So gimme a stage

Where this bull here can rage.

And though I can fight,

I'd much rather recite.

That's entertainment!

That's entertainment... – Robert de Niro as Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull

While filming The Godfather Part II Robert de Niro began reading the autobiography of an Italian American middleweight boxer from the Bronx. Captivated by the story of Jake LaMotta, de Niro began the long process that would eventually see Raging Bull brought to cinematic life.

The first stop was to de Niro’s close friend, Martin Scorsese. Unimpressed with the story and not very fond of boxing, or sports in general, Scorsese passed. Other producers and screenwriters were similarly dismissive of LaMotta’s story. The story of the fighter in conflict with his family and the mob had been done so many times before.

What changed all of this was Scorsese’s drug addiction.

Years of abusing prescription drugs and excessive cocaine use caught up with Scorsese at the end of the ‘70s. He had collapsed numerous times and was given dire warnings by doctors. Drugs were fuelling Scorsese’s path to an early grave.

David O’Mahony, Head of Programming at the IFI, recounts that “it was at this point, in a hospital bed I believe, that de Niro decided ‘now is the time to re-pitch Raging Bull’. And it worked and Scorsese finally saw something in this work that he could relate to”.

Scorsese threw himself into making Raging Bull and the project became a redemptive exercise. In many ways LaMotta’s story rescued Scorsese from the malaise and drug abuse that had taken a hold of him toward the end of the ‘70s; an irony considering the downward trajectory of LaMotta’s own story.

Born in the Bronx to Italian parents in 1921 LaMotta’s father had him fight other kids in public bouts, the change thrown into the ring was collected to help pay the family’s rent. At 19 LaMotta turned professional and began his career as a tough and relentless fighter. His habit of staying close to his opponent, taking punches so he could land his own, saw LaMotta christened ‘The Bronx Bull’.

In 1949, after a successful early career, LaMotta won the world middleweight title from Marcel Cerdan. This title shot came at a coat though and LaMotta had to throw his fight with Billy Fox. This was particularly galling to LaMotta whose proudest boast was that he was never knocked down.

This record, aside from the dive, was broken at the end of 1952 with a right hand from Danny Nardico. Regarded as one of the toughest boxers in history LaMotta had built his career on being able to take punches. Shortly after this fight with Nardico LaMotta retired. Though he owned and managed bars his passion was for the stage and he became a stage actor and stand-up comedian.

In Raging Bull de Niro was given the monumental task of capturing not only LaMotta the man but also LaMotta the boxer. Though he had already proven his acting pedigree with features like The Godfather Part II, Taxi Driver, and The Deer Hunter de Niro would go above and beyond in Raging Bull.

Training with the real LaMotta a 37 year old de Niro got into incredible shape, his physique emulating that of a real middleweight boxer. Once the first part of filming was done, however, de Niro embarked on a four month eating tour of Italy and France to bulk out for LaMotta’s later life.

De Niro underwent one of the most infamous transformations in cinema history, ballooning from 66 up to 97kg. Though this put incredible pressure on his health it was the icing on an incredible performance and secured de Niro the academy award for best actor that year.

A high budget artistic movie Raging Bull was one of the last films of the New Hollywood era. The rise of the blockbuster in the ‘80s saw studios steer away from risky projects, funnelling resources into safer options like franchises. In many ways Raging Bull stands as a proud cap on an era of artistic experimentation and vision. A transformative experience for de Niro and Scorsese Raging Bull captured the amazing story of Jake LaMotta while telling the deeper tale of how we can lose everything in the consuming haze of aggression and obsession.

Join Professor Patrick Geoghegan as he talks with a panel of experts about the making of Raging Bull and how this black and white boxing biopic became regarded as one of the best movies of the 20th century.