[Music In: "Stone Cold Dead in the Market" by Louis Jordon. The titles appear on black. They are intercut with close-ups of a fighter's body. Examples: Feet move. Credit over black. Body lunges. Credit over black. Fists swing and punch at the air. Credit over black. We catch a glimpse of young JAKE Lamotta.]
CUT TO: INT. BARBIZON PLAZA THEATRE - DRESSING ROOM - NIGHT *1964*
[Jake Lamotta, wearing a tux, is shadow-boxing. We are unsure of where he is -- he moves in and out of the shadows. At 42, he's overweight and out of shape, but the balls of his feet still pop up and down like they were on canvas and his tiny fists still jerk forward with short bursts of light. He is rehearsing a nightclub monologue.]
JAKE: Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. It's a thrill to be standing here talking to you wonderful people. In fact, it's a thrill to be standing! I haven't seen so many people since my last fight at Madison Square Garden. After that fight, a reporter asked me, 'Jake, where do you go from here?' I said, 'To a hospital!' I fought one hundred and six professional fights and still none of them bums figured out how to fight me -- they kept hitting me in the head! And that's why I'm here tonight...
JAKE: *starts to sing* 'When the fighter's not engaged in his employment, his employment, although he was Champ and quite the rage, he must go somewhere else to seek employment, seek employment. But a fighter's life is not a bowl of cherries, still I'd rather have an egg than a fist upon my face... That's Entertainment!'
CUT TO: INT. CLEVELAND ARENA - NIGHT *1941*
[Bam! Jimmy reeves, a fast, black middleweight, jabs Lamotta, 19 years old, in the face. Jake staggers forward. No matter how hard Lamotta is hit, no matter how often, he always staggers forward -- like a bull. The bell sounds.]
[Battered, Jake slumps on the stool in his corner.]
[It's September, 1941. Europe and Asia are already at war. Young soldiers, freshly recruited, dot the hostile audience -- each screaming at the fighters in the ring.]
[Suddenly, words are exchanged, a girl screams, and a soldier and a civilian stand and start swinging.]
[And in the ring: Jake Lamotta takes a swig of water and spits blood into the bucket his younger brother, Joey, holds for him. TONY, his trainer, works the cuts.]
JOEY: You didn't have to come to Cleveland to get beat by a "moulan yan," Jake!
TONY: He's got you, Jake! You're outpointed! You're coming up for the tenth. You gotta knock him out!
[The bell sounds for the tenth. Jake pulls himself up and charges at Reeves.]
[Reeves slides away, jabbing, punching, piling up points.]
[In JAKE's corner, JOEY stands and yells at JAKE:]
JOEY: A grand apiece! We got a grand apiece on this, Jake! A f**ing grand!
[JAKE suddenly corners REEVES and unleashes a desperate, wild alley-fighting attack. One ferocious punch after another.]
[The spectators go wild; everyone's up for the k**.]
[Reeves staggers, then falls to the canvas.]
[The REFEREE counts:]
REFEREE: One, two, three, four...
[The gamblers call out new odds; ten to one for REEVES, the underdog. JOEY, excited, sees that time is running out and steps in front of the bell. He swings his arms, pretending not to realize he literally holds back the timer's arm for afew seconds. This gives JAKE more time for a knockout -- but not enough. JOEY is pushed back and the bell rings at the count of nine, ending the match.]
[Boos and cheers. The bettors scramble back to the bookie to get their money.]
[JAKE dances around the ring, kissing his gloves and thrusting them toward the crowd. JOEY rushes out and hugs him.]
[The announcer steps into the ring with the mike:]
ANNOUNCER: Ladies and Gentlemen, the winner, under the rules of the Cleveland Boxing Commission, after ten rounds, by a decision -- Jimmy Reeves.
[The announcer holds up REEVES' arm as his corner tries to lift him off the canvas -- still out cold. Two attendants bring in a stretcher.]
[JAKE is stunned. He still prances around, now trying to figure out what happened. He raises his arms in victory, and the fans go crazy, cheering, ripping chairs out, fighting with the COPS, throwing bottles and junk into the ring. People go into the ring.]
JOEY: *to Jake* Don't get out of the ring. You won the fight -- let him go out first.
CUT TO: REEVES BEING PLACED ON THE STRETCHER
[A ringside official signals the organist and she starts to play the "Star Spangled Banner." Reeves is carried out.]
[Only then do JOEY and TONY escort JAKE out of the ring.]
CUT TO: EXT. WEBSTER AVENUE AND 169TH ST., THE BRONX - NEXT DAY
[It's a rough neighborhood, inhabited primarily by welfare cases and street kids.]
[In the street, two young punks, 13 or 14 years old, exchange words and start to fight. Their friends cheer them on. SALVY and JOEY turn the corner.]
JOEY: Salvy, would I steer you wrong? Let's say that's the truck; it's full of cigarettes, right? Now, two o'clock this morning we move the truck from here to there,*he points; the camera pans* take the cigarettes out, sell 'em, make some cash.
SALVY: Hey but Joey, you're thinking nickels and dimes. The money's with your brother.
JOEY: What do you want from my life, Salvy? He's my brother.
SALVY: He ain't doin' the right thing. He's makin' beans compared to what he should be makin'. Can't you make him understand that?
[A cop goes over and starts to break up the fight.]
JOEY: *to cop* Hey, leave the kids alone.
SALVY: Get lost. *joking, he knows the cop* Hey kids, "A cop is a rat." Remember that, "A rat."
[The kids yell.]
JOEY: *to cop* Hey Jimmy, here's a dollar for your trouble. There's some bums around the corner -- they need your help.
COP: Keep the dollar, JOEY. Get yourself a new suit.
JOEY: *laughs* Here's my new suit. *grabs his crotch* Right here.
COP: Hey, don't get wise!
JOEY: Just kidding, take it easy. *to himself* No f**in' sense of humor.
[SALVY and JOEY continue to walk a little faster, giggling.]
CUT TO: INT. JAKE AND IRMA'S KITCHEN - DAY
[JAKE, bandaged from the Reeves fight the night before, sit at the kitchen table *he's had a few gla**es of wine* while his wife, IRMA, 19, cooks at the stove.]
[JAKE gets up and pokes at the frying steak with a fork.]
JAKE: This looks done.
IRMA: It's not done.
JAKE: It looks done. I'll take it the way it is.
IRMA: Here's your steak. You can't wait for it to be done. Here.
[She slams the steak onto his plate, and reaches back to the
stove.]
IRMA Here's your carrots. You're in such a hurry. You can't wait.
JAKE: No, I can't wait. You know when I wait? When it's important to wait. It's not important to wait for no steak. It's important to wait for Reeves to leave the ring. It ain't important to wait for no steak! I won that fight. So, I stayed in the ring, and that way I made sure everybody knew it. I shoulda knocked him out earlier, sonofab**h.
[He starts to eat the steak. He takes a drink of wine.]
JAKE: Wait! I'll wait. But let me tell you, if this steak was the middleweight championship, I'd show you how I'd wait. I'd eat it raw. I'd drink the blood. I'd eat it before it came out of the cow -- that's how I'd wait.
CUT TO: EXT. JAKE AND IRMA'S APARTMENT BUILDING/TENEMENT - DAY
[SALVY and JOEY approach the building.]
JOEY: I can't convince him. He's got such a thick head, I'd like to crack it open myself. Believe me, my own brother. It's very hard. You don't have to convince me -- I know we should be with Tommy. You talk to him. He don't listen to nobody.
SALVY: Look, I'm just tellin' you how Tommy feels. Jake is makin' it hard on himself. Tommy wants him with us. It's as simple as that.
[They stop at the doorway.]
SALVY: Talk some sense into him, will ya? You're still his brother. If he ain't gonna listen to you, he ain't gonna listen to nobody!
JOEY: All right, I'll try. See you later.
SALVY: Tomorrow, at the gym. Don't forget.
JOEY: Right, the gym.
[SALVY leaves. JOEY goes into the building.]
CUT TO: INT. JAKE AND IRMA'S KITCHEN - DAY
[JOEY is knocking at the door. IRMA opens it.]
JOEY: *noticing Jake* What's the matter?
IRMA: He's doing it again.
JOEY: *goes to Jake* What's the matter? You're drinking. You're eating like an animal.
[JOEY sits next to JAKE at the kitchen table. JAKE as a drink in his hand, and tears on his face.]
JOEY: What's wrong?
JAKE: *gets up* Nothing...
[JAKE goes into the living room. IRMA looks at JOEY. JOEY follows JAKE.]
CUT TO: INT. LIVING ROOM
[JOEY walks up to JAKE.]
JOEY: Hey, c'mon, what's the matter?
JAKE: *privately, to JOEY* I ain't ever gonna fight Joe Louis, that's what's the matter.
JOEY: What're you talking about? He's a heavyweight. You're a middleweight.
[JAKE holds out his scarred hands.]
JAKE: Look at these hands. These f**in' hands. I was born with a girl's hands. And even if I put on enough weight to be a heavyweight, I'd be too slow to fight. No matter how big I get, I'll never be big enough to fight Louis.
[JAKE pauses. IRMA watches from the doorway.]
JOEY: That's what I'm sayin'. You shouldn't even think like that. It's crazy.
JAKE: I tell you one thing. Ok, I'll never be big enough to fight Louis, but I know JOEY, I know...
JOEY: You know?
JAKE: Yeah. Do me a favor.
JOEY: Sure. What is it?
JAKE: Hit me in the face.
JOEY *after a pause*: You want me to do what?
JAKE: You heard me, I said hit me.
JOEY: C'mon, Jack. You had a few drinks.
JAKE: Go ahead. I ain't drunk. Take your best shot. On the jaw.
JOEY: Jack, I got no gloves.
JAKE: *grabs a nearby towel* Here's your glove.
[JOEY wraps it around his fist. IRMA watches. JOEY hits JAKE with his right. JAKE holds fast.]
JAKE: Go ahead. Hit me. C'mon, don't worry about it. I want you to hit me with everything you got.
[JOEY hauls off and lands him a real belt. JAKE rolls with it and stands firm.]
JAKE: Again. Harder.
[JOEY hits him again.]
JAKE: Harder. Go 'head.
[JOEY hits him again.]
JAKE: Harder. *grabs the towel* Take the towel off.
JOEY: Jack! Enough!
JAKE: Go ahead.
[JOEY hits him again. JAKE holds fast. JAKE starts to walk away.]
JOEY: What was that for? I know you can take punches. I can hit you from now to doomsday. What the f** does that prove?
JAKE: See that, I don't feel it. I can take it. I know I can take anybody.
CUT TO: EXT. GLEASON'S GYM - NEXT DAY
[Gleason's, a small gym and fight club, stands on 149th Street and 3rd Avenue above a small sandwich shop.]
[Each day BOBBY GLEASON posts a small sign alongside the door listing the fighters who will be working out. JAKE's name is posted at the top; the other names are unmemorable.]
CUT TO: INT. GLEASON'S - DAY
[Gleason's has a single sparring ring and ten training bags. About a dozen managers train their fighters out at Gleason's. For 50 cents, spectators sit in the gallery and watch the workouts.]
[JAKE is sparring with JOEY in the ring. They've been working out for a while now. The bell rings ending the third round. JAKE prances about the ring waiting for the bell to sound again.]
[At that moment, SALVY, along with two other young "bu*ton" men *actually, they are very young -- about JOEY's age* enter the gym. They are well-dressed *over-coat, ties, suits, flashy rings, etc.*. They say hello to some people by the door. JAKE looks over and notices them. SALVY looks over to the ring.]
SALVY: *waves* Hey JOEY --
[JOEY waves back.]
SALVY: *waves again* JAKE, how you doin'?
[JAKE nods to SALVY very cold. SALVY notices and can feel that he's not exactly wanted there by JAKE. JOEY notices the same and becomes a bit nervous.]
[SALVY sits down near the ring but not as close as he'd like to. His two friends, Frankie and Guido, sit nearby also.]
[JAKE goes to JOEY's corner.]
JAKE: Did you know they were coming up here?
[JOEY doesn't answer.]
JAKE: Answer me when I talk to you.
JOEY: Yeah, yeah. They just wanted to talk to you. So I...
JAKE: *interrupting* Don't ever bring those kids up here again! I'm working out, I'm k**in' myself in here, and they walk around like they f**in' own the neighborhood.
[SALVY and the others see JOEY being chewed out by JAKE. They begin to feel unwelcome at the gym.]
[The bell sounds. JAKE is more aggressive now as he corners JOEY. JAKE swings away with body punches. JOEY can't block them. SALVY and the others watch.]
[The bell sounds again. With that, SALVY and the others start to leave.]
SALVY *to JOEY*: Hey JOEY, we better go. See you later.
[JOEY, dazed, turns to wave.]
JAKE: Go 'head. Wave goodbye. They're your friends.
[JAKE watches them leave.]
JAKE: And that hard-on, SALVY. Who's he think he is? I'm gonna let that f**in' hard-on come up here and act like a big shot.
JOEY: What are you getting so hot about -- Tommy Como told him to come down here...
JAKE : *interrupting* Hey, I don't care about Tommy Como. I don't care about Jesus Christ on the f**in' cross. I gotta give them a percentage of what I make! I'm in here breaking my a**, not them. Don't ever bring them up here again.
JOEY: I didn't tell them to come. Tommy Como...
[The bell sounds again. JAKE hits JOEY a few more solid body punches. JOEY gets angry and fights back with a flurry of punches which have no effect on JAKE. JAKE laughs.]
JAKE: That's right, fight back. I got laid three times before I came up here this morning and I can still break your a**.
[JOEY fights back, but it's no use.]
JOEY: You co*ks**er.
[JAKE laughs. The two continue to swing it out, as SALVY watches unseen from the doorway.]