Raging Bull is an American based biological sports drama film which was first performed in November 1980. The film, which Irwin Winker and Robert Chartoff and directed by Martin Scorsese, is about the story of a man who participates in boxing not because he is a boxer but because of his sexual insecurity paralyzing jealousy (Haye, 2005). The man falls in love with a stunning girl from the Bronx who saw him enter into rings because he could not express his feelings to the girl. The man is sent into a series of actions and thoughts which saw him become progressively worse and eventually costs him everything. Raging Bull film was adapted from 1970’s Jake LaMotta’s raging bull story; the Mardik Martin and Paul Schrader adapted it. The film was distributed by stars Robert De Niro, an Italian and American filmmaker and middleweight boxer who acted as Jake LaMotta (San Juan, 2020). Robert De Niro was portrayed as a destructive and sexually jealous person who ended up destroying his relationship with his family. Other people who also feared in the movie include Cathy Moriarty, who acted as Jake LaMotta’s wife, and Joe Pesci, who served as Joey.
Raging Bull was released on December 19, 1980, after it premiered in the previous month in New York City (Whelan, 2020). The release took place in theaters and had a tepid box office costing $23.4 million, slightly above the estimated budget. Upon its release, the films received both praises and criticism. Even though the performance of De Niro and the editing of the film was much admired, the film was still criticized based on its violent content.
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Although the film received mixed reviews after its release, it was nominated for various Academic awards, including best director, best actor, and best picture. Raging Bull ended up scooping tow awards at the 53 rd Academy Awards; that is the best editing and best actor. The film went against all criticism to gain a high-level reputation in the 1980s and was regarded as the best film ever acted. One decade after its release, the movie was selected for National Film Registry preservation, becoming the film ever nominated for such preservations.
The film's success can be limited to good acting and editing; other factors must have played a vital role in making the film known and loved by many. The factors include the strategies used to market the movie, the distribution channels, and even the storyline. Posters were the primary marketing strategy used to sell out the film; they were designed to attract the attention of many viewers (Smith, 2018). The poster appeared like it was an entirely a boxing movie. How Raging Bull was filmed also played a critical in marketing the movie. It was filmed in black and white to make it unique compared to other color films that were featured during that time. In addition to that, the movie had a more genuine portrayal of a man, something that impressed many people. Raging Bull was performed in theatre and distributed through theatrical rentals. Despite the movie being loved by many, it lacked a proper advertising campaign to increase its earnings. The film only earned $ 10.1 million through the distribution channel. The loss was blamed on the movie's anger and violent nature, plus the low marketing strategy (Gibson, 2019).
References
Gibson, M. (2019). Martin Scorsese’s Divine Comedy: Movies and Religion. Journal of Religion & Film , 23 (2), 8.
Hayes, K. J. (Ed.). (2005). Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull . Cambridge University Press.
San Juan, E. (2020). The Films of Martin Scorsese: Gangsters, Greed, and Guilt . Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
Smith, I. H. (2018). Selling the Movie: The Art of the Film Poster . White Lion Publishing.
Whelan, M. J. (2020). Sparring Partners and Sampling Platters: Film Language, the Sacred, and Grace in Raging Bull and Babette’s Feast. Quarterly Review of Film and Video , 1-27.
