RAGING BULL
US, 1980, 128 minutes, Black and white.
Robert de Niro, Joe Pesci, Cathy Moriarty, Theresa Saldana.
Directed by Martin Scorsese.
Raging Bull is a hard film. Boxer Jake La Motta rages and bashes his way to championship, his Italian-New? York chauvinism makes him turn on wife, brother as well as enemy. His defeat and bloated retirement are hard for him. Fight
scenes are unrelentingly brutal and so are the arguments, the shouting and the hostility of the characters. It is a film to admire rather than enjoy; the characters are presented as less than sympathetic, there is no romanticising of La Motta, played with great power and insight by Robert de Niro. Director Martin Scorsese, no stranger to observing ugly city life, where words like grit, guts, gore are apt, makes a very strong film. Scorsese and de Niro worked together on Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, New York, New York.
1. The acclaim the film received, awards and nominations? Well merited?
2. The use of basic black and white photography, technicolour prints? The colour of the initial credit? The insertion of the home movies in colour? The point of this contrast? The professional world of black and white? The more tender moments, in colour? The quality of the black and white Photography? Light and shadow, over-exposure? Patterns? Close-ups? The dramatisation of the fight sequences? The insertion of slow motion sequences? The importance of the sounds? Shouts, underlying music, the sounds of the breathing and roar of a bull? The importance of the technical aspects for overall response?
3. The range of music used: the popular songs of the time, the Italian songs? The operatic background from Cavaliera Rusticana? The human sounds? Cacophony? An atmosphere of noise?
4. The tradition of boxing films? The grimy exposures, the individual against corruption, the Rocky-type heroics? How did this film fit into this tradition? Counterbalance it? The sombre tone of this film - contrivances, realism, authenticity?
5. The presentation of the world of boxing: boxing skills, strength, brute strength and force, training, competitiveness, the domination of winning, the effect on the fighters both psychologically and physically, on the crowds and their applause, disappointments? The people working in the boxing profession, announcers and referees, the Mafia background in America, people going on the take? The physical violence, bashing, gore, blood spurting? How well did the film present the realities of the boxing world?
6. The anti-boxing tone: the hardness of the boxing world, the physical injury and damage, brutality, man becoming animal - raging bull? Vengeance? Corruption? The aftermath and retirement? People punch-drunk, living on their memories?
7. The achievement in the boxing world: the push and drive, training, total absorption, the hard work, championships, the various bouts, press reporters, publicity, acclaim?
8. The framework of the screenplay: the rehearsal for the cabaret with Jake as fat, mouthing his lines? An indication throughout the rest of the film of what was to come? Audience judgment of him at the various phases of his life? The emphasis on places, dates? The authenticity of these fights? The times? The glimpses of each fight? Jake changing in his personality over the decades? The cumulative effect of family life, the fights? A portrait of a boxer? A sketch? Allowing the audience to fill in what was merely suggested? How rounded a portrait?
9. Audience judgment finally on Jake la Motta: seeing him in his cabaret rehearsal and then his cabaret act at the end? Seeing him as a young tough man, the raging bull, his victories, his never going down? Family relationships? The interchange with Joey, brotherly love? Joey and his managing
him? The trainer, the various members of the team? His being carried along by success? The Italian-New? York background, his attitude towards his wife, shouting, suspicions? Italian chauvinism? His leaving his wife? The ever boiling potential for eruption and clash? His seeing Vicki, flirting with her, the relationship, the proposal and marriage? The long initial scene at the pool, at the nightclub? How well did he love Vicki? His growing suspicion of her, his watching her e.g. at the nightclubs? His interrogations? His attitude towards the Mafia - his spurning of the second men, the relationship with Tommy? His suspicions of Joey in league with Tommy? His finally agreeing to a set-up?
10. Jake la Motta as a championship boxer? His strength, the various fights and contenders, fights with Sugar Ray Robinson? His continued victories and there being few contenders? The bashing of the boxer with the 'pretty face'? The beginning of Jake's decline? Joey and his trying to manage him, Tommy and the Mafia influence? Jake's potential for trouble?
11. How attractive a character was Vicki? The young girl at the pool and her sultry looks (the Lana Turner style of the '40s)? The nightclub sequence? The insertion of the colour sequence with the home movie style? The relationship, marriage? The detail of her life with Jake, her love for him, the growing family? The build-up of suspicions? Her outing and Joey's causing trouble in the nightclub? Her travelling round with Jake and his accusations and interrogations? The build-up to their fights? His chasing her through the streets, the climax at Joey's home? Her staying with him in his retirement? His praise of her in his cabaret act? Her decision to leave - his visit to get the money for the bail and his championship belt? Her walking out of his life? How sensitive and accurate a portrait of Vicki?
12. The portrait of Joey: family relationship, brotherly love, mutual sparring? His support? His keeping an eye on Vicki? His own marriage, family? His hardness on his wife? His double standards in Italian masculine behaviour? His interrelationships with the Mafia, his helping Vicki after the nightclub incident? His bashing the arm in the taxi door? Vicki and her going to Joey's place? Jake and his physical and brutal clash with his brother? Joey's being hurt? Vicki's persuading him to ring and reconcile, his inability to speak? The final reconciliation - Jake's effusiveness, Joey's suspicions? How successful a portrait?
13. The culmination of marriage with Jake? Vicki and her patience, her interest in his nightclub, her telling him about leaving? The final sequence and discussion in the home in Florida?
14. Jake and his decline? His not falling even when on the take, his suspension? His being bashed by Robinson and refusing to fall? The culmination of his boxing career?
15. The transition to the Hdd-'50s, his own nightclub, his friendliness with the visitors, his gauche manner, the Lenny Bruce style cabaret talk? The incident with the young girls and their being under age? The jail sequence - his arrest, pawning his belt, the degradation of being in jail? The low ebb of his career?
16. Building himself up to being a cabaret entertainer in New York? His attempts to reconcile with Joey? His increase in weight and grossness? The mellowing of his humour? The quotations of the various authors for his cabaret act, the advertisement? His final recitation to the mirror?
17. How telling a portrait of a man, strengths and weaknesses, good and evil? Insight into human nature. career, sport.. money, family, fame? An example of a vision of man's living in America in the 20th. century? How particular the insight. how universal?
