Raging Bull

Those cheers still ring in my ears.

For years, they remain in my thoughts.

Once, I took off my robe, and I forgot to wear shorts.

I recall every fall, hook, and jab -

bad way to get rid of flab.

As you know, my life wasn't drab, though I'd much...

Though I'd rather hear you cheer

when I delve into Shakespeare.

My kingdom for a horse. I haven't won in months.

Though I'm no Olivier, I'd rather...

I'm no Olivier, but it ain't the ring, it's the play.

Give me a stage where I'll rage.

Though I can fight, I'd rather recite.

That's entertainment.

Jake La Motta, Jimmy Reeves.

La Motta's undefeated but behind on points.

He's taking a lot of punishment.

Tell me why. Why come here to get beat?

Do the right thing.

You're outpointed. You'll have to knock him out.

- Bite him, kick him, anything. - Listen to Joey.

Get all over him. Just knock him out.

You wanna do it?

Help!

- A knockout's where it's at. - Final round.

Good luck.

Reeves is up against a fighter...

who doesn't back up.

La Motta continues to bore in, and Reeves is down!

The crowd's urging Jake on.

Reeves is trying to get up.

La Motta comes at him with a hard left,

and Reeves is down for the second time.

La Motta is making a comeback in the tenth round.

Reeves is up again. La Motta's coming at him.

A left and right to the midsection, a hook to the jaw.

A right and a left. Reeves goes down again.

- They're pulling La Motta away. - Two, three, four, five...

The referee is counting. Time is running out. There's the bell.

Did La Motta do it soon enough?

Jack, come here! It's no good! You waited too long!

Put my robe on right.

Ladies and gentlemen...

Under the rules of the Ohio Boxing Commission,

after ten rounds, the winner by unanimous decision...

Jimmy Reeves.

La Motta has lost his first fight.

That's Jake's fight! Jake won that fight!

Don't leave the ring. You won. Let him go first.

La Motta floored Reeves seven times, but still...

He's dead. They say he won.

Tommy should have been there.

He's got to fight with Tommy or he'll wind up punch-drunk.

- I know. - It's best for everybody.

- I said I know. - You got to make him know.

When will you stop with all that stuff?

I understand. He wants to do things for himself.

- Hard to understand? - He's got a concrete head.

You think it's easy? You talk to him.

- I can't. - Why not?

- He don't like me. - Nobody does.

I know... I know who's the boss.

The judges didn't know. The people knew.

You don't believe me. Thought I was foolin' around.

Tell me the truth. I ain't foolin' around.

- That's in your mind. - Yeah, so what?

With that championship belt around me, I'll fool around.

- Is it done? - No, it's not done.

Don't overcook it.

It defeats the purpose.

What are you doing? You're overcooking it. Bring it over.

- You want it? - Bring it over. Bring it over!

It's like a piece of charcoal!

- You want it? - Yeah, right now!

Good. There it is. Can't wait for it?

- No, I can't. - Good. Happy?

- That's all. - No, more. There.

You botherin' me about a steak?

I agree. He should be with Tommy. I'll tell him.

Tommy keeps telling me to work this out. I'm in the middle.

- You are? I'm his brother. - Who better to talk to him?

- I will. - Do what you can.

- I'll see you tomorrow. - Where will you be?

- The gym. - Catch you there.

All right. Sal... go fuck yourself.

- Complain some more. - Complain?

- I want to hear. - You call those carrots?

- You eat 'em? - I got no choice!

- I can't believe you! - I got no choice!

You got no choice? Stay away! Please!

- Get in there! - I'm sick of you!

- What's the matter up there? - What?

- What's going on, you animals? - He's callin' me an animal.

- Hey, you! - Come on.

I'm gonna eat your dog for lunch!

- You hear me, Larry? - Crazy animals!

Your mother's an animal, you son of a bitch!

Your dog will be dead tomorrow, you bum!

The whole block could hear you. Sit down. Relax.

You break anything, I'll come in there and kill you!

Sure!

Calmed down?

What did I do? Come on, honey, let's be friends.

- Truce, all right? - It's not all right!

You can't eat and drink like an animal...

and put up with this all day, I'm telling you.

Forget about Reeves. You've got other fights.

You can't keep doing this.

What's wrong?

Something's the matter. What's wrong?

What's botherin' me?

- My hands. - Your hands? What about 'em?

I got these small, little girl's hands.

Me too. Who cares?

Know what that means?

No matter how big I get, who I fight, or what I do,

I'll never fight Joe Louis.

He's a heavyweight, you're a middleweight.

I'll never fight the best there is.

I'm better than them, and I'll never fight them.

That's what's wrong.

Don't think about that.

He's a heavyweight, you're a middleweight.

It'll never happen, so why go crazy thinking about it?

- Do me a favour. - What?

- Hit me in the face. - What?

- Hit me in the face. - Forget about it.

- I want you to. Go ahead. - I said forget about it.

We have fights all the time. Go ahead.

- No! - You afraid?

- Of what? - Come on, hit me.

- I'm no fag. - Take your best shot.

- You're a real jerk. - Did I not tell you to do it?

Do it.

- I ain't hittin' you. - I'm your older brother.

I ain't doin' it!

I ain't doin' it... you fuckin' nut.

I'm not doin' it.

- I don't have any gloves. - Use that over there.

- What? - Use that.

How many times I got to tell you?

- Not too many more. - Go ahead.

Hit me with everything you got.

You sure? All right.

- Harder! - Yeah?

You throw a punch like you take it up the ass. Harder.

- That's hard! - Take it off.

- You wanna stop? That's enough. - Come on!

- Come on! - Don't fuck around!

- Throw it again. - That's enough!

- I said that's enough! - Harder!

Your cuts are open. What are you trying to prove?

Joey, what's what? Jake, you're looking good.

How you doin'?

I'm still here.

Joey... come here.

- He looks mad. - Spoke to him yesterday.

You told them to come here? Answer me!

Yeah, why not?

- I'll break his fuckin' head. - Take it easy.

Don't ever bring them up here again.

- Fuck! - They look like two fags.

Call you tomorrow, Joey.

- Jake, don't hurt yourself. - Fuck you.

How's your wife? Anybody bothers you, let me know.

Yeah. Wave. They're your friends.

What's wrong with you?

They came because Tommy wants to help us.

What's the matter with you?

Will they help by taking my money?

Is that what this is about? I'm breakin' my ass, not them.

Never bring them here again, you jerk.

I'm a jerk? You're a fuckin' asshole. Don't hit me!

Here, you fucker, take this. Maybe you can't.

Give me a Coke.

You goin' to the dance?

- Who's that girl? - The blonde? Vickie.

- Where's she from? - She's a neighbourhood girl.

- What's her last name? - Vickie. That's all I know.

Call her Vickie.

- She knows them? - They know her.

She comes here every day. Everybody knows each other.

- She go with them? - She's 15 years old.

Where's she gonna go, the Copacabana?

Heard he went with a beautiful blonde.

That's not her?

I doubt it. Why?

She ain't the kind you fuck and forget about.

Why are you always cursing? Don't do it around me.

Don't do it.

She's not the kind you bang and forget about.

You got to spend time with her.

You bang her?

No.

- Tell me the truth. - I just did.

If I did it, you would know.

- I took her out. - You didn't try to fuck her?

- I tried. - She didn't go with you?

- She didn't go for it. - Naturally. She knew better.

- What does she know better? - That you're an animal.