This might seem almost manic behaviour, but it does sum up the frustration most sound editors must feel in trying to come up with something different from what has been seen – and heard – on screen many times before. But supervising sound editor Frank Warner went to his own extremes in creating different sound effects for each fight scene and then reportedly destroyed the tapes so no one else could use them. It was a labour of love for Scorsese and star Robert De Niro, who famously changed his physique to portray boxer Jake LaMotta. Taxi Driver (1979) and Gangs of New York (2002) are examples of the director's commitment to a project but surpassing even these is Raging Bull (1980). The work of Martin Scorsese on its own bears this out. Great films are often born from obsession and carried along by a driving dedication to each aspect of the story and how they are presented.

Kevin Hilton looks back at the sound design work of Frank Warner on Raging Bull. One of the greatest boxing films of all time was also host to one of the most involved sound design assignments in its period.

Raging bull colour