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Al Pacino and Robert De Niro are often closely associated with each other, as they both grew in prominence in the 1970s when the “New Hollywood” movement had taken over the industry. Both De Niro and Pacino stood out compared to the other leading men of their generation because they were willing to take chances playing anti-heroes that wouldn’t generally be the lead of a studio movie; Pacino created an iconic mobster in The Godfather, and De Niro invented the modern cinematic antihero in Taxi Driver. Based on the number of collaborations that they had together at a later stage in their career, it is evident that these two great actors had a tremendous amount of respect for each other’s work. While cinephiles might debate which is the absolute best, Pacino stated that Raging Bull is the De Niro movie that “dominates” for him.
Why Did Al Pacino Love ‘Raging Bull?’
While De Niro and Pacino had technically appeared in the same film together when they co-starred in The Godfather: Part II, they never actually were in any scenes together because of the split timelines in the film. While they may not have shared any screen time together until Michael Mann brought them together for Heat in 1995, Raging Bull clearly impacted the way that Pacino perceived De Niro’s acting abilities. Both actors had taken on controversial characters before, but Jake LaMotta was an abusive, toxic embodiment of the consequences of jealousy and rage. De Niro’s performance not only won him the Academy Award for Best Actor, but was so powerful that it even had an impact on the real LaMotta.
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Pacino may have been impressed by the lengths that De Niro went to in order to immerse himself in the role, as it was shocking to see how physically transformative the performance was. In addition to learning how to actually box, De Niro gained a significant amount of weight, which took a serious toll on his physical and mental well-being. Raging Bull wasn’t just another gig for De Niro, as it was a critical installment in his ongoing collaboration with Martin Scorsese, who had given him his breakout role in Mean Streets. De Niro was actively involved in the creative process of Raging Bull as well, as he even got into a bitter feud with screenwriter Paul Schrader about a controversial scene that was eventually cut from the film.
Al Pacino and Robert De Niro Have a Legendary Partnership
The respect that De Niro and Pacino have for each other is what has made them such great screen partners, as they have developed skills that are complementary. The physical transformations that De Niro has been able to make are simply unparalleled, but Pacino also has a background in theater that allows him to bring even more depth into the characters he played. There was such significant hype surrounding the notion of the two stars being on screen together that their first encounter in Heat was instantly cited as one of the greatest scenes of all-time. It’s rare to see two actors holding their own in such an intense moment, as Mann was able to create a sustained instance of suspense purely by focusing on the dynamic nature of the performances.
De Niro and Pacinos’ relationship came full circle in The Irishman, an epic crime saga that Scorsese had been attempting to make for decades. It was a big deal that Pacino was finally able to work with Scorsese again, and it also offered him a bit of redemption, as his last collaboration with De Niro in the 2008 crime drama Righteous Kill had been met with scathing reviews. The Irishman is a deeply reflective film that examines the legacy of gangsters, and it allowed De Niro and Pacino to play younger versions of themselves thanks to the advances made in computer-generated imagery and digital de-aging. The Irishman serves as an amazing tribute to the careers of two of the greatest actors who have ever lived, but it would not have been possible had De Niro’s performance in Raging Bull not left such a lasting impression on Pacino.
Directed by Martin Scorsese, Raging Bull is a 1980 sports drama based on the rise and fall of real-life boxer Jake LaMotta as he strives for success while dealing with his inner demons and his violent temper. Robert De Niro stars as the middleweight champion, with Joe Pesci, Cathy Moriarty, and Nicholas Colasanto in supporting roles.
- Release Date
- November 14, 1980
- Director
- Martin Scorsese
- Runtime
- 129 minutes
- Main Genre
- Biography
- Writers
- Jake LaMotta , Joseph Carter , Peter Savage , Paul Schrader , Mardik Martin
- Studio
- United Artists
Raging Bull is currently streaming on Prime Video in the U.S.
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