Raging Bull
Raging Bull is an award-winning 1980 dramatic film about the life of middleweight champion Jake LaMotta directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Robert De Niro. Adapted for film by Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin from the book Raging Bull: My Story written by Jake LaMotta and Joseph Carter, the film presents a stark portrayal of boxing's brutality and the toll it takes on participants.
Nominated for eight Academy Awards, it went on to win two: The "Best Leading Actor" award went to Robert De Niro and Thelma Schoonmaker took the "Best Editor" Oscar. Scorcese worked with De Niro and Schoonmaker in many of his later projects. Raging Bull is preserved in the National Film Registry and ranked number four on the American Film Institute's 2007 Greatest American Movies of all Time list.
Fast Facts
- The majority of the film is in black and white
- Release Date: December 19, 1980
- Run time: 129 minutes
- De Niro gained 60 pounds for the role
- The boxing scenes took over six weeks to film
- Dedicated to Scorcese's film professor at New York University
Opening Lines
"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... Though I'd rather hear you cheer. When you delve... Though I'd rather hear you cheer. When I delve into Shakespeare, 'A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse.' I haven't had a winner in six months."—Jake LaMotta (Robert De Niro)
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