Martin Scorsese’s Raging Bull transcends being a biopic, and transcends being a boxing movie, because it’s about so much more than that. The movie’s tragic portrait of Jake LaMotta explores the inherent ugliness in toxic masculinity and unresolved anger problems. When the real LaMotta saw the movie, he reportedly asked his ex-wife Vikki, “Was I really like that?,” and Vikki replied, “You were worse.”
From Goodfellas to The Irishman, Scorsese’s biopics are always intimate character studies of their subjects, but Raging Bull is arguably the most masterfully crafted and beautifully shot. So, here are 10 Behind-The-Scenes Facts About Raging Bull.
Martin Scorsese Hates Sports Movies
When Robert De Niro first came to Martin Scorsese with the story of Jake LaMotta, the director was initially hesitant to take the job. He’d never been a fan of sports, and as a result, he’d never been a fan of sports movies.
De Niro eventually convinced Scorsese to take the job, and he started attending boxing matches to look for imagery he could use to cinematic effect. He was captivated by two images in particular: blood dripping off the ropes, and a blood-soaked sponge being wiped across a boxer’s back.
According To The Real Jake LaMotta, Robert De Niro Coulda Been A Contender
While he was preparing to play Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull, Robert De Niro trained with the man himself. De Niro underwent months of physical training to bulk up for the part, and even took part in three real boxing matches in Brooklyn, winning two of them.
The actor reportedly trained with the boxer he was portraying for a thousand rounds, and LaMotta believed that De Niro had what it takes to make it as a professional boxer. In other words, De Niro coulda been a contender.
Martin Scorsese Believed That Raging Bull Would Be His Final Film
When he was making Raging Bull, Martin Scorsese was convinced that it would mark the end of his career, so he put a lot of intensive work into it. If it was going to be his final film, he wanted to make sure it would be good.
This meant that he spent longer than usual in the cutting room while he was piecing the film together, much to the ire of executives at United Artists.
Raging Bull Was Shot In Black-And-White For A Few Different Reasons
Martin Scorsese had a few reasons to shoot Raging Bull in black-and-white: he wanted to differentiate it from Rocky; he didn’t want to feature so much blood in color; he wanted the movie to reflect the period in which it took place; and he thought boxing gloves photographed better in black-and-white.
Interestingly enough, in the book on which the movie was based, Jake LaMotta wrote, “Now, sometimes, at night, when I think back, I feel like I’m looking at an old black-and-white movie of myself. Why it should be black-and-white, I don’t know, but it is.”
Development Of Raging Bull Began On The Set Of The Godfather Part II
Robert De Niro first read Jake LaMotta’s autobiography while he was shooting The Godfather Part II. He instantly saw the book’s potential to become a great film, and knew that his friend and collaborator Martin Scorsese could do it justice.
However, it took a whopping four-year period for De Niro to convince everybody involved in the production — including Scorsese — to attach themselves to the project.
Joe Pesci’s Rib Was Broken During A Sparring Scene
While Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci were shooting a scene in which their characters sparred, De Niro accidentally broke Pesci’s rib. This take ended up in the final movie; you can see it when Jake hits Joey in the side — Joey groans in pain, and there’s a prompt cut to a separate angle.
Just as the two actors were really hitting each other in this scene, they were really hitting each other in the iconic “Hit me!” scene, too.
Martin Scorsese Edited The Film In His Apartment During Shooting
Martin Scorsese began editing Raging Bull while it was still being shot. Every night after filming was finished, Martin Scorsese took the footage to his apartment in New York and edited it.
At one point during shooting, Scorsese shut down production because he was so stunned by Robert De Niro’s weight gain that he feared for the actor’s health.
Robert De Niro Set The Record For Most Weight Gained For A Film Role
Actors like Christian Bale are often praised for making massive changes to their physical appearance for film roles, but Robert De Niro made two massive changes to his physical appearance for one film role. He bulked up to play Jake LaMotta in his fighting prime in Raging Bull’s first and second acts, before getting out of shape to play LaMotta past his prime in the third act.
For the latter, De Niro set the record for most weight gained to play a character with an extra 60 lbs. The records was later broken by Vincent D’Onofrio with a 70 lb weight gain for Full Metal Jacket.
The Boxing Scenes Were Shot With A Single Camera
Although it was suggested that the boxing scenes should be shot using multiple cameras to capture the action from different angles, Martin Scorsese refused and insisted on using a single camera to shoot these scenes.
He felt that using a single camera would utilize the camera as a third fighter in each boxing match. Shooting with one camera was achieved by meticulously choreographing every movement with months of preparation.
This Movie Saved Martin Scorsese’s Life
Martin Scorsese was in a depressive slump at the end of the ‘70s. He was addicted to cocaine and came close to overdosing. Robert De Niro came to see him in the hospital and said that he needed to clean up so they could make a movie about a boxer he’d read about.
Scorsese was unsure about making the movie, but De Niro persisted. Many people, including Scorsese himself, have credited the director’s work on Raging Bull with saving his life, because his commitment to the movie got his mind away from drugs.
