The scene in Raging Bull where Jake LaMotta first sees Vicki, his future wife, is an important scene with respect to its revelations of Jake’s character. Jake is a man who has little impulse control, a man driven much more by passion than reason. This scene reinforces this fact and also acts as a harbinger for what later in the film will prove to be Jake’s final undoing. Before addressing these connections, it is best to look at a synopsis of the camera shots and editing used in the scene:
Shot One – The camera peers on an angle tilted toward the sky as we view children looking down at the public pool from a roof top.
Shot Two – The camera pans down the side of the building and we see two boys jump into the pool from a ledge on the side of the building.
Shot Three – A cut to Jake as he is ordering a coke at a hot dog stand.
Shot Four – Cut to the men Vicki is sitting with poolside.
Shot Five – Pan to a close-up of Vicki in her chair.
Shot Six – Cut to Jake and his brother Joey sitting at a table drinking the cokes. During this exchange the camera cuts to each actor during their lines and there is also a cut in the middle of their exchange to the guy sitting with Vicki Jake most resents
Shot Seven – Cut to the men sitting with Vicki as they talk about Jake.
Shot Nine – A cut back to Vicki now sitting poolside and sunning herself. The camera pans in for a close up.
Shot Eleven – Another cut to Vicki sunning poolside in close-up.
Shot Twelve – Cut back to the brothers as they continue their conversation.
Shot Thirteen – Final shot in the film, a cut to Vicki’s legs temptingly kicking the water in the pool.
The various camera shots and editing of them helps to keep the continuity of the scene because we are given a limited omniscient point of view. The camera pans and moves and cuts much like our own vision would if we were someone who was sitting poolside in the scene....