Fails the Bechdel test
Raging Bull
1980. Directed by Martin Scorsese, written by Jake LaMotta and Joseph Carter and Peter Savage.
The Bechdel test
Bechdel score
1 / 3
Fails
-
Yes
1. At least two women
10 women characters. 5 of them speak. -
No
2. Who talk to each other
Our parser found no scene where two women talk to each other. -
No
3. About something besides a man
Not reached: the film fails an earlier rule.
Second opinion
Agree bechdeltest.com readers give it 1 out of 3.
The film
When Jake LaMotta steps into a boxing ring and obliterates his opponent, he's a prizefighter. But when he treats his family and friends the same way, he's a ticking time bomb, ready to go off at any moment. Though LaMotta wants his family's love, something always seems to come between them. Perhaps it's his violent bouts of paranoia and jealousy. This kind of rage helped make him a champ, but in real life he winds up in the ring alone.
- Released
- 19 Dec 1980
- Genres
- Biography, Drama, Sport
- Rated
- R
- IMDb
- 8.1 / 10
- Metascore
- 90 / 100
- Awards
- Won 2 Oscars. 24 wins & 28 nominations total
- Elsewhere
- View on IMDb
Starring, by lines spoken
- Women
- Men
- Not in the cast list
- Bigger name, more lines
- Jake 291 lines, man
- Joey 151 lines, man
- Vickie 94 lines, woman
- Salvy 15 lines, man
- Como 13 lines, man
- Eagan 12 lines, man
- Irma 10 lines, woman
- Reporter 10 lines, man
- Tony 9 lines, man
- Announcer 8 lines, man
Full cast, 112 people
- Robert De Niro as Jake LaMotta
- Cathy Moriarty as Vickie LaMotta
- Joe Pesci as Joey LaMotta
- Frank Vincent as Salvy Batts
- Nicholas Colasanto as Tommy Como
- Theresa Saldana as Lenore
- Mario Gallo as Mario
- Frank Adonis as Patsy
- Joseph Bono as Guido
- Frank Topham as Toppy
- Lori Anne Flax as Irma
- Charles Scorsese as Charlie - Man with Como
- Don Dunphy as Radio Announcer
- Bill Hanrahan as Eddie Eagan
- Rita Bennett as Emma - Miss 48's
- James V. Christy as Dr. Pinto
- Bernie Allen as Comedian
- Floyd Anderson as Jimmy Reeves (Reeves Fight)
- Gene LeBell as Ring Announcer (Reeves Fight)
- Harold Valan as Referee (Reeves Fight)
- Victor Magnotta as Fighting Soldier (Reeves Fight)
- Johnny Barnes as Sugar Ray Robinson (First Robinson Fight)
- John Thomas as Trainer (First Robinson Fight)
- Kenny Davis as Referee (First Robinson Fight)
- Paul Carmello as Ring Announcer (First Robinson Fight)
- Jimmy Lennon Sr. as Ring Announcer (Second Robinson Fight / Dauthuille Fight)
- Bobby Rings as Referee (Second Robinson Fight)
- Kevin Mahon as Tony Janiro (Janiro Fight)
- Marty Denkin as Referee (Janiro Fight)
- Shay Duffin as Ring Announcer (Janiro Fight)
- Eddie Mustafa Muhammad as Billy Fox (Fox Fight)
- Dick Whittington as Ring Announcer (Fox Fight)
- Jack Lotz as Referee (Fox Fight)
- Kevin Breslin as Heckler (Fox Fight)
- Louis Raftis as Marcel Cerdan (Cerdan Fight)
- Frank Shain as Ring Announcer (Cerdan Fight)
- Coley Wallace as Joe Louis (Cerdan Fight)
- Fritzie Higgins as Woman with Vickie (Cerdan Fight)
- George Latka as Referee (Cerdan Fight)
- Fred Dennis as Cornerman #1 (Cerdan Fight)
- Robert B. Loring as Cornerman #2 (Cerdan Fight)
- Johnny Turner as Laurent Dauthuille (Dauthuille Fight)
- Vern De Paul as Dauthuille's Trainer (Dauthuille Fight)
- Chuck Hassett as Referee (Dauthuille Fight)
- Ken Richards as Reporter at Phone Booth (Dauthuille Fight)
- Peter Fain as Dauthuille Corner Man (Dauthuille Fight)
- Billy Varga as Ring Announcer (Third Robinson Fight)
- Harvey Parry as Referee (Third Robinson Fight)
- Ted Husing as Ted Husing - TV Announcer (voice) (Third Robinson Fight)
- Michael Badalucco as Soda Fountain Clerk
- Thomas Beansy Lobasso as Beansy
- Paul Forrest as Monsignor
- Peter Petrella as Johnny
- Sal Serafino Tomassetti as Webster Hall Bouncer
- Geraldine Smith as Janet
- Mardik Martin as Copa Waiter
- Maryjane Lauria as Girl #1
- Linda Artuso as Girl #2
- Peter Savage as Jackie Curtie
- Daniel P. Conte as Detroit Promoter
- Joe Malanga as Bodyguard
- Sabine Turco Jr. as Bouncer at Copa
- Steve Orlando as Bouncer at Copa
- Silvio García Jr. as Bouncer at Copa
- John Arceri as Maitre 'D
- Joseph A. Morale as Man at Table #1
- James Dimodica as Man at Table #2
- Robert Uricola as Man Outside Cab
- Andrea Orlando as Woman in Cab
- Allan Malamud as Reporter at Jake's House
- D.J. Blair as State Attorney Bronson
- Laura James as Mrs. Bronson
- Richard McMurray as J.R.
- Mary Albee as Underage I.D. Girl
- Lisa Katz as Woman with I.D. Girl
- Candy Moore as Linda
- Richard A. Berk as Musician #1
- Theodore Saunders as Musician #2
- Noah Young as Musician #3
- Nick Trisko as Bartender Carlo
- Lou Tiano as Ricky
- Bob Evan Collins as Arresting Deputy #1
- Wally K. Berns as Arresting Deputy #2
- Allen Joseph as Jeweler
- Bob Aaron as Prison Guard #1
- Glenn Leigh Marshall as Prison Guard #2
- Martin Scorsese as Barbizon Stagehand
- Vincent Barbi as New Yorker (uncredited)
- Joseph Bergmann as Sailor at Ballroom (uncredited)
- Scott Crawford as Photographer (uncredited)
- Dennis Crosswhite as Reporter (uncredited)
- Robert Dahdah as Restaurant Doorman (uncredited)
- Vincent Di Paolo as Police Officer (uncredited)
- Bruno DiGiorgi as Soda Fountain Clerk (uncredited)
- Marty Farrell as Heckler in Bar (uncredited)
- R. Michael Givens as Photographer (uncredited)
- Charles Guardino as New Yorker (uncredited)
- Bob Harks as Boxing Match Spectator (uncredited)
- Chuck Hicks as Cornerman (uncredited)
- Michael Charles Hill as Boxing Fan (uncredited)
- Walt La Rue as Cornerman (uncredited)
- Angelo Lamonea as Cornerman (uncredited)
- David LeBell as Mall Patron (uncredited)
- Tony Lip as Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
- Bill Mazer as Reporter (uncredited)
- Thomas Murphy as J.R.'s Friend (uncredited)
- Gil Perkins as Cornerman (uncredited)
- Jerry Schram as Party Dancer (uncredited)
- Glenn Stanton as Bar Hand (uncredited)
- John Turturro as Man at Webster Hall Table (uncredited)
- McKenzie Westmore as Jake's Daughter (uncredited)
- Juergen J. Straub as Ringside Boxing Pundit (uncredited)
Who talks, scene by scene
Lines of dialogue in every 2 scenes, start to finish. Women above the line, men below. 4% of lines come from characters we couldn't match to the cast list and aren't shown.
Women
Men
Scene 1 Scene 87
Hover, tap or tab to a bar to see those scenes: where they happen and who's talking.
Show the numbers
| Scenes | Women's lines | Men's lines |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 3 to 4 | 0 | 16 |
| 5 to 6 | 3 | 10 |
| 7 to 8 | 1 | 28 |
| 9 to 10 | 0 | 14 |
| 11 to 12 | 0 | 28 |
| 13 to 14 | 5 | 6 |
| 15 to 16 | 1 | 4 |
| 17 to 18 | 0 | 7 |
| 19 to 20 | 3 | 6 |
| 21 to 22 | 3 | 3 |
| 23 to 24 | 7 | 8 |
| 25 to 26 | 3 | 8 |
| 27 to 28 | 0 | 17 |
| 29 to 30 | 7 | 10 |
| 31 to 32 | 0 | 8 |
| 33 to 34 | 9 | 45 |
| 35 to 36 | 7 | 11 |
| 37 to 38 | 0 | 2 |
| 39 to 40 | 6 | 35 |
| 41 to 42 | 0 | 17 |
| 43 to 44 | 0 | 14 |
| 45 to 46 | 0 | 16 |
| 47 to 48 | 0 | 16 |
| 49 to 50 | 0 | 1 |
| 51 to 52 | 6 | 25 |
| 53 to 54 | 0 | 8 |
| 55 to 56 | 0 | 8 |
| 57 to 58 | 17 | 67 |
| 59 to 60 | 3 | 7 |
| 61 to 62 | 2 | 12 |
| 63 to 64 | 6 | 8 |
| 65 to 66 | 2 | 10 |
| 67 to 68 | 1 | 4 |
| 69 to 70 | 0 | 4 |
| 71 to 72 | 0 | 8 |
| 73 to 74 | 8 | 16 |
| 75 to 76 | 3 | 11 |
| 77 to 78 | 4 | 9 |
| 79 to 80 | 0 | 2 |
| 81 to 82 | 0 | 4 |
| 83 to 84 | 1 | 5 |
| 85 to 86 | 0 | 8 |
| 87 to 87 | 0 | 5 |
The evidence
- Straight from the script
- Counted from the script and the credits
Tap an exhibit to open it.
Exhibit A: every 100 lines
Out of every 100 lines with a known speaker, 16 are women's.
108 lines from women, 553 from men.
- Women
- Men
Exhibit B: who's in it
10 women and 58 men in the cast. 5 women and 25 men from it get lines.
Characters
With lines
- Women
- Men
Exhibit C: who gets heard
The first woman speaks at line 22 of 690.
The longest stretch with no woman speaking runs 98 lines.
Every line of dialogue, first to last
- First line by a woman
- Longest stretch with no woman speaking
Words spoken
Women speak 10% of the words (1,130), men 90% (9,915). Women have 16% of the lines, so their lines run shorter than men's.
Exhibit D: the test the other way
Two named men talk to each other about something besides a woman. It passes the reverse test.
Conversations between two named characters
Two women
0
Two men
49
Exhibit E: behind the camera
2 of the 13 people in these jobs are women.
Across the whole crew, 17% of the people whose gender is listed are women.
- Directed by
- Martin Scorsese (man)
- Written by
- Paul Schrader (man), Mardik Martin (man), Martin Scorsese (man), Robert De Niro (man)
- Produced by
- Irwin Winkler (man), Robert Chartoff (man)
- Shot by
- Michael Chapman (man)
- Edited by
- Thelma Schoonmaker (woman)
- Production design by
- Gene Rudolf (gender not listed)
- Costumes by
- Richard Bruno (man), Marilyn Putnam (gender not listed)
- Cast by
- Cis Corman (woman)
The crew, department by department
-
Costume & Make-Up
2 women, 5 men, 4 not listed
-
Production
2 women, 6 men, 3 not listed
-
Sound
0 women, 9 men, 1 not listed
-
Art
1 women, 4 men, 4 not listed
-
Other crew
0 women, 5 men, 4 not listed
-
Camera
0 women, 4 men, 3 not listed
-
Directing
2 women, 4 men, 1 not listed
-
Writing
0 women, 5 men, 1 not listed
- Women
- Men
- Gender not listed on TMDB
Exhibit F: how old the stars were
Women: 23 on average. Men: 48 on average.
The top-billed cast, at the film's release.
Women
Cathy Moriarty 19, Theresa Saldana 26
Men
Robert De Niro 37, Joe Pesci 37, Frank Vincent 43, Frank Adonis 45, Nicholas Colasanto 56, Mario Gallo 57, Frank Topham 62
Exhibit G: the money
It made 1.3 times what it cost.
- Budget
- $18 million
- Box office
- $23.4 million
From TMDB, not adjusted for inflation.
About this analysis
Our parser read the script: 87 scenes and 690 lines of dialogue. The bechdeltest.com rating comes from that site’s readers. How the test works
