Raging Bull/Trivia


 * Cast the Expert: Inverted. The home movie footage was directed by a random crew member because attempts made to shoot it by Scorsese or cinematographer Michael Chapman ended up looking too professional.
 * Creator Breakdown: This was apparently a vaguely personal project of Martin Scorsese.
 * Dawson Casting: Cathy Moriarty playing a fifteen year old version of her character at the beginning (she was 20).
 * Somewhat justified, as she portrays the character from her teens until her late 20's.
 * There's also the fact that Robert De Niro was 36 or 37 at the time of filming, and in the early scenes played a 19-year-old Jake LaMotta.
 * Dyeing for Your Art: Robert De Niro put on 60 pounds to play the retired Jake LaMotta, arguably starting the trend.
 * Enforced Method Acting: Joe Pesci never knew the script called for him to be attacked, so the scene where De Niro beats him up at dinner came completely out of nowhere.
 * Playing Against Type: Joey LaMotta is played by Joe Pesci. Yes, that Joe Pesci. Of course, it was before he was typecast. Pesci still manages to start a fight by breaking a glass over someone's head, and ending it by slamming their head and shoulders repeatedly in a car door. He does apologize after, but only at the insistence of an old mobster.
 * It still counts though as compared to DeNiro, he's really the collected one. It's Jake that has the Hair-Trigger Temper.