Editing
in Raging Bull
Dir.
Martin Scorsese, 1980
Editor:
Thelma Schoonmaker
1. Opening
shot for credits--Jake dancing in slow motion in the ring-- MISE EN SCENE--ART
OF THE SHOT--SYMBOLISM of Jake inside the ring--his only reality, where he
most clearly expresses who he is--yet the limitations of the ring--the boundaries,
the confining properties; also the use of SOUND (ironic music is sad, poetic,
romantic, peaceful--nothing at all like the man he is--and yet in the ring,
the music fits, because he is “poetry in motion.”
2. We
see the old Jake in his dressing room--one long take, and then the cut to a
close shot (shows his huge broken nose), “That’s entertainment”--and then CUT
to FREEZE FRAME of the young Jake La Motta in 1941 (after graphic of 1964)--and
again “that’s entertainment”--and then back to the boxing match (COMPARE TO THE
FREEZE FRAME AT THE END OF 400 BLOWS)
3. First
of 8 boxing matches--first match in a ring of traditional size--KEY is they got
inside the ring--close to the boxers--great part of this first match is after
fight breaks out outside the ring, and
a.
then the magical CUT and CHANGE IN SOUND (silence--then
pov
shot of other boxer, and camera slowly dances to his right to
show
his profile),
b.
cut to MS of Jake being readied
c.
Close shot of two gloves touching at the beginning of round
Other great examples of shot selection within
editing--Close shots of Jake smashing toward the camera, as if toward the
boxer--sense of his obsessiveness, lack of control. He loses this fight--probably because Mafia fixed it--
4. Joey and one of the Mafia guys--who tells
Joey that Jake needs to get along with Tommy (the Don) or else he won’t get a
title fight.
5. Jake eating meal in living room--NOTE slow
motion pov shots toward his wife--his obsessiveness-as if he must control
her. Sexist. This scene goes on and we see VIOLENCE--pushes over table, pulls
his wife’s hair, screams at her--”I’m’ going to kill you”
Scene where he orders Joey to hit him in the
face--finally Joey does so and pounds him hard. “What are you trying to prove?” No answer.
6.
Mafia visit the gym where Joey is working out with Jake. SLOW
MOTION again is from Jake’s pov--his obsessive hatred of the Mafia. Then Jake pounds poor Joey almost
pulverizing him.
7. Pool scene. Jake’s pov of Vicki--close shot of her. Again, shot selection and SLOW MOTION--Jake has almost a
voiceover, as if he is talking to himself.
Great shot of VICKI when she sits down at edge of pool, then to Jake,
then to her, high angle looking down at her young face. Back to Joey, then Jake, then CLOSE SHOT of
her legs in SLOW MOTION.
8. Joey and Jake go to a dance one night (to
see VICKI) and first we have to run through the gauntlet of obsessive slow
motion as he spies on Vicki--and here comes the Mafia guy--back to Jake the
watcher Each time we see his pov we
have slow motion--he follows them down the stairs--NOTICE DRUMS BEGIN IN
B.G.--he follows outside, first only drums, then whistling, then superslow
motion of the car with Mafia guy and Vicki and the guy flicks a cigarette over
the edge--this is spectacular stuff here--HE IS HOOKED and is DANGEROUS
9. Joey introduces Vicki to Jake--we see her
in low angle (she is on a pedestal), and the outfit Jake is wearing is
absolutely 40s chic--NOTE the wire between them--what divides them? Like on is is prison and the other is
not? or both are in prisons? She is a “kept” woman--prefigures time when
he will be in prison.
Cut
to them riding in the car-he controls, and she lets him. Great miniature golf shot of the
“chapel”--they are dressed in WHITE and that’s symbolic. white clothes against white sky.
SIDE TWO
Then back to his apt. He brings her in (most of this
improvisation) and the editing in the table shot--
a.
wide shot of them across from each other
b.
shot of her
c.
shot of him--he invites her
d.
shot of her
e.
wide shot and she sits in middle chair
he
grabs her and she sits on his lap in wide shot
(NOTICE
SOUND--Sicilian music from someone’s radio)
Takes her for tour of apt.--”the dining room”
9. 2nd
fight scene--1943 Sugar Ray Robinson
360 degree swish pan combined with sound of
screaming, racing engine, animal growl, also sound of drums three times--sudden
jump cut to the microphone being lowered into the ring to announce Jake’s victory.
10. Jake and Vicki alone in his apt. We see only his feet as he is lying on the
bed. She comes over to him, and she
kisses him, then kisses him near his groin.
He goes to the bathroom and douses his crotch with ice cubes. Scene ends with her lying on bed and showing
only her feet--just as the scene began with him that way--and the eroticism of
her kissing him near the groin is incredible.
11. Third fight--his third fight with Sugar
Ray--note the FIRES OF HELL EVERYWHERE--heat flames showing distorting
images--entire ring seems smaller, auditorium is smaller--animal sounds--when
Jake sits down the rope hides his face--they are fighting in hell, below the
ground--their identities are lost in the smoke and flames.
16,800 is a crucial segment of editing--SLOW
MOTION of Sugar Ray after knockdown, then great CUT back to Jake waiting above
him (almost as if Sugar Ray getting his orientation back), reaction shot of
Sugar Ray, reaction shot of man below ring--eyes wide open, Jake coming right
for Sugar Ray, sound of elephant braying.
Jake loses the decision, even though he clearly outboxed Sugar Ray. But this is a sympathy vote for Sugar Ray,
the popular champion.
Joey’s
violence in the locker room afterwards--we was robbed. This was supposed to be
his shot at the title. JAKE LOOKS IN
THE MIRROR--cut then to close shot of his hand in the ice bucket.
12. GREAT MONTAGE here using another Mascogni
song--intercuts still shots of various fights after this loss and HOME MOVIES
based on Jake LaMotta’s real home movies.
At 21000 Note the sadness of
this music, the irony of it being used at a time when he is supposed to be
happy, but the happy looks are a bit forced--he seems to clutch at her, squeeze
her too tight--this summarizes 1941 to 1947--
13. Pelham Parkway, 1947, he has become a fat
and out of shape middle-aged guy.
Domestic argument, Joey the manager shows some doubletalk about why he
can’t lose if he fights Janiro--NOW Jake begins to suspect that his wife is
cheating on him--shows his loss of control, his growing vulnerability
14. Copacobana Lounge--Jake is announced--now
Jake has to endure humiliation of Mafia guy who comes over to kiss Vicki and
then she visits the old Mafia dons--SLOW MOTION, obsessive hatred he feels for
the Mafia--Jake has to visit the Don, too--
SIDE THREE
15. After a brief scene at night in bedroom
where Jake keeps asking Vicki what she meant about saying Janiro was
good-looking--he is obsessed with losing her, fearful of her taking road
without him--
Cut to fight scenes where he demolishes the
young man. Shot selection:
1.
Jake from right of screen hitting toward his oppoent, and
as
he moves in closer, we see Janiro’s head being
pounded
as both are in frame together
2.
From behind Jake, shows him propping up J. on the
ropes
as he prepares to demolish him
3.
Reaction shot from below shows Jake steadying himself
for
the onslaught. He begins, one punch
thrown--
4.
Reverse angle to show second punch being delivered
to
J.’s jaw, then a third punch
5.
Reverse angle, to show Jake (on right) thorwing next
punch,
same as 3. Then two more punches
thrown--
this
slightly low angle
6.
Close shot of J.’s head snapping back under punch--
7.
Back to Jake again, throws two more punches--determined
look
on his face.
8.
Reaction shot of Janiro’s face from low angle, shows
Jake’s
punch hitting his forehead--head snaps back
9.
Reverse angle to show Jake throwing two more punches-s-
10.
Close shot shows glove meeting J’s face---J looking right
and
glove coming from right. Head snaps
back, glove
moves
past it
11.
Reverse angle back to basic shot of Jake reacting--
12.
Close shot of Janiro’s face as blood squirts out--his
face
in same position as end of shot 10
13.
Reverse angle to Jack as he throws a roundhouse
14.
Bulbs flash in a wide shot of Janiro beginning to fall
Jake
comes into frame from right as Janiro moves
away
from camera--Jake throws another punch that
knocks
Janiro into the ropes, then he holds the man
up
with his left glove--Janiro on ropes in medium shot
with
Jake’s head low in the frame
15.
Reverse angle as Jake comes up from a low position and
hits
with another roundhouse left--
16.
Reverse angle shows Janiro low in frame, shot from
low
angle, as his head snaps and falls out of frame--
17.
Reaction shot of Jake with both gloves up--he strides
in--
18.
Janiro shown in wide shot, moving to the right of the
frame,
looking out cold, ropes at a 30 degree angle in
this
canted frame, then he fallsl to the right and we see
the
ropes at a 90 degree angle, and his face leaning
against
the canvas as if leaning against a wall.
19.
Low angle, Jake’s legs shown, then he walks away from
camera
and strides to the neutral corner and turns
around,
camera zooms in, and he is shown in low angle
the
lord of the ring
Around shot 9 or 10 the sound effects come in,
sound cut off, then a rushing sound, or an animal growling, what may be an
elephant braying, and when he walks
away in shot 19 we hear several (at least 8-10) beats of a drum in the b.g.
16. Joey in one of the clubs with a
friend. He sees Vicki there and he
tells her to get away--but she complains that she feels like a prisoner. Right now he is losing weight to make the
title fight. She sits at same table
with Mafia guy--she tries to take him away.
Then we have terrible scene where Joey attacks
the Mafia guy and pounds the cab door against him after he is wedged inside,
trying to get Vicki out. Why does this
work? We see it from the pov of the guy
getting smashed--shot of the door being slammed against us (and a few reaction
shots of the poor Mafia guy)
Then EDITING BETWEEN SCENES FOR RHYTHM--quiet
after noisy, calm after active
11,100 on CAV
1. Cut to exterior of Social Club
2. Close shot of wording on the glass window
3. Close shot of framed certificate from
state--we can barely
hear
someone talking
4. Close shot of hot water boiling on stove
5. Close shot of cup and saucer--now we can
hear the Mafia Don’s
voice
louder
6. Closer shot of cup--EVERYWHERE IS INTIMACY
AND CALM,
we
hear the Mafia Don speaking
7. Close shot of table where two guys are
playing cards--we see
the
same cup and saucer on that table.
8. Wide shot of the two men playing careds at
the table
9. FINALLY, we are at table where Mafia Don is
talking--his POV
and
we see brusied victim and Joey listening intently
10. FINALLY we see the man himself, in an
angle on from the side,
that
shows him in profile on the far right--IN CHARGE
11. Then Don and Joey have a heart to heart talk
after victim leaves.
Jake
has become an embarrassment.
Then
a scene where Joey tells Jake the news--he’s going to have to take the dive in
the next fight in order to get a title chance.
NOTE: MISE EN SCENE--we have them standing inside, watching the
rain--shot in parallel cuts, and when we see Jake we see the rain falling in
front of him, as if he is behind bars (remember time he met Vicki?). In fact, this is a symbolic space for Jake,
since right outside is where he did meet Vicki for the first time. His latest obsession--he knows she is
cheating on him and he wants to catch her in the act.
Another SYMBOLIC SPACE, where the commisioner
talks to Jake & Joey in a TUNNEL, narrow constricted space, where he is
trapped below the earth by the need to take the dive--BUT--shot of them aftetr
the interview walking down the tunnel, low angle as they walk toward us, and
the mask of resignation and loss on Jake’s face as he has his arm around Joey,
being supported--(“I don’t go down for nobody.”)
18. The fight where Jake takes the dive. The fighter is terrible, and Jake simply
stands on the ropes and let’s him hit him--harmlessly.
GOOD EXAMPLE OF RHYTMN IN EDITING-- LOUD to
QUIET--
Noisey scene in the ring, which Jake walks out
of after the fight is over, and he has lost via a TKO--
CUT to him crying on the trainer’s
shoulder. Even the tough guy trainer
starts to cry. GREAT BELIEVABLE
SCENE--Jake is suspended because he obviously took the dive.
19. Two years later he gets his
chance--1949. Vs. Marcel Cerdan, a
French fighter. Waiting beforfe the
fight in a hotel. Again Jake takes off
against Vicki over an innocent issue--what she wants to eat. Then here comes the Mafia Don to give his
respsects--but when Vicki comes over, and look out for POV shots from Jake-what
does he see? He sees his brother as a
prime suspect!!! Shots of his brother’s
tie loose, Joey’s hand on the Don’s shoulder, Joey’s eyes shining up at Vicki
as the Don describes her beauty-ends in SLOW MOTION of Vicki--more evidence of
Jake’s inability to decipher reality.
20. So after Don goes, he calls her over to
him, and at long shot range we see him slap her suddenly--Joey watches this
with interest and concern. Jake yells
at him when Joey expresses that concern.
21 The big fight--even as we see him loosening
up in the training room, we hear the music from Mascagni--then TRACKING SHOT
begins--extraordinary!!!
33100--Training room, Joey leads him out to
hall, they turn left and up stairs, then left and we see crowd behind them, and
then they reach arean stairs and turn left, and this tim camera behind Jake and
otehrs--and WE ARE WITH THE GROUP GOING DOWN THE AISLE--cameraman steps into
crane bed and up he goes for a wide shot, high angle of the ring--
New
feature--shot shown just below the belts of the two fighters across from one
another and both punching at each other--we are right below the punches! and
see the heads of the two fighters in the frame
SLOW
MOTION of the water from the sponge dripping down Jake’s chest at the end of
the round--camera angle is CANTED--
CONSIDER CLIPS FOR WHERE DO YOU PLACE THE
CAMERA!!!!
Great
jump cut of the American Indian referee walking from Cerdan’s corner over to
Jake’s corner to tell them Jake has won via TKO
NOTE:
Music has played throughout this montage--here is his pinnacle of achievement,
and SAD MUSIC is playing--how ironic.
21. 1950-
Jake is overweight, and Joey and he are at home trying to watch
television. Vicki comes home and Jake
wants to know where she wwas--suspicious--now he suspects Joey. Jake wants to know why Joey cracked the
Mafia guy a few years ago--Joey lies to him, says it had nothing to do with
Vicki and him. Finally Jake threatens
him, “Didk you fuck my wife?” Joey is
outraged. He walks out. Jake thinks he is guilty.
22. So Jake goes upstairs and terrorizes Vicki
for a few minutes. He knocks down the door to the bathroom, slaps her, shakes
her, threatens to punch her--she says she fucked everybody on the street--is
that what you want me to say!
23. He
walks all the way over to Joey’s in order toattack him. We see him walking in PRIMACY OF SHOT--down
the hallway to the kitchen, and then a sudden attack--SOUND here is
incredible--sound of screeching animals, like screeching chimpanzees can be
heard.
Other
features--
POV
of Jake low angle kicking with his leg into Joey--right out of A Bronx
Tale
Screeching
sounds--
Jake
punches Vicki for the first time--knocks her out with
one
punch
Ends
with great reaction shot of the two kids of Joey’s--
and
sound of record playing as it did when this began
then
goes to shot of television with interference all over it--
CUT
to quiet shot of JAKE IN SHADOW in his chair--great
MISE
EN SCENE, Vicki comes in long shot range in b.g.
He
is in a profile shot, and face is dark
Shot
of Vicki packing in her bedroom--Jake comes in--she
moves
to opposite side of room--she goes back to that
side
“Don’t leave, honey. Don’t leave.” He touches her,
she
ignores it, and moves on, he follows her to right
side,
holds her from rear, she turns around, says
something,
they embrace (at long shot)--PERFECT SHOT
SELECTION
HERE LIKE A SILENT FILM
24.
17,100
CUT to his next fight. It’s the 15th round, and we see Jake taking
punishment from the contender--on the ropes, punch after punch and he won’t go
down. But he was playing possum--and he
comes up punching off the ropes.
Features
here that are new:
The
two boxers are placed on the camera dolly, and we see
reverse
angle shots as they move around each other
and
punch
NO
SOUND just before the punch--we see close shot of
Jake
as if looking the guy right in the eyes and ready
to
guide his punch
Shot
of glove coming right at us--the glove fills the frame--
“Plunchk!”
comes the sound as the boxer, on the far right
of
frame, spits out his mouthpiece as his head snapss
around
Wide
shot of the two, the boxer is leaning towrad the fall,
coming
right at us
Close
shot of Jake looking right into the camera, the eyes
of
the other boxer--his left arm begins to come round--
Cut
to shot of the two in the frame together as the arm
completes
the punch
Back
to wide shot we saw three shots back, punch completed,
the
fighter begins to drop onto the ropes
Low
angle shot, right up into the lights, shows Jake’s head,
blurred,
moviing out of frame, then other boxer’s head
moving
into the frame--to the right and then back and
out
of the frame (lights visible a the top)
Low
angle shot wider--shows falling body, Jake behind the
man’s
right outstrtetched arm as he finishes the
movement--camera
back as the man faslls (still can’t see
his
face) Then he drops onto the ropes, we see both men’s
faces. As man falls off the ropes, referee steps in
to move
Jake
back. Referee begins his count as Jake
moves out
of
frame
Ring
announcer making the call
24. Vicki, still with Jake, urges him to call
Joey and tell him he misses him. but he
can’t speak to him when he gets him on the phone. And as transition, we get the sound 21800 of a roaring animal--and
then CUT to Jake being administered EXTREME UNCTION--cleainsing of the body
with the sponge, then the vaseline to the face--the LAST RITES--waht a great
SET UP to the final fight with Sugar Ray Robinson.
25
22400 The last fight. Joey watching it on television at home. Special features of this fight:
Round
13 begins, and NO SOUND, then sound gradually comes
up
as they begin the fight
Robinson
has Jake on the ropes, but he won’t go down.
“Come
on!”
Jake yells. Editing:
1.
Wide shot of the two in the ring--Jake on the ropes on the
right,
Ray in the center--”Come on!”
2.
HA of Ray looking at Jake, medium shot
3.
Reverse angle of Jake egging him on
4.
Reverse angle of Ray, same as 2--suddenly camera moves
back
to expose the three light panels, like three white
crosses
behind Ray--the dark angel!
5.
Reverse angle, but tighter, on Jake--he waits with eyes
wide,
mouth open, for the bitter medicine--it’s as if he
is
looking into a mirror at the truth of his own soul--NOTE
the
smoke rising from behind him
6.
Reverse angle of Ray--ready to strike--he moves forward and
camera
moves in to capture a close shot of his face as he
looks
into Jake’s eyes and begins the kill.
NO SOUND HERE--THEN WE HEAR GROWLING OF ANIMALS BEFORE THE ONSLAUGHT
THE ASSAULT
7.
Jake in close shot, blurred arm as punch strikes home.
8.
Reverse angle--shot of MOUTH of Ray wide open, glove ready
to
strike--here it comes right toward the camera (upper
right
of frame)--we see full extension of his arm
9.
Jake’s head snaps back as glove moves from l to right
10.
Reverse angle, Ray’s arm still extended--camera moves up
to
show the expression on his face
11.
Jump cut to different angle, low angle looking up at
Ray,
MS, three or four punches thrown
12.
Close shot of rope, Jake’s arm holding on, glove falling off
the
rope as he takes the punches, then his arm coming
back
up to hold onto the rope
13.
Close shot of Ray as he throws a punch, shows concentration
on
his face, glove hits the high part of frame
14.
Direct contact with Jake’s head, as it snaps back
15.
Low angle again of Ray as he punches--a long roundhouse
left
16.
Direct contact with Jake’s head agian---again Jake’s head
snaps
back to the right this time
17.
Vicki in the front row--hands over her face--her head goes
down
18.
Jake’s glove desperately trying to hold onto the ropes.
19.
Close shot of Ray’s face, mouth wide open, eyes glaring--he
throws
another punch--
20.
High angle, looking down on Jake’s arm, holding onto the
rope--he
seems to stagger
21.
Close shot of his trunks, camera down to his knees--we see
his
knees buckle
22.
Close shot of Jake’s face--as he takes another punch.
23.
Extreme low angle of Ray as he throws another punch.
24.
Close shot of Ray’s glove from right smacking Jake on the
left--blood
spurts out from around his eyes.
25.
High angle of Ray as he punches away.
26.
Close shot of Jake’s knees buckling--blood stained leg.
27.
High angle shows both men in frame, Ray on bottom right--
punching
up to Jake.
FINAL VOLLEYS
28.
Close shot of Jake taking punch from the left--his eye
swollen
shut--his head falls back to lower right of frame.
29.
Extreme low angle of Ray again as he punches away.
30.
Reverse angle, shows Jake in lower right again--head moves
back
to the lower center and left.
31.
Reaction shot of Vicki--she moves forward to look away
again.
32.
Close shot of Jake as glove in low center of frame movess
toward
him--we can look over the edge of the glove and
see the spectators at ringside after
Jake’s head moves out
of
the frame.
33.
Close shot as Ray’s glove strikes from the left at Jake’s head
on
the right--blood spurts--
34.
Close shot of glove again from left, but closer, smacking
Jake’s
head on the right--drives him down, and we see
arm
and glove moving into lower center of frame.
35.
Closer shot of Jake’s face, both eyes closed, turned 90
degrees,
eyes left, as Ray’s glove and arm moves from top
to
bottom.
36.
Wider shot, Jake on left-as glove smacks from the right.
37.
Reverse angle, shows close shot of lower part of Ray’s face-
his
mouth open, glove in low center. Glove strikes toward
upper
right and past the camera--we see his outstreched
arm
and face behind it.
38.
High angle of onlookers at ringside looking up. Suddenly
Jake’s
body is flung into frame at lower center.
39.
A different extremem low angle of Ray as he grimaces and
keeps
volleying.
PREPARATION FOR THE LAST PUNCH
40.
High angle of Jake against the ropes, a vacant expresision,
holding
on. He wobbles back and forth for some
time, then
the
rising fog or steam behind him becomes clearer--and
he
begins to focus on Ray. NOTE SOUND OF
SCREAMS
AND
OTHER SOUND EMPHASIS
41.
Reverse angle--Ray surrounded in white fog or steam--his
right
glove at the ready for the killer blow.
He raises that
glove--
42.
Close shot of Jake watching him, preparing for the end.
43.
Ray’s glove raised--camera moves in to a tighter shot of the
glove--
44.
Reaction shot of Vicki--she raises her head and opens her
eyes.
45.
Close shot of the raised glove--down it comes--
46.
ECU of the back of Jake’s head--left side--glove enters frame
from
the left and smacks the head--
47.
Reverse angle--shows glove coming from the right against
Jake’s
cheek--blood spewing from his mouth or nose--
head
snapping back--
48.
Blood sprayed on onlookers in the front row.
49.
Vicki lowers her face again, her hands over her eyes.
50.
High angle shot as Jake’s legs buckle--but he doesn’t go
down--blood
spattered all over the canvas under him.
51.
POV shot--from behind Ray--he strikes at Jake--four blows--
then
referee comes between them.
52.
Close shot of Jake’s face, down, bloodied, beaten to a pulp,
eyes
swollen shut.
53.
Reaction shot of Joey watching television at home.
DEFIANT JAKE
54.
Wide shot of the referee holding up Ray’s arm--declaring him
the
winner. Camera tracks to the right with them as they
walk
across the ring.
55.
Ray, his face a bloody pulp, stands there, clinging to the
ropes. His trainer enters the frame and embraces
him to
hold
him up. But Jake struggles free and
moves past him
and
even the referee toward Ray’s corner.
56.
POV shot from Ray--his back turned to Jake--his face
dark
and puzzled, as Jake comes up behind him with
his
arms out, and Jake moves in toward him and makes
sure
he hears him out. “You never got me
down, Ray!”
57.
Reverse angle--shows Ray turn around--
58.
Reverse angle--focus on Jake and his trainer as Jake yells
toward
Ray that he didn’t go down!
59.
Reverse angle again--Ray turns toward Jake and listens.
60.
Reverse angle and wider shot--Jake contineus to declare that
he
didn’t go down. The trainer hauls him back to the
corner--but
Jake hitches up his trunks, as he always did
when
he returned to his neutral corner after a knockdown.
61. Reaction shot of Joey
watching him on television.
62.
Image of the television screen, Joey’s pov.
SYMBOLIC SHOT
63.
Flashbulb goes off for wide shot of the inside of the ring--
set
of ropes ahead of us--tracking shot toward the side of
the
ring--two ropes in the distance, and the onlookers
beyond
them. Ring announcer steps into the
ring--camera
goes
past him--shows Ray’s handlers--camera goes past
them--moves
in to one of the three ropes in an ECU shot.
Four
drops of blood. ENDS 28100
1956--Miami--Jake sitting at the pool. Vicki with the three children. REMINDS ME OF CITIZEN KANE--Jake announces
that he has bought a club and will run shows there. His club has strippers--cheap entertainment. Announces in the club they will celebrate
11th wedding anniversary. Then we meet
the two 21 year old girls--who are 14-- Outside
the club the next day Vicki shows up in the car and announces her divorce. There she goes.
28. Jake in bed--notice his fat gut--he is
being arrested. Then he has to spring
bail--tries to pawn the jewels from his championship belt. If he had brought the belt and jewels
together--he would have been fine--then we see him on the telephone--again his
fat gut hanging out--he can’t make bail
30 In jail--the famous scene of him smacking
the wall with his head and bare fists.
NOTE this is “meant” to be one long complicated shot--but there is a
“hot” splice in the dark when he sits down on the bed--this works as one long
shot in theory.
1958--New York City
In
this joint he does introduce a stripper.
Outside, taking her home with him, he spots Joey suddenly. Last time the two see each other--
31
tender scene 12300
LAST SCENE--
EDITING--
Editing leads us from outsdie to inside, to
details, and then the presence of Jake (much lilke the earlier scene in the
social club): Great detail
shots--especially of bare light bulb, empty coat hangers, and then METAPHOR of
Jake looking in a mirror--
EXAMPLES OF CHARACTERS FACING
MIRRORS----------
irony is that the monolgoue from On the
Waterfront is about the tensions with his brother, who “should have taken care
of me. I had class. I could have been a contender--I could have
been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am. Let’s face it. It was
you, Charlie!”
Scorsese
makes brief appearance as the man who reminds him it’s almost time.
Then
we see his regimen, put on bowtie, button coat, “Go get ‘em, champ.” Then he does some shadown boxing. “The boss, the boss, the boss, the
boss.” Last thing we hear is his
self-encouraging, offscreen, “uhm uhm uhm uhm uhm!”
Notes written by
Robert Yahnke
Copyright, Robert E. Yahnke, © 2001
Professor, General College, Univ. of Minnesota,
Reprinted by permission of the author for educational use only