Paul Schrader

A washed-up former boxing champion performs a self-deprecating stand-up routine, masking his deep-seated jealousy and violent past with dark humor.

Betsy, a campaign worker, attempts to instruct her colleague Tom on the importance of personality over policy in political campaigns. Tom, who is clearly attracted to Betsy, tries to flirt with her, but she dismisses his advances while maintaining her professional demeanor. The scene highlights their contrasting approaches to work and their unspoken romantic tension, culminating in Betsy noticing a strange taxi driver.

Jake LaMotta reflects on his career and legacy by reciting Terry Malloy's famous 'contender' speech from On the Waterfront in front of a mirror.

Travis Bickle, a lonely and disturbed taxi driver, attempts to volunteer for a political campaign, but his true objective is to ask out Betsy, a campaign worker he's been observing. He awkwardly tries to charm her, revealing his social ineptitude and unusual perspective.

A local mob boss warns Joey that his brother Jake LaMotta will never get a title shot unless he cooperates with the criminal underworld.

Former boxing champion Jake LaMotta performs a self-deprecating stand-up comedy set, reflecting on his career, his luck, and his volatile marriage.

Travis, a lonely taxi driver, attempts to connect with Betsy, a campaign worker, during a coffee shop date. He struggles to articulate his feelings and experiences, revealing his isolation and peculiar worldview, while Betsy is intrigued by his unusual nature.

Following a public breakdown and the departure of his wife, Jake LaMotta is confronted in his disheveled office by deputies. They inform him he is being charged with pimping involving a minor, leading to a desperate attempt to seek help from Vickie.

Travis Bickle interviews for a taxi driver position. He reveals his insomnia and desire to work nights, while the Personnel Officer probes his motivations and background. The scene establishes Travis's detached and enigmatic personality.

Jake LaMotta's deep-seated paranoia and jealousy boil over during a domestic moment with his brother Joey and wife Vickie. After questioning a simple greeting, Jake interrogates Joey about rumors of infidelity, eventually accusing his own brother of having an affair with his wife. The scene highlights Jake's self-destructive obsession and the deteriorating trust within his inner circle.

Jake LaMotta recounts a harrowing and humiliating experience in a Southern prison, reflecting on his isolation and his inability to hold his tongue.

Jake LaMotta's paranoia reaches a breaking point as he interrogates his brother Joey about a fight at the Copa and his wife's fidelity.

Joey confronts his sister-in-law Vickie about her public behavior while Jake is training, revealing the domestic abuse and paranoia Vickie suffers.

Jake grapples with the fallout of throwing a fight while Joey forces him to accept a long suspension from the ring.

A private investigator warns a desperate father about the dangerous criminal underworld he is entering while searching for his missing daughter.

Jake LaMotta expresses his deep-seated insecurities about his physical limitations before demanding his brother Joey punch him repeatedly in the face.

Tom tries to impress Betsy with a match trick while they discuss a local newsstand worker and Tom's cynical theories about the mob.

Jake explains the rigid Calvinist theology of his upbringing to Niki, a young woman from the adult film world, highlighting their clashing worldviews.

Jake LaMotta suffers a psychological and physical breakdown while in solitary confinement at the Dade County Stockade. Desperate for a sense of control and humanity, he attempts to masturbate to fading memories before turning his rage inward, brutally punching the concrete walls until his hands are broken.

After a long period of estrangement and violence, Jake LaMotta attempts to reconcile with his brother Joey outside a parking lot. Jake's desperate need for forgiveness manifests in a disturbing plea for Joey to physically beat him, leading to a raw and emotional breakdown between the two men.

Jake's obsessive jealousy spirals into violence as he interrogates Vickie about her whereabouts and alleged infidelities with his brother and friends.