Raging Bull: Robert De Niro Doesn’t Want to Play This Scene, Screenwriter Throws Script in His Face

Almost everything has already been said about Martin Scorsese’s Raging Bull. An absolute masterpiece from a filmmaker rightfully crowned with two Oscars: Best Editing, salutes the fabulous work of the master’s favorite editor, Thelma Schoonmaker. Who will later say that he spent the worst night of his life, so disappointed that he did not even receive the statue of the best director for this work in March.

And best actor for Robert De Niro, who transformed with the 30 kg he had to gain to better embody the legendary boxer’s physical decline through such self-destructive behavior. A role that the person concerned considers the most difficult of his career to date. It’s not for nothing A raging bull It continues to appear in the ranking of the 100 greatest films in the history of American cinema, which is regularly compiled by the AFI (American Film Institute).

The screenplay is by Paul Schrader, the same guy who wrote Taxi Driver. A raging bull is a powerful analysis of the devastating effects of toxic masculinity and unhealthy jealousy that ultimately destroys Jake LaMotta’s family in addition to his career.

“He realizes how stupid he was.”

While Scorsese largely trusted Schroeder to write the script, the filmmaker did not approve of a particular scene in the script that was too shocking.

In it, Jake LaMotta was in a cell, isolated and reflecting on his past. Realizing that he has hit rock bottom and has little chance of regaining the success of his youth, LaMotta becomes very depressed and engages in a long monologue reflecting on his failure. The scene ends on a shocking note when LaMotta tries to masturbate, but memories of the past prevent him.

“He tries to masturbate and the arousal brings up memories of girlfriends and wives and of course, the moment he starts arousal, the memory turns to shame and he realizes how rubbish he was. He must give up this particular fantasy, move on to the next one, and start all over again.” Schrader will say.

According to him, this scene was necessary. Robert De Niro didn’t have the same opinion at all. For the actor, this sequence “It had nothing to do with me or Marty remembering Jake or what we were trying to do.”

Marty, no more convinced than De Niro, then asked Schroeder to convince the actor to shoot the scene. But the latter was adamant about his positions, which caused the screenwriter to get angry with De Niro before throwing the script in his face. As he will say in this interview.

bad for good

From this masturbation scene, which goes sideways, one of the most memorable scenes of the film will eventually be born. The one where he repeats himself in prison “I’m the boss!”, furiously hitting the wall with his fists. He collapsed with a headache and crying. “I’m not that bad!” Lamota beamed.

If Paul Schrader was offended by Marty and De Niro’s contradictions, it’s clear that we didn’t really lose with this extraordinary scene; Perhaps the most powerful in the film, where the pathetic Lamotta, alone in the face of himself and his demons, becomes painfully introspective.