The movie Martin Scorsese was convinced would be his American swansong: “I was going to go to Europe”
Given the notoriety around Martin Scorsese‘s work and his cinematic evolution, it’s hard to imagine an alternative path for the director where he wasn’t perceived as one of the greats. From Taxi Driver to Casino and Goodfellas, Scorsese has had hit after hit and always has a steady level of self-assurance and confidence in his work that has reverberated through the work of many other filmmakers, who cite him as one of the strongest creative forces in Hollywood. However, he has famously not always been so sure of this, and after the release of one of his most popular films, he was convinced he would have to begin a new career away from the United States.
Critics and audiences in European countries like France and Germany are typically more receptive to arthouse cinema and challenging stories, with many filmmakers praising their thriving creative industries and respect shown for art and culture. Because of this, it isn’t surprising that many directors and writers have been tempted by the romantic appeal of moving to Paris to write or direct movies. And in Scorsese’s case, after the release of Raging Bull, he firmly believed that his career in America would be over and this idea would be his only choice.
Raging Bull, released in 1980 after the success of Taxi Driver in 1976, follows the life of boxer Jake LaMotta in a tale of violence, power and glory. Robert De Niro famously stars as the boxer in this complex and dangerous story about his fight to success, willing to do anything for his glory in the ring. He’s cruel and crazed in his quest for control, bringing himself to new levels of violence in an attempt to assert authority over every aspect of his life.
The film’s technical achievements, with tense slow-motion shots and lingering images of blood and flesh, contrasted with delicate music, have been endlessly discussed. Scorsese has since spoken about the intentional and painstaking care that went into each frame, putting everything into this story.
However, his motivation behind doing so was because he believed in some way that it might be his last project in America, deciding to put his all into it and giving all his energy to what he thought would be his last project in his home country.
When asked about this, Scorsese said, “I firmly believed it was going to be my last American film. I was going to go to Europe and do smaller European films. So I put everything in it. I didn’t care about anything. Kamikaze. I was going to make it the best film that I could.”
The energy he channelled into the project can be felt in every shot, and perhaps this sense of urgency and finality that he felt over the film and the impact it might have on his career is what created its crackling energy and life-or-death feeling. Perhaps Scorsese was surprised by the global acclaim awarded to the film, and he was not forced to move away, going on to create countless other classics in the United States.
