History Trivia / RagingBull

* CreatorBacklash: Screenwriter Creator/PaulSchrader is not as happy with this film as he is with ''Film/TaxiDriver'' and ''Film/TheLastTemptationOfChrist'' (among his collaborations with Creator/MartinScorsese). He personally feels that the film's attempt to put on a RedemptionQuest at the end was unconvincing and it gave [=LaMotta=] too much credit as a boxer and sportsman, taking a lot of great talent and hard work to make someone more famous then he merits.

* PlayingAgainstType: Joey [=LaMotta=] is played by Creator/JoePesci. Yes, ''[[HairTriggerTemper that]]'' Joe Pesci. Of course, it was before he was typecast. Pesci still manages to start a fight by breaking a glass over someone's head, and ending it by slamming their head and shoulders repeatedly in a car door. He does apologize after, but only at the insistence of an old mobster. It still counts, because compared to [=DeNiro=], he's really the collected one. It's Jake that has the HairTriggerTemper.

** [=De Niro=] cast Creator/JoePesci after seeing him in a low-budget television thriller ''The Death Collector''. For one thing, Pesci had a remarkable resemblance to the real Joey. Prior to being cast, Pesci had not worked in film for four years and was running an Italian restaurant in New Jersey. Frank Vincent, who'd been part of a nightclub comedy team with Pesci, was also in ''The Death Collector'' and got cast as Salvy.

* UsefulNotes/AFIS100YearsSeries:
** AFIS100Years100Movies: #24
** AFIS100Years100Thrills: #51
** AFIS100Years100Movies10THAnniversaryEdition: #4
** AFIS10Top10:
*** #1, Sports
* CastTheExpert: [[InvertedTrope Inverted]]. The home movie footage was directed by a random crew member because attempts made to shoot it by Scorsese or cinematographer Michael Chapman ended up looking too professional.

* AFIS100YearsSeries:

** Creator/MichellePfeiffer and Creator/SharonStone auditioned for Vikki [=LaMotta=]. Creator/JodieFoster also wanted the role, but she didn't get to audition, as the producers thought she was too young and tomboyish.

** Creator/MichellePfeiffer and Creator/SharonStone auditioned for Vicki [=LaMotta=]. Creator/JodieFoster also wanted the role, but she didn't get to audition, as the producers thought she was too young and tomboyish.

** Cathy Moriarty playing a fifteen year old version of her character at the beginning (she was 20). Somewhat justified, as she portrays the character from her teens until her late 20's.

* CreatorBacklash: Not Scorsese, but Creator/PaulSchrader is not as happy with this film as he is with ''Film/TaxiDriver'' and ''Film/TheLastTemptationOfChrist'' (among his collaborations with Creator/MartinScorsese). He personally feels that the film's attempt to put on a RedemptionQuest at the end was unconvincing and he likewise felt that the film gave [=LaMotta=] too much credit as a boxer and sportsman and that ultimately it amounted to a lot of great talent and hard work making someone more famous then he would merit.

* ProductionPosse: Scorsese's old NYU film school friend Mardik Martin wrote the first draft of the screenplay, and his frequent collaborator Creator/PaulSchrader did the later drafts. His longtime editor Thelma Schoonmaker was also on board. This was the first Creator/RobertDeNiro[=/=]Creator/JoePesci film, and the future Scorsese/De Niro/Pesci films also all featured Frank Vincent (Salvy) in a supporting role.

* ProductionPosse: Scorsese's old NYU film school friend Mardik Martin wrote the first draft of the screenplay, and his longtime editor Thelma Schoonmaker was also on board. This was the first Creator/RobertDeNiro[=/=]Creator/JoePesci film, and the future Scorsese/De Niro/Pesci films also all featured Frank Vincent (Salvy) in a supporting role.

** Pesci suggested Cathy Moriarty from a picture he once saw at a New Jersey disco. The fact that she looked a lot like Vikki [=LaMotta=] was a major consideration. She was working as a waitress when she got cast, and it was her first film.

** [=De Niro=] cast Creator/JoePesci after seeing him in a low-budget television thriller ''The Death Collector''. Prior to being cast, Pesci had not worked in film for four years and was running an Italian restaurant in New Jersey.
** Pesci suggested Cathy Moriarty from a picture he once saw at a New Jersey disco. This was her first film.

* TheDanza: Creator/JoePesci as Joey [=LaMotta=], though the shared names were just a coincidence.

* RealLifeRelative: Creator/MartinScorsese's father is one of the mob wiseguys crowding the LaMotta brothers at a Copa nightclub table.

** When Creator/PaulSchrader was working on the script, he put in numerous shocking moments such as 'Jake LaMotta' (qv) masturbating and dipping his penis into a bucket of ice. Schrader later admitted that the film held less personal significance to him than it did for Creator/RobertDeNiro and Creator/MartinScorsese and he added the shocking material just to see what he could get past the studio. Ultimately, the masturbation was cut and, instead of putting his penis into the ice, La Motta pours the ice down his underwear.

** Cathy Moriarty playing a fifteen year old version of her character at the beginning (she was 20).
** Somewhat justified, as she portrays the character from her teens until her late 20's.

* {{Playing Against Type}}: Joey [=LaMotta=] is played by Creator/JoePesci. Yes, ''[[HairTriggerTemper that]]'' Joe Pesci. Of course, it was before he was typecast. Pesci still manages to start a fight by breaking a glass over someone's head, and ending it by slamming their head and shoulders repeatedly in a car door. He does apologize after, but only at the insistence of an old mobster.
** It still counts, though, as compared to [=DeNiro=], he's really the collected one. It's Jake that has the HairTriggerTemper.

* CreatorBreakdown: Creator/MartinScorcese was struggling with a cocaine addiction at the time and planning on retiring as a director. Creator/RobertDeNiro specifically brought the project to Scorcese in hopes that its themes of self-destruction would help Scorcese overcome his problems.

* DoingItForTheArt: For Creator/RobertDeNiro and Creator/MartinScorsese. It took over four years for De Niro to convince everyone, including Scorsese, to get on board for this film.
* DyeingForYourArt: Creator/RobertDeNiro put on 60 pounds to play the retired Jake [=LaMotta=], arguably starting the trend. He also trained with the real Jake [=LaMotta=] to get in shape. They spent the entire shoot together so De Niro could portray his character accurately. La Motta said that De Niro has the ability to be a contender, and that he would have been happy to be his manager and trainer.

** When Creator/PaulSchrader was working on the script, he put in numerous shocking moments such as 'Jake LaMotta' (qv) masturbating and dipping his penis into a bucket of ice. Schrader later admitted that the film held less personal significance to him than it did for Creator/RobertDeNiro and Creator/MartinScorseseand he added the shocking material just to see what he could get past the studio. Ultimately, the masturbation was cut and, instead of putting his penis into the ice, La Motta pours the ice down his underwear.

* CreatorBacklash: Not Scorsese, but Creator/PaulSchrader is not as happy with this film as he is with Film/TaxiDriver and Film/TheLastTemptationOfChrist (among his collaborations with Scorsese). He personally feels that the film's attempt to put on a RedemptionQuest at the end was unconvincing and he likewise felt that the film gave [=LaMotta=] too much credit as a boxer and sportsman and that ultimately it amounted to a lot of great talent and hard work making someone more famous then he would merit.
* CreatorBreakdown: Scorcese was struggling with a cocaine addiction at the time and planning on retiring as a director. De Niro specifically brought the project to Scorcese in hopes that its themes of self-destruction would help Scorcese overcome his problems.
* DawsonCasting: Cathy Moriarty playing a fifteen year old version of her character at the begining (she was 20).

** There's also the fact that RobertDeNiro was 36 or 37 at the time of filming, and in the early scenes played a 19-year-old Jake [=LaMotta=].
* DyeingForYourArt: Robert De Niro put on 60 pounds to play the retired Jake [=LaMotta=], arguably starting the trend.
* EnforcedMethodActing: Joe Pesci never knew the script called for him to be attacked, so the scene where De Niro beats him up at dinner came ''completely'' out of nowhere.

* {{Playing Against Type}}: Joey [=LaMotta=] is played by JoePesci. Yes, ''[[HairTriggerTemper that]]'' Joe Pesci. Of course, it was before he was typecast. Pesci still manages to start a fight by breaking a glass over someone's head, and ending it by slamming their head and shoulders repeatedly in a car door. He does apologize after, but only at the insistence of an old mobster.

** It still counts though as compared to [=DeNiro=], he's really the collected one. It's Jake that has the HairTriggerTemper.

* CreatorBreakdown: This was apparently a vaguely personal project of MartinScorsese.