Raging Bull: Before the Fight (2004) Online

Raging Bull: Before the Fight (2005)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Part one of a four part documentary series taking a look at the making of RAGING BULL. Director Martin Scorsese, actors Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, Frank Vincent and Cathy Moriarty are joined by screenwriter Paul Schrader and producers Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler as they all look back at the pre-production of the film. We start off hearing about how DeNiro wanted to get the project off the ground but at first Scorsese wasn't sure he wanted to make it. We hear about the original screenplay was rejected and then Schrader entered the picture but apparently him and DeNiro couldn't agree on much including a masturbating sequence that was left out and replaced by the "I'm not an animal..." sequence. From here we learn about the casting and how it was DeNiro who first saw Pesci and how it was pretty much Pesci who introduced both Moriarty and Vincent to the production. Besides the annoying fact that this had to be broken into four parts, this is a great look at the pre-production side of things as there are all sorts of great stories being told including how ROCKY II pretty much helped get this film made. The most interesting stories come from Scorsese who had turned this project down for years and then we get to hear what finally made him see the light. DeNiro talks about why he objected to some calling LaMotta an ugly character and it's always fun hearing about Schrader throwing the screenplay at him in a fight.