One of the best movies of all time.
The Genuine Approach
It’s hard to believe this iconic American movie was created 50 years ago in 1976, three years before I was even born. It is also hard to believe how well the movie has stood the test of time as one of the best American movies ever made.
The entire Rocky series of movies, including 6 movies directly about Rocky Balboa (not counting the two Creed movies which have him as a secondary character), are amazing movies that inspire the viewer and represent the American dream of working our way up from the bottom to become a success. Although the subsequent Rocky movies are great in their own right, none of them compare to the original Rocky movie.
What makes the original Rocky movie one of the best of all time isn’t one thing, rather it is a culmination of a myriad of factors that combined at the right time to give us a genuine, humble, and ever-relatable story that still inspires us today.
Above all, the main ingredient that made this movie stand out is the writer and main actor Sylvester Stallone. The fact that this was his break-out movie as an actor and screenwriter at 30-years-old, despite all the odds, creates a distinct parallel between his life and that of Rocky Balboa, the nearly down-and-out honest character on the fringes of society desperately seeking that one shot for success and greatness.
Although the producers weren’t keen on having Sylvester playing the main actor, there has perhaps never been a more fitting actor to play the main role in a movie. The fact that Sylvester wrote the movie in the squalor and doldrums of obscurity gave the movie the genuine edge that really resonates with an American audience. Rocky and Sylvester have the same heart, and the same honest character, even though Sylvester was never a boxer and the movie could have very well been about a struggling screenwriter in L.A. rather than an obscure boxer from Philadelphia.
One of the main aspects of Rocky is how the storyline is about much more than sports; in essence, Rocky is a love story, a life drama about finding your place in the world. The setting of being in the heart of a large American city with harsh winters, tough characters, and a storied past full of rich American history are perfect for the character of the Italian Stallion, Rocky Balboa.
Filmed back in 1976, the movie depicts what was then a faint memory of the past full of hard times for Irish and Italian immigrants to the U.S. in the later half of the 1800s. Rocky’s hard life can be inferred to be a product of these difficulties, which his parents, grandparents, and even great-grandparents faced in making their way in a large East Coast American city in the late 1800s and early 1900s when times were much different than now.
The decade of the 1970s symbolized a transitional period for American culture, which had a mix of the hard-nosed, tough-minded citizens that made America great and the softer, more entitled citizens that were influenced by the material wealth gained after WW2. Rocky represents the struggle Americans went through in this transitional phrase, showing the heart of American grit was still alive and there were still fearless men willing to put everything on the line to make something of themselves in this land of dreams.
The movie is directed and acted in such a genuine fashion that viewers can’t help becoming intimately involved in this seemingly washed-up boxer’s pitiful life. His courage and determination are apparent, yet his intelligence lacks the edge that is needed to transcend the misery that poverty brings.
His efforts at finding a wife, becoming a boxing contender, and moving up to some unknown life upgrade are fading with every year older he gets and every punch he takes to the head. Ultimately, we see his optimistic attitude in the most danger of being dissolved in the bitter disappointments of youthful dreams gone wanting, while his main source of income as a bone-breaking loan collector of the local mob shark promises to be his best chance of finding the resources to have a chance at happiness.
Essentially, the contradiction that Rocky represents is compelling to viewers, as the first part of the movie depicts so well the quicksand of failure he is surrounded by. The sparks of hopeful tomorrows and better days are there in short glimpses, yet they are far from sure to come to fruition for the hapless hero in relative obscurity.
Bill Conti “Going the Distance” Song
The Lift Many People Needed
I like movies that are realistic and depict the genuine aspects of the daily life of the characters within them. I concede that there is a place for the fantastical tale that pushes the limits of the creative imagination, yet for me, there is nothing better than a realistic movie.
While the storyline of Rocky is hard to believe, that an unknown obscure fighter would get a chance to fight the heavyweight champion of the world, the storyline outside of this miracle is very believable and relatable for most Americans just trying to get by in daily life.
The supporting actors are amazing in this film and seem to fit perfectly into the plot. Even the mob boss and his sidekick henchmen are exceptionally fitting for the part; without trying to make the film a comedy, the sarcastic and rude behavior of the sidekick toward Rocky is just the type of unsolicited behavior that happens to people in real life for no reason. Instead of the henchmen being some larger-than-life badass, he is rather a reasonable type that gets caught up trying to stop the bickering between Rocky and his sidekick.
Adrian’s character and the love story of her and Rocky are the heart of what makes this a great movie. Her shyness and relative obscurity parallel his dumb awkwardness, as they both are failing to make their mark on the world with the potential they hold.
Even the pet shop as the main center of their initial beginnings gives us a chance to see the tender side of Rocky, as he cares for his turtles and speaks genuinely to the animals in the shop, giving him a chance to show Adrian that loving side of his otherwise brute character.
The character of Paulie, Adrian’s brother, is also perfect for the movie. His discontent and bitterness are manifested in out-of-control rage and alcoholism, as he works his meat packing job and dreams of being a bone breaker like Rocky.
Paulie is single and middle-aged, living with his sister and working a seemingly dead-end job. He is essentially in a desperate condition, one that many Americans can relate to in some sense with their divorces and addictions. Because of his flaws, he fits right in with being best friends with Rocky and living with his reclusive sister.
Then there is Mickey, his aging ex-boxing lightweight champ trainer, who is disappointed with Rocky seemingly squandering his talent by being a bone breaker and not having the brains to take his boxing to the next level. All Mic can do is criticize Rocky, even kicking him out of his locker in disgust, as if trying to provoke him into becoming the ferocious beast boxer Mic knows he could be.
Then there is Apollo Creed, the current heavyweight champ trying to win the people’s hearts by giving a fighter a chance to whom they can relate. His cocky attitude of invincibility while being in his prime is a great contrast to the seeming bum, the Italian Stallion. Still, we can appreciate his creative willingness to stage this fight, as a quintessential American opportunity combined with a keen marketing sense.
With all of these desperate characters in place, we can see Rocky’s miraculous chance at fighting the champ will not just help him, but many others. The inner city slums he lives in is represented in the movie with these characters and others who all desperately need a lift in spirit and hope for the miraculous. This is exactly what Rocky was able to give them, which makes his victory of lasting all 12 rounds with the champ that much sweeter.
Survivor “Eye of the Tiger” Song
Best Sports Move of All-Time
Interestingly, there really isn’t that much boxing in the original movie. They show him boxing “Spider Rico” in some shadowy dive with a cross on the wall in the inner city and then the main event with the champ.
The first fight is much more realistic, yet we have to remember this is 1976 and special effects weren’t as refined. One has to accept the overdramatic nature of the final boxing match, as each fighter hits each other with full flush shots probably a hundred times each, a couple of which would make most real boxers go down unconscious.
The amazing part is Sylvester Stallone was never a boxer, so his ability to make it seem somewhat realistic is due to his acting skills alone. This is also true for Apollo Creed, played by Carl Weathers, even though he was a pro football player and more of a natural athlete.
What makes Rocky such a great movie is how original it was, and this was generated by the producers allowing Sylvester Stallone to act the part for the script he wrote. The music, the supporting characters, the time period, and the theme around sports are all reasons why this is an American classic movie, maybe the best sports movie of all time.
The original 1976 movie was so good, Sylvester went on to make 5 more Rocky Movies, Rocky II (1979), Rocky III (1982), Rocky IV (1985), Rocky V (1990), and Rocky Balboa (2006) when Sylvester was 60 years old. All of these sequels are great movies, yet none of them compared to the original. The character of Rocky even lived on in a more modern boxing movie Creed I and II (2015 and 2018, respectively).
The unusual ending where the leading character or team doesn’t win at the end works well with Rocky, as it allows the down-to-earth movie to retain its genuine appeal, as though it could have really happened.
This ending doesn’t mean Rocky doesn’t win though, as he proved himself by going the distance with the champ, finding the love of his life with Adrian, and bringing pride to his inner-city community. Viewers understand Rocky’s life on the edge of utter obscurity and tragedy would forever be changed after he stood the test of lasting the entire fight, which no one believed he could, except for himself and Adrian.
The ending was brilliant because it gave place for a needed sequel, which was probably the best movie besides the original. The third best of the 6-part series was the last one, which gave fans a follow-up movie to the entire series many years later – it also made up for the street fight ending of the 5th movie in the series, which was different from the others.
Finding the 6-part series in a DVD set at the local second-hand store about six months ago was like finding a bit of cinematic gold. My wife and I avoid Hollywood movies, yet the Rocky series was an exception because it is void of cursing and nudity. While most modern Hollywood movies go out of their way to promote evil, Rocky actually promotes having a good character, honesty, hard work, and fidelity to marriage. He was ostensibly Catholic, as he gave scant credence to this faith in the movie by asking for the local priest’s blessing.
Ultimately, Rocky did good and proved he wasn’t some bum, and he found the love of his life in the perfect partner for his character, Adrian – this, the original music made for the movie, and the humble beginnings of Sylvester Stallone, work to make this the best American sports movie of all time for many people, including me.
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