Rocky (1976) review

Rocky (1976)

Directed by: John G. Avildsen

Produced by: Irwin Winkler, Robert Chartoff

Screenplay by: Sylvester Stallone

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, Burgess Meredith

Sometimes you just decide, “Hey, I want to talk about my all-time favorite movie.” Before the glamour, before the cheesy fights and over-the-top antagonists, there was this small film called “Rocky” about an underdog southpaw boxer from Philadelphia named Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) who gets a one-in-a-million shot to fight the heavyweight champion of the world. Once upon a time, a struggling young actor named Sylvester Stallone watched a championship bout between heavy favorite Muhammad Ali and journeyman Chuck Wepner; against all odds, the fight lasted until the 15th round before Ali won by TKO. Three days later, Stallone wrote the script for “Rocky,” submitted it to United Artists, and the rest is history. For someone who loves stories about the underdog overcoming impossible odds, this is right in my corner as one of the most triumphant, satisfying films ever made.

It opens with Rocky, who fights in small clubs and works as a collector for a loan shark named Gazzo (Joe Spinell). He courts the shy pet store clerk Adrian (Talia Shire)—whose bitter brother Paulie (Burt Young) is Rocky’s best friend—and gradually brings her out of her shell. Then he gets the surprise of his life when he’s challenged to fight Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), the undefeated heavyweight champion on New Year’s Day to celebrate the U.S. Bicentennial. It’s basically a public relations move, as Creed was originally supposed to face a real contender who had to drop out because of injury; now he wants to give a local underdog a shot at the title to give the people a good show. He even selects Rocky specifically for his nickname, “The Italian Stallion.” Of course, Rocky is out to prove himself, so he starts training for the fight at the hands of the old, grouchy gym owner Mickey (Burgess Meredith).

Although initial predictions that Stallone was reminiscent of “a young Marlon Brando” proved rather erroneous, the character is timeless and loveable. He works for a loan shark but is forgiving towards a guy late on his loan. He’s a brawler but has a pair of pet turtles he talks to. He slurs some of his words like a perpetual drunk but gives a troubled young girl named Marie (Jodi Letizia) some words of wisdom. In some ways, Adrian is a perfect match for him: nervous, insecure, constantly put down, but ultimately warm and caring. They’re just these two people who have these shortcomings but somehow bring out the best in each other, as symbolized in the scene where they’re ice skating, keeping each other upright despite nearly falling. It’s such a simple connection, but so warmly effective and brought beautifully to life by Stallone and Talia Shire.

I initially didn’t care much for Paulie, just because he’s such a mean bastard, but he’s someone you grow to like over time, I think because we all know people like him who can be gruff and stupid, but always have your back when the chips are down. I like how even though he blows up at Rocky and Adrian around Christmastime—it’s great seeing Adrian finally scream back at him for a change—in his next scene with Rocky, it’s sort of an awkward apology instead of being a really big deal; I think that’s pretty realistic. Burgess Meredith is fantastic as Mickey; he has so many funny, memorable outbursts. This is someone stewing over the fact that he never got his shot, never had any success with his own boxing career, and now finally has something to invest himself into. Rounding out the cast is Carl Weathers as Apollo, who more or less channels Ali in his showmanship and arrogance. He’s a great antagonist because he’s so upbeat and confidant about himself, yet not to the point of being obnoxious; like I said, this is basically a show for him, but he’s still likeable in how over-the-top he is.

Talk about a case of art imitating life; before he wrote this movie, Stallone was as down-on-his-luck as his character. He had about $106 in the bank, his wife was pregnant, his car had blown up, he had to sell his dog—which he eventually bought back and then had cast in the movie as Butkus—and his apartment was about eight feet by nine feet long. At an audition, he met producers Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler; it didn’t go well, but before Stallone left, he turned back and mentioned that he wrote as well. They initially wanted a big-name actor like Burt Reynolds or James Caan to play Rocky; Stallone, however, refused to sell the script unless it was him. I couldn’t imagine this movie being as iconic with someone else in the role. After all, this is someone who struggled for a long time until he finally got his opportunity; so you feel like he brings this emotional honesty into these scenes. Future sequels somewhat paralleled Stallone’s career; he was a little bloated by success in “Rocky III” and had to regain his edge, and then presumed old and washed-up in “Rocky Balboa” and set out to make a comeback.

One thing that adds to this movie’s mystique is the music; Bill Conti’s theme is somber when Rocky is off by himself, but there are some really triumphant themes as well in the training and fight montages. They’re invigorating and uplifting, with the main song “Gonna Fly Now” one of the most powerful themes in all of cinema, coupled with the image of Rocky raising his arms atop the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. As for the fight itself, it’s one hell of a show. This was the movie that more or less changed how fight scenes were shot in boxing movies; Stallone actually had disagreements with a boxing coach concerning the choreography. Some of the sequels had the fights sound a little too fake with cheesy sound effects, but this one looks and sounds thrilling. We’re so invested in Rocky and the struggle he’s gone through to get here; the scene in the 14th round where he gets knocked down but somehow manages to climb back to his feet before a shocked Apollo is a really powerful moment. And the ending is one of those that just sweeps you up, with all the emotion, the music, the frantic energy of the crowd, seeing Rocky and Adrian only concerned with finding each other in all the brouhaha, it creates this wonderful lasting impression. The result of the fight is immaterial; it’s just the fact that he kept coming back that matters the most.

Much like the character, the movie wasn’t expected as anything special; but on a $1 million budget, it grossed $225 million worldwide, and was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, winning Best Picture, Best Director and Best Film Editing. It’s been criticized for being really schmaltzy, but I think those people miss the point and why it’s persisted for all these years through many sequels and spin-offs. “Rocky” is not about beating the adversity; it’s about taking it on, regardless of the difficulty, and just surviving. In Philadelphia—and all over the world—there are people every day just trying to carve out a living. They can’t all just turn their lives around to become rich and famous, but they can endure all the hardships and pain, and emerge standing proud and tall. That’s who this movie is for: the underdog who never thought he could make it, has finally made it. It’s a long run up those steps (I mean it literally, they’re tough work), but you feel so triumphant when you reach the top.

My rating: 10/10