Raging Bull (1980) Bio Noir Masterpiece

"A One-way Ticket to Palookaville" (Must be one of Noirsville's better know neighborhoods)

Directed by Martin Scorsese ( director of Who's That Knocking at My Door, Taxi Driver, After Hours, Goodfellas, Casino, The Irishman). Written by Jake LaMotta, Joseph Carter, and Peter Savage (based on the book by Jake La Motta). Screenplay was by Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin.

Cinematography was by Michael Chapman, Film Editing was by Thelma Schoonmaker, Music STheoundtracks 

The film stars Robert De Niro as Jake LaMotta, Joe Pesci as Joey LaMotta, Cathy Moriarty as Vickie LaMotta, Nicholas Colasanto as Tommy Como, Theresa Saldana as Lenora LaMotta, Joey's second wife, Frank Vincent as Salvatore "Salvy Batts,"  Lori Anne Flax as Irma LaMotta, Jake's first wife, Mario Gallo as Mario and Johnny Barnes as Sugar Ray Robinson,

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Robert De Nero as Jake LaMotta

Joe Pesci as Joey LaMotta

Cathy Moriarty as Vickie LaMotta

Nicholas Colasanto as Tommy Como

Frank Vincent as Salvatore "Salvy Batts"

There is a very small sub genre of Classic Film Noirs that are also Biographies or "true story" based films , or are on "the cusp" of Noir. I call them Bio Noir's such as Dillinger (1945), Young Man with a Horn (1950), I'll Cry Tomorrow (1955), The Wrong Man (1956), Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956), The Bonnie Parker Story (1958), I Want To live (1958), Baby Face Nelson (1957), and Transitional and Neo Noir's  In Cold Blood (1967), The Honeymoon Killers (1970), and Lenny (1974). Raging Bull (1980) easily slips into this lineup, and takes one of the top honors. 

"Nicknamed "The Bronx Bull" or "Raging Bull", LaMotta was a rough fighter who was not a particularly big puncher, but he would subject his opponents to vicious beatings in the ring. With use of constant stalking, brawling and inside fighting, he developed the reputation for being a "bully"; he was what is often referred to today as a swarmer and a slugger." 

He was literally a bone head, lol, he "had a thick skull and jaw muscles, LaMotta was able to absorb incredible amounts of punishment over the course of his career, and is thought to have one of the greatest chins in boxing history. " (Wiki)

LaMotta was born somewhere on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, that's for those interested, roughly between the Bowery and the East River and running from Canal Street North to Houston Street. Another way to put it is the neighborhood around the Manhattan side of the Williamsburg Bridge (the neighborhood where the ending chase in The Naked City takes place). His father had a vegetable pushcart, his mother worked as a seamstress. The family moved to Philly briefly in 1930 . It must have been an even bigger shithole than the Lower East Side because they got evicted from their tenement and moved back to New York ASAP, this time they rented a small cheap one story brick house on North Pelham Parkway in Morris Park. Not far from The Bronx Zoo. 

It's the kind of affordable small house that we New Yorkers from Astoria across the river would call a bungalow. It was probably still fairly rural when the LaMotta's moved into the place. If it was anything like Astoria in the 1930s there would have still been small truck farms scattered about the landscape. My now, long dead, un PC Uncle Risty, as a kid, used to call these type of farm's "chinky" farms, he explained that they were called so because they sold most of there vegetables to the Chinese restaurants in Chinatown.

Anyway the story goes that Jake's father Joseph and his goombah "piasano" buddies, used to stage impromptu neighborhood fights in the streets. They delineated a "ring" with garbage cans, egg crates and whatever else was available. They would bet on Jake and other kids in the street. Joseph would use the chump change winnings to supplement his rent payments. 

So Jake growing up a typical neighborhood punk, starts breaking bad, he gets pinned for muggings, and gets pinched for an attempted armed robbery. A bonafide JD he gets shipped off to The New York State Reformatory for Incorrigible youths upstate in Coxsackie, NY along the Hudson River. Anyway, there Jake learns to box in amateur bouts. He's good at it. He turns pro at 19. After Pearl Harbor he gets rejected for military service due to hearing problems resulting from a childhood operation. The film picks up the narrative here.

Story

In 1964 a bloated Jake LaMotta, once the world middleweight champion between 1949 and 1951, is practicing a comedy schtick and reciting some poetry in a crummy dressing room of LaMotta's, his nightclub in Miami Beach. Jake's poetry routine is probably influenced by the then 1964 heavyweight champion Cassius Clay soon to rebrand as Muhammad Ali. Raging Bull is told mostly in flashback. 

The flashback starts at Jakes first bout against Jimmy Reeves. He makes a good showing but he looses on points. Jake is married at this point time to Irma. It's a disaster, they fight constantly. Brother Joey tries to calm things down patch things up but that's going Nowheresville. 

Floyd Anderson as Jimmy Reeves

Jake is married at this point time to Irma. It's a disaster, they fight constantly. And all about petty little bull shit things. The marriage is dissolving, and it's dissolving fast. 

Lori Anne Flax as Irma LaMotta

Jake La Motta: Is it done?

Irma: No, it's not done.

Jake La Motta: Don't overcook it. You overcook it, it's no good. It defeats its own purpose.

[Irma gives Jake a stern but nasty look]

Jake La Motta: What are you doin'? I just said don't overcook it. You're overcookin' it, bring it over.

Irma: You want your steak?

Jake La Motta: Bring it over. Bring it over! It's like a piece of charcoal! Bring it over here!

Irma: You want your steak?

Jake La Motta: YEAH, RIGHT NOW!

[Irma stabs the steak, exits the stove and slams the steak on his plate. She hastily pours carrots on the plate]

Irma: Okay. There's your stupid steak. Can't wait for it to be done?

Jake La Motta: No, I can't wait.

Irma: Good! Okay? Happy? Happy?

Jake La Motta: That's all I want. That's all I want!

Irma: That's... there! No, more! There!

[Jake routinely flips the table, spilling the contents all over the floor]

Jake La Motta: Bodder me abott a steak? Huh?

Irma: That's GREAT!

Jake La Motta: YOU BODDA ME ABOTT A STEAK?

Irma: YEAH!

YOU BODDA ME ABOTT A STEAK?

Brother Joey tries to calm things down between them and patch things up but that's going Nowheresville. 

In 1943, Jake has a bout with Sugar Ray Robinson and wins, three weeks later they have a rematch and even though Jake dominates Robinson during the bout, the judges surprisingly rule in favor of Robinson. Joey tells Jake that the three judges scoring the fight gave it to Robinson because he was enlisting into the Army the following week.

Johnny Barnes as Sugar Ray Robinson rt.

In 1946 one of the big summer hangouts was the pool at the Castel Hill YMCA in the Bronx. It was like a exotic Mecca to the locals. A southern exposure with a view of the Whitestone Bridge and the East river. The in place to be on hot humid days, and by car or bus only 15-20 minutes away from the neighborhood. One May day Joey is hanging out at the pool with a group of his friends and he first sees a very hot blonde fifteen year old (who looks twenty) sitting at the pool. 

With her white one piece bathing suit and (in real life wearing a turban, but in the film she is not but we see her in that getup in a later scene) she's giving off a Lana Turner The Postman Always Rings Twice vibe. Joey finds out her name is Vikki he tells the girl that his brother would flip if he saw her (maybe Jake had the hots for Lana, who knows, lol). She is well aware of all the male gazing and likes it. 

In the film we see Joey (a few days later) calling Vikki over to the lock crimp wire fence, he tells her that his brother is sitting in the car and wants to meet her. Jake gets out and they both like what they see. (Vikki in her autobiography states that she knew of Jake previously from seeing a photo of him in a boxing magazine).

Jake wearing his cool "lady killer" rockabilly two tone jacket

Vikki is excited but she knows that Jake is married. Jake invites her to watch him workout at Gleason's Gym. Her father, "Feebie" Thailer, a gambler, when he finds out, of course approves. Jake was "somebody." 

Jake offers to give her a ride home in his Caddy. When she asks Jake about his wife he tells her that she went to live with her mother.

They start to casually date, Vikki sees Jake as (big surprise) John Garfield. So one thing leads to another and they eventually have sex. In her autobiography Vikki tells us that Jake used the "pull out"{ method of birth control and, of course is a little slow and sloppy and she becomes pregnant. 

Vikki wants an abortion thinks she is too young to get hitched, but Jake flies to Mexico and gets a quickie divorce from Irma and marries Vikki in New Jersey (New York didn't recognize Mexican Divorces) in November of 1946. On their wedding nigh Jake takes her to the house he bought for his mother where he has an upstairs apartment undresses her screws her and nods out. Vikki turns over on her side and cries herself to sleep. She is now under the control of an obsessively possessive maniac who will not let her do anything on her own. He or his father must always be present.

1946-7 were very good boxing years for Jake LaMotta and for Joey his manager. He wins seven bouts, draws with Jimmy Edgar in a ten rounder, in '47 he defeats Tommy Bell and Tony Janiro. While these non title bouts are going on, Joey (who has always been rubbing shoulders with the local Bronx mob crew) keeps explaining to Jake that the mob controls the fight rackets and he's not going anywhere unless he plays ball.

In the film before the Janiro fight, Vikki remarks casually to Jake that she thinks Janiro is handsome. Insecure and overly possessive Jake is shown (in the film) brutally beating the pretty boy in front of Vikki, the local Mob boss Tony Como, and one of is captains Salvatore "Salvy" Batts. According to Vikki she never watched any of his fights until the Champion fight against Marcel Cerdan. 

Louis Raftis as Marcel Cerdan 

Right after the bout Joey takes Vikki to the Copacabana to give a victory celebration with their friends, for Jake.

While they all await the triumphant arrival of Jake, Joey is doing a presser with New York Sports journalists. While answering their questions, he spots Vikki wandering over to talk with Batts at his table. Jesus Christ if Jake hears about this he'll go ape shit. 

Joey heads over to the table to tell Vikki to split. She tells him she's sick and tired of Jakes oppressive bull shit. Blaming Batts, one thing leads to another and a barfight breaks out. In the confusion Joey slips out of the Copa

When Batts comes out Joey hits him upside the head knocking Batts to the sidewalk by a waiting taxi. Using the rear  cab door, Joey repeatedly tries to slams it closed on Batt's head. The melee ends when they drag Joey away. 

Later at the Debonair Social Club, Mob boss Como tells Joey and Salvy to shake hands and forgedaboudit. Joey back on good terms with the wise guys starts bringing hoods to the gym to show off Jake, and Jake chases them out. Joey tells Jake that to get a shot at the title, he has to play ball and take a dive for the mob. 

Forgedaboudit

Jake finally gets frustrated and breaks down and accepts the deal and of course it all starts to go down the road to Noirsville. He signs on to fight Billy "Black Jack" Fox, a light-heavyweight, at Madison Square Garden on November 14, 1947. A week before the fight Jake gets a bruised spleen which in effect is a perfect face saving excuse for legitimately losing the bout. Joey tells him your hurt, even if you take a dive you are still the middle weight contender. Two days before the fight Joey tells Jake that the mob is offering him $100,000 in cash and a title fight to take a dive. 

In the first round Jake hunched over in his bull-like stance pummels Fox so furiously that Fox's eye glaze over and he starts to get wobbly, he's about to go down. Jake has to half-assed hold him up until the bell. Of course the crowd in the Garden starts booing and continues to boo as Jake just stands and takes Fox's attacks for the rest of the fight. 

"Outweighed six and three quarters pounds (167 to 173¾) and facing an opponent with superior height and reach, LaMotta never showed any of his old fire. Instead of boring in with a body attack, as he usually does, Jake held back and became an easy target for Fox's lightning lefts and hard rights. Fox caught LaMotta with two lefts and a right at the start of the fourth and only the ropes kept the Bronx boxer from going down. After Referee Frank Fullam separated them, Fox again drove LaMotta to the ropes as he staggered blindly around the ring. In separating them that time, it appeared Fullam was going to stop the fight, but he changed his mind and let them continue. But not for long, for Fox kept up his battering and when the referee finally stopped it in the fourth round, LaMotta was a helpless, bleeding hulk." (United Press - November 15, 1947)

The New York State Athletic Commission and the Manhattan DA investigated, he was fined $1,000 and had his boxing license suspended for seven months for failing to repost an injury. He was however awarded the purse but he had to endure the catcalls of "Jake The Fake" of all the people (who lost bets) in the neighborhood.

In June of 1948 the NYS Athletic Commission lifted Jakes suspension. Jake has to redeem himself and his reputation. He fights Stribling, Charity, and Colan, knocking them all out, then wins ten round decisions against Lester and Yarosz. In 1949 after four more bouts Joey brings Jake the news that the mob will allow him to fight World Middleweight Champion Marcel Cerdan, the catch is Jake has to pay them $20,000, lol. He's fighting for nothing, lol. Jake wins, becomes the new champ and it goes to his head, he gets obnoxious, doesn't train starts to drink. 

It really goes personally Noirsville when Jake already a jealous control freak with now more time on his hands than ever goes into overdrive. Vikki can't even walk down the street and pass another man without averting her eyes or Jake becomes paranoid. Vikki is a prisoner in her own home. 

Jake goes as far as accusing Vikki of fucking his brother Joey. Vikki sarcastically tells him that yes she fucked him and sucked his dick along with everyone else in the neighborhood that they know, along with Salvy Batts, and Tony Como.

 

Vicki LaMotta: I fucked all of 'em. Tommy, Salvy, your brother. All of 'em. I sucked your brother's cock! What do you want me to say?

Jake La Motta: You sucked his cock?

Vicki LaMotta: Yeah, I sucked his cock. And everybody else on the fuckin' street too. What do you want? You're nothin' but a fat pig, selfish fool!

[as Jake slaps Vicki and leaves]

Vicki LaMotta: His fuckin' cock's bigger than yours too!

Joey's fuckin' cock's bigger than yours too!

So Jake assumes it's all true and heads down the street and into Joey's house with Vikki frantically running after him. There he knocks him around in front of his wife and children. Vikki's comes running in and tries to pull Jake off Joey and gets knocked out in the process, Nice Family.

Noirsville

This film is well deserving of all the accolades it receives, all of the performances are compelling, the direction and camerawork excellent. Won 2 Oscars. Bravo! 10/10