An emotionally self-destructive boxer's journey through life, as the violence and temper that leads him to the top in the ring, destroys his life outside it.
When Jake LaMotta steps into a boxing ring and obliterates his opponent, he's a prizefighter. But when he treats his family and friends the same way, he's a ticking time bomb, ready to go off at any moment. Though LaMotta wants his family's love, something always seems to come between them. Perhaps it's his violent bouts of paranoia and jealousy. This kind of rage helped make him a champ, but in real life, he winds up in the ring alone.
Written by alfiehitchie
On March 31, 1981, Robert De Niro's Best Actor Oscar win created a rarity in the Academy's history, in that the real-life Jake LaMotta was in the audience witnessing the victory. That same evening Sissy Spacek won her first Best Actress Oscar for playing singer Loretta Lynn (
Coal Miner's Daughter) who was also in the pavilion audience, making the gala event unique.
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Goofs
Errors in geography:
In a shot that introduces Jake LaMotta's post-boxing life in Florida, the license tags of his two Cadillacs are shown in close-up. One of the Florida plates bears a "5" prefix, which in the 1950s indicated an automobile registered in Polk County (Lakeland). If Jake was living in the Miami area, it's far more likely his automobiles were registered in Dade County (prefix "1") or perhaps Broward ("10"), but not in a county 150 miles away.
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Quotes
[first lines]
Jake La Motta:
I remember those cheers / They still ring in my ears / After years, they remain in my thoughts. / Go to one night / I took off my robe, and what'd I do? I forgot to wear shorts. / I recall every fall / Every hook, every jab / The worst way a guy can get rid of his flab. / As you know, my life wasn't drab. / Though I'd much...
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