Raging Bull Title Sequence

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The opening sequence for Scrosese's Raging Bull (1980) is simple, yet incredibly powerful.

 The scene depicts Jake La Motta (DeNiro) in the ring, seemingly warming up. The lighting portrays solitude, and at first you would think La Motta is alone, perhaps in training, until a camera flash appears in the background. This immediately suggests that we are at a fight as there is a crowd in the background, albeit masked in smoke. I believe the crowd are not visible to place the emphasist on La Motta. The focus on the subject amplifies his self-determination at this precise moment - the preempt before the fight.

 This sequence is shot from ringside, a spectators perspective. And the three ropes intersect the middle of the shot. This is cleverly integrated with the titles. The film's title Raging Bull appears in bold red text between the top and middle ropes, whereas the majority of the cast and crew appear as thin white text between the middle and bottom ropes. This puts the emphasis on the films protagonists as the title itself is a reflective moniker of the man himself.

 The power of this opening sequence lies in the music, an emotional classical piece by Pietro Mascagni. This, juxtoposed with the grainy black and white film and slow motion boxing is a very moving and somewhat potent mix, summing up the film itself.