Raging Bull Page #10

JOEY is on the phone.

JOEY:

That's right. "No comment."

(listens)

You like that? Good, 'cause I got a

lot more "No comments" where that

one came from.

JOEY cuts the line off, then leaves the receiver

off the hook.

JOEY (CONT'D)

I'm gonna order up some stuff. Have

a steak.

JAKE:

I can't eat a steak. If I eat a

steak, I'm gonna have trouble

making the weigh-in.

JOEY:

So eat just a little. You gotta eat

something.

JARS:

What am I gonna do for 24 hours? I

can't even eat!

JAKE goes into the bedroom.

JOEY goes over to the DOCTOR.

DOCTOR:

(shows him the pork chop)

How's that?

JOEY:

How long did it take you?

DOCTOR:

45 seconds.

JOEY:

No good. Try to get it down. It's

gotta be no more than 30 seconds to

be on the safe side if we gotta

stitch him up.

INT. THE BEDROOM

JAKE is alone. There is a knock at the door. JOEY

opens it and pokes his head in.

JOEY:

Jake, somebody wants to say hello

to you.

JOEY opens the door wider. TOMMY COMO is at the

door with JOEY. JAKE goes over to the door.

COMO:

Hey champ!

JAKE:

Tommy, thanks for coming over.

COMO:

You just take it easy, now. You'll

do all right. Feelin' Ok?

JAKE:

I'm Ok.

COMO:

Just come by to wish you luck.

(shakes his hand)

Need anything?

JAKE:

No, we're all right. Thanks anyway,

Tommy.

COMO:

Ok, champ.

COMO turns to go. He says goodbye to everyone in

the living room. He goes over and kisses VICKIE.

JAKE watches this from the bedroom doorway.

COMO (CONT'D)

(as he kisses Vickie)

Look at her. As beautiful as

always. Take care of that guy, will

ya?

VICKIE:

(going to the door with

him)

I'll take care of him. Thanks,

Tommy. Bye.

JAKE:

(to Vickie)

C'mere.

She goes to the bedroom doorway. JAKE grabs her

arm, pulls her in, and slams the door.

JAKE (CONT'D)

(pushing her toward the

bed area)

Hey, you don't say goodbye to him

like that.

VICKIE:

What did I do?

JAKE:

(pushing her)

You don't kiss like that. Hello and

goodbye, that's all you do.

VICKIE:

All I did...

JAKE:

(interrupting)

You know what I'm talking about.

Don't ever make me look bad on the

night of my big fight.

VICKIE:

You're hurting my arm.

JAKE has her by the night table now. They are

edging their way to the wall.

JAKE:

Shut up. You just say hello and

goodbye to him. You don't kiss him

the way you did. That's out of

line.

JAKE pushes her against the wall. The lamp falls.

There is a loud crash. She tries to move away. He

grabs her by the throat and pins her against the

wall. She's gagging.

VICKIE:

But Jake... I didn't say

anything...

JAKE:

Don't ever do that again. You don't

(he pushes her against the

wall)

do it!

VICKIE:

(gagging)

Jake...

JOEY looks in and then starts to come over.

JAKE:

You hear what I said? You don't do

it.

He pushes her again. VICKIE tries to get away, but

can't move.

JAKE (CONT'D)

(pushing her again)

You don't do it.

JOEY has his hand on JAKE's arm, trying to pry it

away from VICKIE's throat.

JOEY:

Jake, Jake...

TONY and the DOCTOR watch from the doorway.

VICKIE's eyes close. JAKE releases his grip. JOEY

helps VICKIE. JAKE watches this.

JAKE:

(to himself)

She ain't gonna ruin this fight for

me.

EXT. BRIGGS STADIUM - NIGHT (JUNE 16, 1949)

Bright floodlights illuminate the arena. The

weather's clear and the stadium is filled with

cheering fight FANS.

An ANNOUNCER steps into the center of the ring and

begins ti introduce the many CELEBRITIES that have

gathered for the fight.

ANNOUNCER:

And here is the young man who has

inherited Marcel Cerdan's European

championship - Laurent Dauthuille.

DAUTHUILLE jumps into the ring.

While WE HEAR him introduce the boxers and

celebrities, WE SEE a rapid MONTAGE: JAKE preparing

for the title bout:

PRE-FIGHT MONTAGE

A) JAKE and GROUP arrive in the dressing room.

B) In his bathrobe, JAKE puts on his boxing shoes.

C) We see a pan with raw steak in it. JOEY drains

the blood (juice) into a glass and JAKE takes a

long, slow swallow.

D) REPRISE of IMAGES from PREVIOUS SCENE (SLOW

MOTION) - NEW ANGLE.

TOMMY COMO shakes JAKE's hand in the bathroom

doorway. VICKIE kisses COMO. Jake watches.

ANNOUNCER (V.O.) (CONT'D)

Now I'd like to ask America's most

decorated war hero to stand up and

take a bow from the audience. It's

a real privilege to have him here

tonight. He'll soon be starring in

his next motion picture, "Bad Boy"--

Lieutenant Audie Murphy!

E) JAKE soaks his hands in hot water.

F) JAKE lies down and JOEY starts to massage him.

G) REPRISE OF IMAGES from PREVIOUS SCENE (SLOW

MOTION) - NEW ANGLE

JOEY shakes hands with COMO as he leaves the hotel

room. JAKE watches. JOEY smiles at Como as Como

kisses VICKIE. Jake watches.

ANNOUNCER (V.O.) (CONT'D)

And our very special guest tonight

needs no introduction. The only man

to defend the heavyweight crown a

remarkable twenty-five times, the

king of all heavyweights, the Brown

Bomber, Joe Louis. Come into the

ring, Joe.

JOE LOUIS (V.O.)

Thank you, Johnny. Let's bring the

middleweight crown back to the old

U.S.A. where it belongs.

Many cheers.

H) DR. PINTO injects a hypodermic needle filled

with novocaine into each of JAKE's fists.

I) JOEY massages JAKE's neck.

J) JAKE's hands are bandaged

K) REPRISE of IMAGES from PREVIOUS SCENE (SLOW

MOTION) - NEW ANGLE

JAKE strangles VICKIE in the bedroom, then releases

her.

JOEY looks after her, but the IMAGE makes them look

as if they're making love. Jake watches.

ANNOUNCER:

And in this corner, the

middleweight champion of the world,

from Casablanca, Morocco, the

Casablanca Clouter, Marcel Cerdan!

L) JAKE puts on his cup and trunks.

M) MARIO laces up JAKE's gloves.

N) JAKE, ready to fight, a towel draped around his

head, bounces on the balls of his feet. He starts

walking down the corridor from his dressing room,

surrounded by MARIO, JOEY, DR. PINTO and his

HANDLERS. He enters the stadium.

INT. BRIGGS STADIUM - NIGHT

JAKE, wearing his leopard-skin robe, is pushed

through the CROWD by JOEY, MARIO and his HANDLERS.

He's still shadow-boxing.

JAKE steps into the ring to both cheers and boos

(many still remember the Fox fight). JAKE raises

his gloves.

ANNOUNCER:

And in the opposite corner, from

New York, New York, the challenger,

the Bronx Bull, Jake LaMotta!

JAKE shakes hands with the assembled CELEBRITIES

and EX-CHAMPIONS.

JAYE:

I only wish it was you, Joe.

JOE LOUIS:

Win the belt back for us, Jake.

Good luck.

JAKE glances at VICKIE who is sitting in the third

row. She is nervous.

TIME CUT:

The opening bell sounds. CERDAN and LAMOTTA touch

gloves and begin to fight.

JAKE is hot:
there's no stopping him tonight. He

fights like a man possessed.

CERDAN clinches JAKE to avoid his brutal body

blows. JAKE pushes him out of the clinch in

disgust.

There are no more boos. JAKE has won over the

crowd.

TIME CUT:

END OF ROUND NINE. JAKE is working over a bloody

CERDAN. Punches to the body, then to the head, then

back to the body. The bell sounds.

JAKE walks back to his corner and sits down. JOEY

is ecstatic:

JOEY:

Look at him, Jackie! You got at!

The f***in' championship! He's

yours! Finish him off.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes