Summary

• Martin Scorsese shot Raging Bull in black and white to accurately depict the historical timeline and to preserve the impact of certain scenes.
• The decision to film in black and white also made the movie stand out from other boxing films like Rocky, presenting a darker and less likable protagonist.
• The black and white filming emphasized the contrast between the brutal reality of Jake LaMotta's life and the more uplifting narratives of traditional sports movies.

Given how Martin Scorsese's movies are known to be bold, intense, and provocative. Featuring all the hallmarks of his unique directorial vision, Raging Bull, too, went against the grain and cemented it place as one of the most memorable sports movies to be ever made despite taking a big risk.

According to an interesting trivia surrounding the film, Scorsese was on the verge of giving up on his American dream after his movie New York, New York bombed at the box office. Soon after, he received a final blow to his filmmaking career when a near-overdose from a cocaine addiction sent him to the hospital. However, before heading to Europe to make smaller films, Scorsese agreed to make one final movie with Robert De Niro, who consistently insisted they should work on a boxing movie. Despite realizing that it could be his last filmmaking endeavor in Hollywood, Scorsese did not hold himself back from taking the risk of shooting the film in black and white — here's why.

Martin Scorsese Shot Raging Bull In Black & White To Tone Down The Blood

While filming Raging Bull, Martin Scorsese initially settled for 8mm color footage and took some shots of De Niro in the ring. When director Michael Powell saw the footage, he noticed that Robert De Niro was wearing red gloves, which was not historically accurate since boxers only wore maroon, oxblood, or black gloves during the movie's 1940s timeline. This ultimately became one of the initial reasons Scorsese opted for black-and-white filming. Scorsese also realized that film stock color would anyway fade, which could diminish the impact of several scenes in the film.

As mentioned in the book Scorsese on Scorsese, the director also attended two boxing matches at Madison Square Garden to research for the film. Although he did not particularly enjoy watching the sport, the blood-soaked sponges used on the boxers and the blood on the boxing ring's rope caught his attention. Seeing it as an opportunity to make Raging Bull more artistic, he understood that black and white filming would be perfect as it would make blood, sweat, and other fluids indistinguishable from one another and leave audiences curious and captivated at the same time.

Scorsese Also Wanted Raging Bull To Stand Out From Other Boxing Movies

Apart from making Raging Bull look more realistic and aesthetic, the black-and-white filming also helped the movie stand out from other boxing movies like Rocky, which came out around the same time. Unlike Rocky and most other boxing movies that walk through the awe-inspiring journeys of underdog boxers, Raging Bull presented a boxer protagonist who was not very likable. By portraying the dark reality of Jake LaMotta's life outside the ring, Raging Bull prevented audiences from rooting for him like they would for Sylvester Stallone's Rocky. The black-and-white filming played a crucial role in emphasizing this contrast and highlighting how Raging Bull was the antithesis of most sports movies.