Raging Bull

Movie: Raging Bull, 1980; 129 min

Director: Martin Scorsese

Actors: Robert De Niro, Cathy Moriarty, Joe Pesci

Summary: The story of Jake La Motta, an emotionally unstable boxer, unfolds as his career progresses but his life outside the ring slowly becomes destroyed.

Question 1: Opera music plays at certain points throughout the film. At what points does the music play and why? Give specific examples.

Opera music is played throughout the entire film. It opens the film with the credits along with a slow motion scene of a fighter in the ring. The opera music sets a calming and peaceful tone to the scene, but it is actually used to serve as a contrast to the danger of the fighting that occurs in the boxing ring. When the music is played at the beginning of the film, it makes it seem as though the boxer is dancing instead of fighting. The opera music continues throughout the film, especially during times of chaos and fighting. It plays during Jay’s boxing matches and also during a bar fight with Joey. The music is interesting because it is such a contrast to the scenes in which it plays during. This contrast between the music and what is happening in the scenes might be used to calm the intensity of the scene/fights, or it could also be used to add to the intensity because opera music would not typically be played during a fight.

Question 2: Give an analysis on the fight scene montage.  How does the director portray this sequence of shots differently compared to the rest of the film?

The major fight scene montage is different than other scenes in the film due to the fact that it is a montage and it also incorporates scenes in color. The fight is to opera music, as if the boxers are dancing together in the ring. Instead of the shots flowing together, they are broken up into stills, creating more of a montage feel. This technique is used to contrast the other fight scenes in the film because this scene is one of the more major ones. The quick and sharp changes between the shots of the fight give a sense of chaos and tension to the audience. Also incorporated into the fight scene montage are home videos of Joey’s wedding, of Jay and Vicki together, and of the family. What makes these videos different from the rest of the film is that they are the only shots that are shot in color. The contrast between the black and white of the film to the color of the home videos portrays the fact that Jay’s life would be brighter if he values his family over his bleak, black and white life as a boxer.