sam "Ace" Rothstein |
| 2019 | The Irishman | Frank Sheeran |
Key films from Robert De Niro's partnership with Martin Scorsese. Raging Bull is the one that won him the Best Actor Oscar.
From Memoir to Screen
Jake LaMotta, born on New York's Lower East Side in 1922, was a world middleweight champion known as the Bronx Bull. De Niro read his memoir and pushed Scorsese to adapt it. Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin wrote the screenplay, with Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff producing for United Artists.
Step into the ring with our Raging Bull Men's Hoodie.
De Niro's Transformation
De Niro trained hard to play LaMotta in his fighting prime, then production paused while he gained about 60 pounds to play the older LaMotta. Joe Pesci, as brother Joey, and Cathy Moriarty, as wife Vickie, both earned Oscar nominations alongside him.
Frame the film with our Raging Bull Movie Icon Frame Men's Hoodie.
Shooting in Black and White
Scorsese and cinematographer Michael Chapman shot the film in black and white, with brief colour home-movie sequences. Filming began in April 1979 at the Los Angeles Olympic Auditorium, where the fight scenes were staged, and Thelma Schoonmaker's editing made the bouts some of the most celebrated in cinema.
Keep it simple with our Raging Bull Movie Icon Frame Men's T-Shirt.
Oscars and Legacy
Raging Bull earned eight Academy Award nominations and won two: Best Actor for De Niro and Best Film Editing for Schoonmaker. In 1990 it was added to the US National Film Registry in its first year of eligibility, and the AFI later named it the number one sports film of all time.
Awards
Academy Awards (1981)
- Best Actor: Robert De Niro
- Best Film Editing: Thelma Schoonmaker
- Eight nominations in total, including Best Picture and Best Director
Recognition
- US National Film Registry (1990)
- AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies: number 4 on the 2007 list
- AFI's 10 Top 10: number 1 sports film
Behind the Scenes
Scorsese's own father, Charles Scorsese, appears in the film, and the director has a voice cameo. The real Jake LaMotta lived to see the film become a classic and died in 2017, aged 95.
FAQs
Is Raging Bull a true story?
Yes. It is based on the life of middleweight champion Jake LaMotta and his memoir Raging Bull: My Story.
How many Oscars did Raging Bull win?
Two, from eight nominations: Best Actor for Robert De Niro and Best Film Editing for Thelma Schoonmaker.
Why is Raging Bull in black and white?
Scorsese and cinematographer Michael Chapman chose black and white for the film, with only brief colour home-movie sequences.
How much weight did De Niro gain for Raging Bull?
About 60 pounds, to play the older Jake LaMotta.
Who plays Joey LaMotta in Raging Bull?
Joe Pesci, who earned a Best Supporting Actor nomination for the role.
Where was Raging Bull filmed?
The fight scenes were filmed at the Los Angeles Olympic Auditorium, with further scenes on a Culver City studio stage and in San Pedro.
Shop the Raging Bull Collection
Our Raging Bull pieces are fan-made tribute designs, printed to order in the UK.
Raging Bull Men's Hoodie
£39.99
See more classics in our movies collection. Want your own name on the back instead? Design a custom name hoodie.
Part of our Icon Profiles series. Read next: Rocky: The Story of the Films, the Cast and the Oscars and Taxi Driver at 50: The Story, the Cast and the Legacy.
0 commentaire