Raging Bull (1980)

I don’t go down for nobody.

The life of boxer Jake LaMotta, whose violence and temper that led him to the top in the ring destroyed his life outside of it.

Directed by: Martin Scorsese

Written by: Paul Schrader, Mardik Martin, Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro

Music by: Pietro Mascagni

Starring: Robert De Niro, Cathy Moriarty, Joe Pesci, Frank Vincent, Nicholas Colasanto, Theresa Saldana, Mario Gallo, Frank Adonis, Joseph Bono, Frank Topham

Genre: Drama, History

Released: 1980-11-14

Runtime: 129 minutes

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Raging Bull (1980): trivia & fun facts

Fun facts

• After nearly dying from a drug overdose, Scorsese agreed to make the film, not only to save his own life but also to save his career.
• He insisted that one camera operated by the Director of Photography, Michael Chapman, would be placed inside of the ring, as he would play the role of an opponent keeping out of the way of other fighters, so that viewers could see the emotions of the fighters, including those of Jake.
• Taxi Driver screenwriter Paul Schrader was swiftly brought in to rewrite the script around August 1978.
• According to Scorsese, production of the film was closed for nearly four months with the entire crew being paid, so that De Niro could go on a binge-eating trip around northern Italy and France.
• The 2012 Parajanov-Vartanov Institute Award honored screenwriter Mardik Martin "for the mastery of his pen on iconic American films" Mean Streets and Raging Bull.
• The brew of violence and anger, combined with the lack of a proper advertising campaign, led to the film's lukewarm box-office intake of $23 million, compared to its $18 million budget.
• The film had a lukewarm box office of $23.4 million against its $18 million budget, and received mixed reviews from critics.
• By the time it left theaters, it earned $10.1 million in theatrical rentals (equivalent to $33.1 million in 2025).
• According to Box Office Mojo, the film grossed $23,383,987 in domestic theaters (equivalent to $76.6 million in 2025).
• Martin Scorsese decided to assemble a soundtrack made of music that was popular at the time using his personal collection of 78s.
• The Intermezzo from Cavalleria rusticana by Italian composer Pietro Mascagni would serve as the main theme to Raging Bull after a successful try-out by Scorsese and the editor, Thelma Schoonmaker, over the film's opening titles.
• The supporting cast includes Joe Pesci, Cathy Moriarty, Theresa Saldana, Frank Vincent and Nicholas Colasanto in his final film role.
• Scorsese was initially reluctant to develop the project, although he eventually came to relate with LaMotta's story.
• Schrader rewrote Martin's first screenplay, and Scorsese and De Niro together made uncredited contributions thereafter.

Source: Wikipedia

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