Raging Bull
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.
Working with a mid-range budget of $18.0M, the film achieved a respectable showing with $23.4M in global revenue (+30% profit margin).
2 Oscars. 24 wins & 28 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Raging Bull (1980) exhibits carefully calibrated narrative architecture, characteristic of Martin Scorsese's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 13-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 9 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 3.7, the film takes an unconventional approach to traditional narrative frameworks.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes 1964: An older, overweight Jake LaMotta practices a comedy routine alone in a dressing room, reciting Shakespeare and film quotes. This "after" image opens the film, establishing the endpoint before we see how he got here.. Of particular interest, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The First Threshold at 29 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 23% of the runtime. This shows the protagonist's commitment to Jake agrees to throw a fight against Billy Fox to gain mob favor and get his title shot. He deliberately loses, taking a beating while barely fighting back. This moral compromise marks his full entry into a world of corruption., moving from reaction to action.
At 58 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 45% of the runtime—arriving early, accelerating into Act IIb complications. Notably, this crucial beat Jake's paranoia peaks: After Vickie innocently comments that opponent Tony Janiro is good-looking, Jake brutally disfigures Janiro in the ring. This false victory (winning the fight) masks the true defeat - his jealousy is now destroying him and everyone around him., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 87 minutes (67% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Vickie leaves Jake, taking the children. Alone in his Miami nightclub, he destroys his hand punching a wall, weeping "I'm not an animal." Everything he fought for - championship, family, brother - is gone. His self-destruction is complete., illustrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 94 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 73% of the runtime. 1964: Jake attempts reconciliation with Joey in front of Joey's house. Though Joey is distant and uncomfortable, Jake persists gently. It's a small gesture of humility and recognition of what he destroyed - not redemption, but awareness., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Raging Bull's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 13 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. By mapping Raging Bull against these established plot points, we can identify how Martin Scorsese utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Raging Bull within the biography genre.
Martin Scorsese's Structural Approach
Among the 16 Martin Scorsese films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.0, showcasing experimental approaches to narrative form. Raging Bull takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Martin Scorsese filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional biography films include Lords of Dogtown, Ip Man 2 and A Complete Unknown. For more Martin Scorsese analyses, see The Aviator, After Hours and Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
1964: An older, overweight Jake LaMotta practices a comedy routine alone in a dressing room, reciting Shakespeare and film quotes. This "after" image opens the film, establishing the endpoint before we see how he got here.
Theme
Jake's brother Joey tells him about a fighter: "He ain't pretty no more" - foreshadowing Jake's own physical and moral deterioration. The theme of self-destruction through violence and paranoia is introduced.
Worldbuilding
1941 Bronx: Jake LaMotta is an up-and-coming middleweight boxer with a brutal fighting style. We see his volatility in the ring and at home, his relationship with brother/manager Joey, and his first marriage falling apart. He's skilled but overlooked for a title shot.
Resistance
Jake pursues Vickie while navigating the corrupt boxing world. Joey arranges for Jake to meet mob boss Tommy Como to secure better fights. Jake resists throwing fights but knows he must play the game. He courts Vickie, divorces his first wife, and marries her.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Jake agrees to throw a fight against Billy Fox to gain mob favor and get his title shot. He deliberately loses, taking a beating while barely fighting back. This moral compromise marks his full entry into a world of corruption.
Premise
Jake's championship years: He defeats Marcel Cerdan to become middleweight champion in 1949. We see the brutality of his fighting style and his reign as champion, interspersed with domestic life where his jealousy and paranoia about Vickie intensify.
Midpoint
Jake's paranoia peaks: After Vickie innocently comments that opponent Tony Janiro is good-looking, Jake brutally disfigures Janiro in the ring. This false victory (winning the fight) masks the true defeat - his jealousy is now destroying him and everyone around him.
Opposition
Jake's descent: His paranoia about Vickie escalates to violence. He accuses her of affairs, beats his brother Joey after suspecting him with Vickie, loses his title to Sugar Ray Robinson in a brutal fight, and retires from boxing. His relationships collapse under the weight of his jealousy.
Collapse
Vickie leaves Jake, taking the children. Alone in his Miami nightclub, he destroys his hand punching a wall, weeping "I'm not an animal." Everything he fought for - championship, family, brother - is gone. His self-destruction is complete.
Crisis
1957-1958: Jake's nightclub fails. Arrested for serving alcohol to minors and pimping, he tries to bribe his way out by prying jewels from his championship belt. In jail, he breaks down completely, beating the cell wall and crying. He's hit bottom.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
1964: Jake attempts reconciliation with Joey in front of Joey's house. Though Joey is distant and uncomfortable, Jake persists gently. It's a small gesture of humility and recognition of what he destroyed - not redemption, but awareness.
Synthesis
Jake has reinvented himself as a nightclub entertainer and host, doing comedy routines and dramatic recitations. The finale shows him preparing for a show, practicing his lines, a shadow of his former physical self but still performing, still needing an audience.
Transformation
Jake prepares backstage, shadowboxing and reciting "I coulda been a contender" from On the Waterfront. The transformation is ambiguous - he survived his self-destruction but achieved only diminished self-awareness. He's no longer the raging bull, but he's not redeemed either.