However, despite LaMotta's misgivings about his own portrayal, De Niro reported that the legendary boxer told him he was 'happy that the movie turned out well.Sugar Ray Robinson voted 24th-best athlete of century In an interview with Liam Galvin , LaMotta revealed that when he saw scenes of his own violent behavior, he turned to his wife and asked, 'Is that the way I was in real life?' She responded, 'You were worse.' When De Niro spoke about LaMotta on 'The Merv Griffin Show,' he admitted that he was sure the film was difficult for LaMotta to watch. However, according to NPR, it wasn't until he actually saw the actual film, when he got to see his personal life play out in front of him, that he fully realized the message of the picture. 'I kind of look bad in it,' LaMotta said. According to Vanity Fair, LaMotta was partially involved in the making of the film when he helped Robert De Niro train to get into boxing shape. Indeed, in 2007, the American Film Institute called 'Raging Bull' the fourth greatest American movie of all time, only falling behind 'Citizen Kane,' 'The Godfather,' and 'Casablanca.' With Scorsese's direction of brutal, yet gorgeous fight scenes, the film scored eight Academy Award nominations, with Robert De Niro taking home the best actor Oscar for portraying LaMotta.īefore LaMotta's death in 2017, he explained his opinion on the film to a variety of different outlets. NPR also reports that, as fascinating as LaMotta's book was for sports fans, it wasn't until 1980 when director Martin Scorsese released a film adaptation of it, that his story genuinely grabbed the general public's attention. In 1970, LaMotta published his own personal memoir, 'Raging Bull: My Story.' In the book, LaMotta details his unique tale about his rise to the top of the boxing world and how his own personal and emotional issues eventually led to the collapse of his career.

NPR explains that for those sports fans who weren't around to see LaMotta's career play out in real time, the story of his professional and personal life was told in detail by the man himself.

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