Raging Bull (1980) - Quotes

Struggles with Loyalty and Reputation

Tommy: Listen to me. Now, Jake, the guy's become an embarrassment. He's embarrassin me with certain people. And I'm lookin very bad. I can't deliver a kid from my own god-damned neighborhood. What is it with him? Why does he have to make it so hard on himself, for Christ's sake? He comes to me, I'll make it easier for him. The man's got a head of rock.

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Love and Confinement in a Troubled Marriage

Vickie: I feel like I'm a prisoner. I can't walk, I look at somebody the wrong way I get smacked. I'm tired of havin to turn around and havin both of youse up my ass all the time. I'm twenty years old, I gotta go home and sleep by myself every night?

Joey: What the fuck did you marry him for?

Vickie: Cause I love him.

Joey: You do?

Vickie: Yeah, I love him. Well, what am I supposed to do? This guy, he don't even wanna fuck me.

Joey: He's just been a contender too long. He'll be all right as soon as he gets his shot and then everything will be OK.

Vickie: Jake's never gonna be champ. Too many people hate him.

Joey: You're makin an asshole out of my brother.

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Perceptions of Beauty and Personal Impact

Jake: She said he's pretty.

Joey: Yeah, well, you make him ugly.

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Conflict Between Love and Violence

Jake: I'm gonna open his hole like this. Please excuse my French. I'm gonna make him suffer. I'm gonna make his mother wish she never had him. Make him into dog meat. He's a nice, a nice kid. He's a pretty kid, too. I mean I don't know, I gotta problem if I should fuck him or fight him.

Tommy: Fuck him or fight him.

Salvy: If you're really in love with that fucker, just watch out.

Jake: By who?

Salvy: Janiro.

Jake: You mean, you want me to get him to fuck you?

Salvy: Me?

Jake: Yeah.

Salvy: No, I don't want him to fuck me.

Jake: I could do that easily.

Salvy: How ya gonna do that?

Jake: Because I'll get yuz both in a ring, I'll give youse both a fuckin beatin', ya both can fuck each other.

Salvy: Ah, I'll get all full of blood.

Jake: You're used to that.

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Questioning Interest in Relationships

Jake: [about Salvy] Are you interested in him?

Vickie: No, why would I be interested in him?

Jake: You're sure you're not interested in him?

Vickie: Yeah.

Jake: In other words, you're not interested in him, but you could be interested in somebody?

Vickie: Jake, don't start, huh?

Jake: Hey, shut up, or I'm gonna smack your face.

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Strategizing for a Title Shot

Joey: Do you want a title shot?

Jake: What am I? What am I, a circus over here? What are ya doin'?

Joey: You're killin yourself for three years now, right? There's nobody left for you to fight. Everybody's afraid to fight you. OK. Along comes this kid Janiro. He don't know any better. He's a young kid, up and coming, he'll fight anybody. Good! You fight him. Let's say you lose because of your weight. Are they gonna think you're not as tough as you are, you're not the same fighter? Good! They'll match you with all those guys that were afraid of matchin with you before. What happens? You'll kill em. And they gotta give you a title shot. Now let's say you win, you beat Janiro. Which is, definitely, you should beat him. Right? Right? They still gotta give you a shot at the title. You know why?

Jake: Why?

Joey: Because the same thing as before: there's nobody left. There ain't nobody around. They gotta give you the shot. You understand? If you win, you win. If you lose, you still win. There's no way you can lose. And you do it on your own, just the way you wanted to do, without any help from anybody. Do ya understand? Just get down to 155 pounds, you fat bastard. You stop eatin'!

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Frustration and Reflection in Competition

Joey: They only gave him that fuckin decision because he's goin in the Army next week. That's the only reason.

Jake: I knocked him down. I don't know what else I gotta do. I don't know what I gotta do.

Joey: You won and they robbed ya. They're miserable because their mothers take it up the fuckin ass, that's why.

Jake: I've done a lot of bad things, Joey. Maybe it's comin back to me. Who knows? I'm a jinx maybe.

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Tension Before the Fight

Vickie: You sure we should be doin this?

Jake: Come here.

Vickie: You said never to touch ya before a fight.

Jake: Come here, before I give ya a beatin'.

Vickie: You said I couldn't. You've been good for two weeks.

Jake: Come here.

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Complicated Perspectives on Relationships and Intimacy

Joey: She ain't the kind of girl you just fuck and forget about, this girl.

Jake: Joey, how many times I gotta tell ya? Why're you always cursin when I'm talkin to you? Don't do it around me. Do it around your friends...

Joey: She's a...the kind of girl you bang and forget about; she's not like that. You gotta spend time with her, get involved, you know.

Jake: Did you bang her?

Joey: No.

Jake: Tell me the truth.

Joey: [''Joey pauses.''] I just told you the truth. I tell you the truth the first time. You don't have to ask me again. I never do that. I always tell you the truth. If I did it, you would know. I took her out a couple of times.

Jake: You went with her and you didn't try to fuck her?

Joey: I try to fuck anything.

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Conflict Over Loyalty and Money

Joey: They only came up here because Tommy told em to come up and try to help us.

Jake: Whatsa matter with you? Help who? Whatsa matter with you? Help me by takin my money? Is that what you're talkin about, takin my money? I'm here breakin my ass, not them. Don't ever bring em up here again, ya hear me?

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A Challenge in a Boxing Match

Jake: Come on, hit me. Harder. Harder. Come on, don't be a little faggot. Come on. Hit me. You throw a punch like you take it up the ass. Come on. Harder.

Joey: What the fuck do you want? That's hard. What are you trying to prove?

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Reflection on Insecurities and Comparisons

Jake: What's wrong with me? My hands.

Joey: Your hands? What about em?

Jake: I got these small hands. I got a little girl's hands.

Joey: I got em too. What's the difference?

Jake: You know what that means? No matter how big I get, no matter who I fight, no matter what I do, I ain't never gonna fight Joe Louis.

Joey: Yeah, that's right. He's a heavy-weight. You're a middle-weight. What of it?

Jake: I ain't ever gonna get a chance to fight the best there is. And you know somethin'. I'm better than him. I ain't never gonna get a chance. You're askin what's wrong.

Joey: But you're crazy to even think about somethin like that.

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The Importance of Cooking Timing

Jake: Is it done?

Irma: No, it's not done.

Jake: Don't overcook it. You overcook it, it's no good. It defeats its own purpose.

Jake: What are you doin'? I just said don't overcook it. You're overcookin it, bring it over.

Irma: You want your steak?

Jake: Bring it over. Bring it over! It's like a piece of charcoal! Bring it over here!

Irma: You want your steak?

Jake: Yeah, right now!

Irma: Okay. There's your stupid steak. Can't wait for it to be done?

Jake: No, I can't wait.

Irma: Good! Okay? Happy? Happy?

Jake: That's all I want. That's all I want!

Irma: That's...there! No, more! There!

Jake: Botherin me about a steak, huh?

Irma: That's great!

Jake: You're botherin me about the steak?

Irma: Yeah!

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Discussing the fighter's future and support

Salvy: That shit would've never happened if Tommy was over there takin care of him. You know he's gotta be with Tommy to fight in New York to get a title shot. I mean, he's gonna wind up fuckin punch-drunk, your brother.

Joey: I know.

Salvy: You know. You gotta make him understand that it's the best thing for everybody involved.

Joey: I said, I know.

Salvy: You know, but you gotta make him know. You gotta tell him and make him understand.

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Confrontation of Betrayal and Jealousy

Irma: I'm not gonna be here when you get back, you fuckin bunch of guineas, you're always hangin out together. Why don't you fuckin stop? You're not goin on business. You're gonna suck each other off, right? Suck em, suck em baby. You fuckin queer. Faggot.

Tommy Como: [After Janiro fight] He ain't pretty no more.

Vickie: [to Jake; Jake viciously slaps her again] I fucked all of them! What do you want me to say?...I fucked all of them - Tommy, Salvy, your brother! All of them! I sucked your brother's cock, what do you want me to say?...I sucked his cock and everybody else on the fucking street, too. What do you want? You're nothin but a fat pig, selfish fool! His fucking cock is bigger than yours, too!

Title Shot Comes with a Twist

Joey LaMotta: He gave you the old good news/bad news routine. The good news is - you're gonna get the shot at the title. And the bad news is - they want ya to do the old flip-flop for em.

Confrontation and Frustration in Raging Bull

Joey LaMotta: [on the phone, not realizing it's his brother Jake who's called him] Salvy, this ain't funny anymore. Is it you? I know somebody's there. I can hear you breathin'. You listenin'? Your mother sucks fuckin big fuckin elephant dicks. You got that?

Confrontation of Desire and Commitment

Joey LaMotta: What are ya thinkin about? Ya keep lookin'. Where the fuck you going? You're dead! You're married! You're a married man, it's all over. Leave the young girls for me.

Assertion of Dominance and Confidence

Jake LaMotta: [''Last lines, to himself''] Go get em, champ. I'm da boss, I'm da boss, I'm da boss, I'm da boss, I'm da boss... I'm da boss, I'm da boss, I'm da boss, I'm da boss, I'm da boss, I'm da boss.

Discovery of Betrayal at Home

Jake LaMotta: Guy comes home, finds his wife in bed with another guy. The wife says, Look who's here. Big mouth. Now the whole neighborhood'll know.

Struggle for Understanding and Dignity

Jake LaMotta: Why? Why? Why?...Why'd you do it? Why? You're so stupid...I'm not an animal. Why do you treat me like this? I'm not so bad.

The Perks of Marriage and Friendship

Jake LaMotta: That reminds me of two friends of mines. One was married, one was single. The married guy tells the single guy: Oh, what's the matter with you? What's the matter with you? Look at me. And look at you. And look at me. And look at you. Let me get on with it. When I come home at night, my wife's at the door with a tall drink in her hand. And she gives me a nice hot bath. Then she gives me a nice rub-down. Then she makes passionate love to me. Then she makes me a nice dinner. What more could you ask for? You oughta try that. The other friend says: Hey, that sounds great. When does your wife get home?

A Thrilling Evening with Jake LaMotta

Jake LaMotta: That's the kind of girl that you want to bring home to your father - especially if he's a degenerate. Ah, seriously folks, it's a thrill to be standing here before you wonderful people tonight. Well, in fact, it's a thrill to be standing.

A Fighter's Reflection on Life Beyond Boxing

Jake LaMotta: It's over for me. Boxing's over for me. I'm through. I'm tired of worryin about weight all the time. That's all I used to think about was weight, weight, weight. After a while, you know, you realize other things in life. I mean, I'm very grateful. Boxing's been good to me: I've got a nice house, I've got three great kids, I've got a wonderful, beautiful wife - what more could I ask for?

Unyielding Spirit in Adversity

Jake LaMotta: [''After being beaten half to death by Sugar Ray Robinson, Jake is still standing.''] Hey, Ray, I never went down, man! You never got me down, Ray! You hear me, you never got me down.

Refusal to Submit to Pressure

Jake LaMotta: I take the dive. What more do they want?...They want me to go down too? Well, I ain't goin down, no, not for nobody.

Determination to Never Surrender

Jake LaMotta: I'm gonna win. There's no way I'm goin down. I don't go down for nobody.

Jake LaMotta's Defiant Retort

Jake LaMotta: Who's an animal? Your mother's an animal, ya son of a bitch.

Questioning Intimacy and Connection in Relationships

Jake LaMotta: [to Vickie] You ever think of anyone else when we're in bed?...You know, like when we made love?

A Reflection on Beauty and Affirmation

Jake LaMotta: [to Vickie] You know how beautiful you are? Anybody ever tell you how beautiful? Yeah, tell you all the time.

The Illusion of Toughness and Power

Jake LaMotta: Friends. They're in a huddle. Big business meeting. By the pool, they sit around and talk. Big deals. They make sure she can hear. Big Man. Get the fuck outta here. Big shot. Get em all in a back room, smack em around, no more big shot, without his gun. They're tough guys. They're all tough guys....Big Shot.

Theater and Boxing: A Fighter's Reflection

Jake LaMotta: I remember those cheersThey still ring in my earsAnd for years they'll remain in my thoughts.Cuz one night I took off my robeAnd what'd I do?I forgot to wear shorts.I recall every fall, every hook, every jab;The worst way a guy could get rid of his flab.As you know, my life wasn't drab...Though I'd rather hear you cheer,When I delve into Shakespeare."A Horse, a Horse, my Kingdom for a Horse,"I haven't had a winner in six months.I know I'm no OlivierBut if he fought Sugar Ray,He would sayThat the thing ain't the ring,It's the play.So gimme a stageWhere this bull here can rage.And though I can fight,I'd much rather reciteThat's entertainment!That's entertainment..