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.
Acting
De Niro's physical transformation between young bull and bloated ghost.
Cinematography
Michael Chapman's stark black-and-white: boxing as religious ritual.
Editing
Thelma Schoonmaker's sound design—flesh hitting flesh like gunshots.
Director
Martin Scorsese
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
De Niro trained with LaMotta for a year, then gained 60 pounds in four months by eating Italian feasts across Europe. LaMotta said he could've beaten the real De Niro.
Scorsese made this after nearly dying from cocaine addiction; he saw Jake's self-destruction as his own. The film saved his life and his career.
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