The art of cinema of something that can rarely be expressed in mere words, and the only way to truly know what it means is to indulge in it yourself. Even to this day when films are the major driving force in pop culture, people have not forgotten the significance and influence of old-school cinema. And on top of the people who made that possible is none other than Martin Scorsese.
For more than half a century, the legendary filmmaker has provided some invaluable gems to the history of cinema and filmmaking through his numerous masterpieces. But there have been times when even he was not ready to dabble in a project, and when he did decide to go through with it, he made a classic that’s loved to this day.
Martin Scorsese Was Afraid To Make Raging Bull With Robert DeNiro
Since he sat in the director’s chair, he has made some of the most revolutionary and iconic films that the world has ever seen, which has rightfully placed Martin Scorsese at the top. With films like Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, and Shutter Island, he has proven that there are no genres of style of filmmaking that he can fail at when he tries. Still, there are projects that have made him think twice about engaging in and even not making those projects entirely. One of these projects was his 1980 sports drama film Raging Bull which later gave Sylvester Stallone‘s Rocky II a run for its money.
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In a recent episode of Most Iconic Films by GQ, the Casino director revealed that he wasn’t ready to make the aforementioned film with Robert DeNiro at first. Since the real-life Jake LaMotta who was portrayed in the film wasn’t a very likable person in the public, his crew was hesitant to make an entire film about him. But seeing this as a challenge for both himself and his art of filmmaking, along with his wish to tell the boxer’s story, he took this challenge head-on. The next thing was the film becoming a cult classic that was being compared to the iconic Rocky series. He said:
“This man may be this way, but still, he’s a human being, he’s got a heart, he’s got a soul. By the end of it, he finds some kind of peace with himself and maybe the others around him. And I think I was going there to try to find peace in myself,”
Therefore, in pursuit of excellence and wanting to help people know who the man was, the director made one of the best films of his career.
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What Was Raging Bull About?
While the film may be a far-off departure from Stallone’s Rocky franchise and its narrative, Raging Bull tells the tale of a fighter’s battle with the demons within. The film shows Jake LaMotta, an upcoming star in the boxing world who seeks a battle with the current champion at the title shot for the Middleweight division.
But getting what he wants is something that is easier said than done, as he has personal battles he has to fight. The problems in his personal life like jealousy, anger, and hatred are the things that are blocking his path to becoming a champion.
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Raging Bull, streaming on Max.
