Rocky (1976)

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Carl Weathers, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Burgess Meredith, Joe Spinell, Tony Burton, and Stan Shaw, with cameos from Joe Frazier and Frank Stallone
Grade: Classic

The amount of times Stallone lays on a bed with shoes on in Rocky drives me up the wall.

Summary

On November 25th, 1975, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Rocky Balboa (Stallone) is fighting Spider Rico (Pedro Lovell) in a small church with a crowd of onlookers. Once the round comes to a close, his cornerman tries to give the tired Rocky advice, but he ignores him twice while asking for water and his mouthpiece to be put back in. One of the audience members even goes up to Rocky to ask him directly if he should bet the fight doesn’t go past three rounds. Though he can barely get a word between breaths, Rocky tells him to. Once his cornerman puts the mouthpiece back in, the bell rings and Rocky enters the next round. It looks even for a bit until Rico sneaks in a cheap shot, prompting an enraged Rocky to start wailing on him and getting a decisive victory. They clear the ring for the next fight happening right after them. There aren’t any hard feelings between him and Rico either, as Rocky gives him a half-hug as they walk by each other before leaving the ring. Holding his head with one hand, Rocky asks one of the audience members for a cigarette, so he gives Rocky the one he has. Some lady calls him a bum once he takes it, but he just walks back to the locker room instead of responding. In the locker room, he puts on his robe labeled “The Italian Stallion” and sits on the bench to untie his boots. Next to him is Rico drinking a beer, and he tells Rocky that he got lucky tonight. Just then, the promoter walks in and gives Rico his $40 share. Sadly, after taxes, cornerman shares, showers, and a bunch of other random fees, his profit comes to a paltry $17.20. Rocky’s winner share starts out at $65. However, after all of his fees, he is only given $40.55. Right away, Rocky asks when he fights again, and the promoter tells Rocky to call him in two weeks. Next, he lets both fighters know the doctor will be there in 20 minutes.

Following this, Rocky is wearing his leather jacket and hat and bouncing a ball around while he walks down the street. He stops by a pet store to look at the puppies in the window before continuing on. He passes by a boxing gym, and a group of men singing on a corner next to a garbage can fire (one of them being brother Frank Stallone). He knows the locals, so he stops by for a swig from the bottle they’re drinking from, tells them how they’ve been getting better every year, and keeps walking. Upon getting back to his apartment, he finishes his beer, talks to and feeds his two pet turtles. He grabs his pet fish from the counter next to his poster of Rocky Marciano and puts the fish next to his turtles. He jokes that if they could sing or dance, he wouldn’t have to do all this. Next, Rocky goes over to the mirror to practice a line about the turtle food having more moths in it than flies. Then, he looks at a picture of himself from when he was kid before getting some ice cubes from the freezer to hold up against his head as he sits in his bed. The next day, Rocky goes to the pet store to grab some more turtle food and tries to engage in conversation with cashier Adrian (Shire), though she’s shy and doesn’t really respond with more than a sentence. Co-worker Gloria interrupts for a moment to try and shoo him away, but Rocky continues and states the line he was practicing the night before. He talks about the turtles getting the moths caught in their throat and he would tap the turtle on the shell to get them to cough it up, resulting in them being “shell shocked”. It was a joke he was preparing this whole time, but Adrian doesn’t react to it, and Gloria makes fun of him for his attempt at a joke. Rocky greets dog Butkus in a cage while Gloria tells Adrian to clean all the cat cages in the basement. As Adrian and Rocky make eye contact before she heads to the basement, Gloria tells Rocky he has to pay for the turtle food to which he responds, “Hey, crime don’t pay. You know that, Gloria”. Following this, Rocky goes to a shipping yard, is greeted by some of the guys who know him as a boxer, and he continues walking until he finds Bob working.

He has to chase Bob down because Rocky also works as a collector for loan shark Tony Gazzo (Spinell). Bob owes Gazzo $200, so Rocky grabs him and demands it or he’s breaking the man’s thumb. Though he says he’s broke, Bob manages to cough up $130. With Rocky noting how he’s $70 short, Bob offers his coat, but Rocky refuses it. He walks off, commenting how Bob should have planned ahead. Bob suggests they fake it and he tape up his thumb, but Rocky keeps walking. Later, Rocky waits by the train and gets picked up by Gazzo, giving him the $130. He is sure that Bob will have the rest of the money next week. Gazzo agrees with Rocky, gives him his payment for the day, and tells Rocky to collect from Del Rio tomorrow. Del Rio has been late on his payment for three weeks. Putting on his glasses, he asks Gazzo how to spell “Del Rio” because he’s about to write it down. Gazzo asks about his fight, and Rocky tells him he did good, but Gazzo’s driver Buddy trash talks him over his wounded face. Gazzo calms things down and has Buddy pull over so he can talk with Rocky in private outside the car. They walk across the street onto the sidewalk, and Gazzo questions why Rocky didn’t break Bob’s thumb like he said. Rocky tries to deny it, but Gazzo hears things. He notes how this makes him look bad and wants to know why, so Rocky details his thought process. If he did break his thumb, he figured Bob would get laid off. When he tries to continue, Gazzo stops him and says that he will figure these things out. Right now, people are acting like Gazzo is running a charity and that they can get off light. From now on, he wants Rocky to do what he tells him to do because it’s bad for his reputation otherwise. Gazzo leaves him on the sidewalk and goes back to the car. Holding his little notepad, Rocky asks how to spell “Del Rio”, but Gazzo just tells him to open a dictionary. He apologizes again for the thumb incident, but Gazzo waves him off and gets in the car. Buddy makes a snide comment to Rocky before driving off, prompting Rocky to yell that he should’ve broke his thumbs instead. Rocky heads to the local boxing gym “Mighty Mick’s Gym” that he frequents, greets worker Mike (Jimmy Gambina), and enters the locker room. His combination isn’t working on his lock though.

He tries it again and even checks the paper he has it written down on. However, it still doesn’t work. So, he grabs a fire extinguisher off the wall and breaks it open, only to find out that it’s been given to someone else. Mike tells Rocky that it’s Dipper’s (Shaw) locker now. Rocky is confused because it’s been his locker for 6 years and he wants to know where his gear is. Mike reveals that trainer Mickey Goldmill (Meredith) told him to bag and hang it. Pissed off, Rocky goes to see Mickey, who is working with Dipper.

Rocky confronts him, and Mickey doesn’t back down. He says Dipper needed the locker because he’s a “climber”, and Rocky is a tomato. Rocky counters with how he KO’d Spider Rico in the second round, but Mickey laughs this off, calling Rico a bum. Rocky brings up how Mickey thinks everyone Rocky fights is a bum, but Mickey actually agrees. He gives Rocky’s heart credit, but his problem is that he fights like a “goddamn ape”. He doesn’t think there’s anything special about him and since he’s never gotten his nose busted to leave it that way. Rocky goes to take a steam, but he makes sure to let Mickey know that he should have seen him last night. Dipper comments “Big deal”, so Rocky says Dipper should have seen him too. Just as he’s about to walk away, Mickey tells Rocky to think about retirement, with Dipper adding that he likes Rocky’s locker. Rocky leaves and walks across the store to the pet shop. There, Adrian is alone feeding the bird cages while Rocky tries to make small talk about the weather before inviting her to a basketball game. She ignores him. He continues rambling about his locker, the weather, and the birds before asking if she needs someone to walk her home. She declines, so he takes it in stride and suggests she gets a cab on account of all the creeps out there. Before he leaves, he lets Adrian know he’ll come back tomorrow with a joke for her. Rocky goes to the Lucky Seven Tavern and finds a drunk on the ground outside. He picks the guy up, enters the bar, sits the guy next to Lefty, and asks the bartender if he’s seen Paulie (Young) while he grabs a beer. The bartender says Paulie is in the steam room, so Rocky goes over to it while telling a local he did good in his fight when she asks about his eye. On the television, a newscaster talks about world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed (Weathers) arriving at Kennedy Airport. Walking through the pool room, a guy is surprised to hear Rico is still around, and Rocky lets the guy know Rico is doing good. He enters the bathroom and finds Paulie.

Immediately, he brings up how he sees Paulie’s sister Adrian all the time to tell her a joke, but she keeps giving him the cold shoulder. Paulie tells Rocky to forget it because he can do better than her. Rocky pours half a beer into Paulie’s glass that’s on the dryer and he takes a drink right after. Paulie goes on about how Adrian is a loser and she drives him crazy, but Rocky tries to get him to calm down. Paulie admits Rocky caught him while he’s in a bad mood, but Paulie is always in a bad mood. It’s probably the most consistent element of the entire Rocky franchise. Paulie is adamant that Adrian is stupid, a loser, and will die alone if she doesn’t watch out because she’s pushing 30. When Rocky says he’s 30, Paulie tells Rocky he’s going to die alone. Rocky leads him out of the bathroom, and Paulie changes the subject to ask if Rocky can talk to Gazzo about him. Rocky tells him he doesn’t think Gazzo is hiring right now. Walking back to the bar, Paulie speaks about Adrian’s body drying up as she gets older and how Rocky should come over tomorrow on Thanksgiving to talk to her. Rocky is down. As he orders another beer, Paulie checks out because Adrian calls the hospital if he’s 10 minutes late. The bartender tries to stop Paulie because he didn’t pay his bill, but Rocky tells him he’ll get it. On the TV, the newscaster talks about the bicentennial fight between Apollo Creed and Mac Lee Green in Philadelphia at the Spectrum. Apollo is interviewed for it and walks with his wife as he spouts off about this fight being the greatest sporting event in the country’s history. The bartender calls Apollo a clown, but Rocky defends Apollo, talking about how he took his best shot and became champion of the world. Rocky questions what shot the bartender ever took. The bartender points out how Rocky probably isn’t happy with his life, but he’s good with his. He’s got a business. He doesn’t need to take shots. Rocky crumbles up the cash he owes and drops it on the counter for him before leaving the bar. The bartender “takes a shot” by actually pouring himself one. Rocky walks down the sidewalk and some younger kids who know him try to get him to buy some wine for them, but he declines.

Rocky asks the 12-year-old girl Marie (Jodie Letizia) if her brother knows she’s out here, but she yells at him. He pulls her away from the guys and walks her down the street. Rocky attempts to steer her straight, throwing away her cigarette and trying to not get her to use rougher language because men won’t respect her as she ages.

He continues about not wanting her to turn out to be a whore. It’s not that she will be one, but if she acts like one, it will be her reputation. They won’t remember her. They will just remember her reputation. After noting how she doesn’t have a boyfriend, Rocky goes on about how she won’t get one with the guys she’s hanging around and to surround herself with better people to improve her environment. He walks her right back to her house. Before Marie gets inside, she flips him off and calls him a creep. He walks away saddened, questioning who he is to give advice to people. Following this, Apollo Creed is told that Mac Lee Green has suffered a severely cracked third metacarpal in his left hand and won’t be able to fight Creed. Promoter George Jergens (Thayer David) says they can cancel the fight indefinitely if he’s set on fighting Green, but this is not an option for Apollo. Apollo’s lawyer reminds Jergens that Apollo has already done $1 million worth of publicity and has made contractual obligations with 20 different organizations. He’s not going to be embarrassed. Jergens says he contacted Ernie Roman’s manager, but Ernie is fighting in France that week. Apollo suggests Buddy Shaw since he’s ranked 5th, but Jergens explains that he went to California and gained 50 pounds. He has gotten a hold of every worthwhile contender, and they have all said that five weeks isn’t enough time to get into shape. Apollo doesn’t buy that. He thinks they’re all scared because everyone is going to see the one-sided ass-kicking he’s going to deliver. Still, Jergens doesn’t know what to do. Following a pause, Apollo comes up with an idea. Without a ranked contender, this fight will need a novelty. With this being considered the land of opportunity, the attraction can be Apollo giving a local underdog fighter an opportunity. He’ll even get his face on the poster next to him. He considers himself sentimental, along with a lot of people in this country. Apollo thinks there’s nothing the people in this country would like to see more than himself giving “a local Philadelphia boy a shot at the greatest title in the world on this country’s biggest birthday”. Jergens likes it and calls it “very American”, but Apollo corrects him saying, “It’s very smart”.

Somewhere in the city, Rocky is dropped off by Gazzo, but he stops the car before they pull off. He wants to get confirmation on Gazzo’s orders being two yards from Snyder and a grand from Cappoli, but Gazzo explains it’s the other way around. Gazzo asks what girl he’s seeing tomorrow, which surprises Rocky as to how he heard about it. Naturally, Gazzo is vague, but a smiling Rocky admits it’s Paulie’s sister. As Gazzo smiles about it, Buddy interrupts and tells Rocky he heard she was mentally handicapped, but Rocky dispels this. She’s just shy. Still, Buddy gives him advice, “Take her to the zoo. I hear retards like the zoo”. Gazzo tries to calm things down and chalks up Buddy’s bad attitude to issues with his prostate, but Rocky and Buddy still argue until Gazzo stops him. He admits Buddy doesn’t like Rocky, but it’s just how it goes sometimes. Even so, he gives Rocky $50 for his date with Adrian. Buddy reminds Rocky of the zoo comment before speeding off. In his office, Apollo goes over possible replacement fighters with his trainer Tony “Duke” Evers (Burton). Duke says no to Billy Snow (“fouls”), and Big Chuck Smith because he’s too old and dull. He suggests Bobby Judd, but Apollo doesn’t like it because he doesn’t feel any heat with that name. Jergens brings up Joe Zach being a good prospect, but Apollo ignores him. Apollo then finds “The Italian Stallion” in the program he’s looking in and shows the others. Jergens has never heard of Rocky Balboa, but Creed assures him that his nickname is everything and the media will eat it up. Talking about the marketing of the fight aloud, he points out how an Italian discovered America, so what would be better than fighting one of his descendants? Duke doesn’t want it because Rocky’s a southpaw, but Creed doesn’t care about that. In fact, he’s confident about dropping him in three rounds. He’s just focused on the promoting. That night, Rocky and Paulie walk by some kids playing stickball and head to Paulie’s house. Paulie talks about how his joints hurt from working at the butcher shop in the freezers. Rocky suggests he see a doctor, but Paulie just wants a different job.

Paulie asks again if Rocky can talk to Gazzo about him, but Rocky tries to get him to forget about it. Right now, he’s focused on seeing Adrian and Paulie confirms that she knows Rocky is coming. Lighting a cigarette, Rocky sees Marie hanging with the rough crowd again but tries to continue walking. Once they get closer to the house, Paulie takes a swig from his bottle while Rocky tells him to forget about Gazzo. Paulie agrees, adding that he never asks anyone twice. Before they get in the house, Rocky again asks Paulie to confirm Adrian knows he’s coming, and he does. Once they get inside, Adrian tells Paulie he’s late from the kitchen. She pops her head out to see Paulie standing next to Rocky and she sheepishly jumps back into the kitchen. Rocky stands by the door awkwardly and can overhear Adrian yell at Paulie for not warning her that he was bringing Rocky over. She talks about how she isn’t ready, but Paulie doesn’t see a problem because he’s a friend and he’s taking her out regardless. Adrian doesn’t want to and runs into another room, locking the door. As Paulie yells at her, Rocky takes a look at the TV, as they are talking about the Apollo fight. Paulie finally gets the door open after calling Adrian a loser again, and she explains how she can’t go because she has a turkey in the oven since it’s Thanksgiving. Hearing this, Paulie grabs the turkey, throws it outside, and demands she go and “Enjoy your life”. Adrian cries and runs back into the other room. Holding a leg from the turkey, Paulie asks Rocky if he’s hungry. Rocky considers leaving since Adrian is in a bad mood now and he’s kind of in one, but Paulie insists he try. So, Rocky knocks on her door and talks aloud about not having anyone to spend Thanksgiving with and suggesting they go out to eat. He feels awkward about it because he’s talking to the door essentially, but Paulie encourages him. Finally, Adrian walks out with her coat and hat on ready to go. She doesn’t say anything to either of them. Before he leaves, Rocky asks Paulie what she likes to do, and he tells Rocky she likes to ice skate. Paulie rushes Adrian out of the door and slams it behind them both.

On the porch, Rocky tries to make her feel better by saying he didn’t want a turkey anyway, but Adrian is confused because it’s Thanksgiving. To Rocky though, it’s just Thursday. She’s confused by the comment but still follows him out to begin their date. They go to an ice-skating rink, but the guy driving the Zamboni tells him they’re closed since it’s after 6PM and it’s Thanksgiving. Adrian is down to go somewhere else, but Rocky wants to try and talk to the guy. He is able to convince him to let them get 10 minutes on the ice for $10 by lying, saying Adrian is sick, and her best exercise suggestion has been ice skating. Adrian skates while Rocky jogs next to her, as he hasn’t skated since he was 15. That’s when he started boxing. Skating is bad for the ankles. He goes on about how fighting isn’t everything in his life anymore. He just wanted to prove he wasn’t a bum and that he had the stuff to be a good pro. Adrian finally responds, wondering if he ever got the chance. Rocky isn’t too bothered by it because he still fights, but he considers it more of a hobby now. He chalks up his problem to being a southpaw. He explains to her how it throws off other fighters and makes them look awkward and nobody wants to look awkward. Next, he points out the history of the term, mentioning how a guy fighting a hundred years ago was left-handed. His arm was facing towards New Jersey, the south. They started calling him southpaw out of that “Southpaw, South Jersey. South Camden, southpaw”. He tries to stay positive and thinks things happened for the best, and Adrian is still confused about him not getting a shot because he’s left-handed, though he’s positive of this. Just then, Adrian almost falls and Rocky catches her, but he dislocates his finger. She almost freaks out, but he shows her how it’s an old recurring injury and it’s not a big deal. He fixes it on the spot. At the same time, the Zamboni driver is counting aloud once another minute goes by to rush them. To explain his injury, Rocky talks about how he carries pictures of all his fights and this injury happened specifically during the Baby Crenshaw fight. He shows her the picture and details how he broke both of his hands on the guy’s face, but he lost the fight.

They continue side by side, as Rocky notes that he doesn’t move well but he hits hard. After bringing up again how no one wants to fight a southpaw, he starts talking about how he started fighting. His father told him that he wasn’t born with much of a brain, so he should start using his body. This gets a laugh out of Adrian, who admits her mother told her the opposite thing. As the Zamboni driver times them to the second, they head to the exit. Adrian asks Rocky why he wants to fight, but he jokes it’s because he can’t sing or dance. She almost falls, but Rocky catches her. He brings up the Rico fight as they walk out and points out the scar from it. After they leave, they walk around the corner and Rocky rambles about how she’s shy and he’s dumb, in a playful manner. Eventually, Adrian questions why anyone would want to be a fighter. Rocky admits you have to be a moron to want to be a fighter because you’re almost guaranteed to end up a bum. Adrian doesn’t think he’s a bum, so he settles with considering himself half a bum. Rocky then comments that the worst part about fighting is the morning after. You feel the pain all over. He then reveals that he’s had 64 fights but has never broken his nose, despite the many hits it’s taken. He’s really proud of it, considering how rare it is. She questions why he does it if it hurts, so when he challenges her to guess, she gives the “can’t sing and dance” answer he gave earlier. He chuckles and agrees. This leads to him inviting her into his apartment, but she wants to head out. He persists with his invitation until she finally relents. Once inside, she stands awkwardly in the living room while turning down everything Rocky offers. He takes off his sweater and just wears his undershirt, and she looks down, embarrassed. Not thinking anything of it, Rocky turns on some music and shows her the turtles he bought from her on her first day at the pet shop, Cuff and Link. She remembers it. As he talks about everything he bought, he invites her to sit down on the couch with him, moving some newspapers to the side. He makes a joke about how it’s safer next to him, and she chuckles.

She walks over but pivots to his mirror to look at pictures of his parents and 8-year-old Rocky. Rocky invites her over to the couch again, but she asks for his phone instead. It turns out that he doesn’t have one. He pulled it because people were calling all the time. Who would have thought? Anyway, she wants to call Paulie because he might be worried, so Rocky opens the window and shouts the message to Paulie as a joke. He can sense something is wrong and wonders if she doesn’t like him. Adrian states that she doesn’t think she belongs there. She doesn’t know Rocky well enough, has never been in a man’s apartment alone, and she doesn’t feel comfortable. Rocky tries to say he doesn’t feel comfortable either, but she goes to leave. Rocky stops her, and they have a moment before he asks for a favor. He takes off her glasses and hat and mentions how pretty she is. Adrian is quick to say, “Don’t tease me”, but Rocky is sure he is not. He wants to kiss her and lets her know that she doesn’t have to kiss back if she doesn’t want to. He kisses her on the cheek, and she leans in just as Rocky pulls away. They stare into each other’s eyes, and then start to make out, sliding down to the ground as they do. The next day, Rocky goes to Mighty Mick’s Boxing gym and is told Mickey wants to talk. He finds Mickey in the gym, and Mickey said Jergens is there looking for him. They need sparring partners for Apollo Creed, so he gives Rocky the card to call. Rocky says they might need sparring partners for Apollo, so an annoyed Mickey reminds him how he just said that before calling him dumb. In front of everyone at the gym, Rocky goes off about how Mickey has been a prick to him from day one and wants to know why. After Rocky demands it to the point where everyone stops to listen, Mickey yells at him how he had the talent to be a good fighter but “Instead of that, you became a leg-breaker to some cheap, second-rate loan shark”. Rocky calmly responds that it’s a living, but Mickey assures him it’s a waste of life. Taking it, Rocky walks out and everyone goes back to working out.

Rocky goes to Jergens and has a sit-down meeting with him in his office. After confirming he doesn’t have representation or a manager, Rocky does say he’s very available to be a sparring partner if it’s needed. He promises he wouldn’t take any cheap shots either, as it would be an honor to face Apollo. However, Jergens lays out the proposition. He offers Rocky a chance to fight Apollo Creed for the World Heavyweight Championship. Surprisingly, Rocky declines. Jergens says Apollo has seen him fight, he likes Rocky and wants to fight him. Rocky talks his reputation down about how he fights in clubs and is a ham-and-egger. He knows it wouldn’t be a good fight, considering Apollo is the world champion. Since they both agree that America is the land of opportunity, Jergens says he’s going to prove this point by giving an unknown a shot at the title. That unknown is Rocky. Apollo handpicked him and is giving him the chance of a lifetime.

He can’t pass it by, and he won’t. The ultimate underdog is going to take his shot and make a run for it. However, his lifestyle and training will have to change if he’s to take this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity seriously. It’s about self-belief. Rocky wanted the chance, and now, he’s got it. However, the self-doubt inevitably creeps in.

My Thoughts:

Rocky is what cinema is all about. When people think of the art form in general, Rocky can be looked at as one of the purest examples in explaining why we love the movies. Heartwarming as well as heart-pumping, Sylvester Stallone leveraged his life and career on this production, and it paid off. Just like that, He created a legacy with the 1976 feature that helped turn him into one of the biggest stars of the industry. All of it can be attributed to the underdog story of a lifetime that is Rocky, a film that is both the best sports movie ever made and one of the greatest films of all time.

All it takes is a chance.

We’re all dreamers. We are the people who didn’t grow up in privileged households, great neighborhoods or schools, or had the opportunities other kids may have had growing up. In many cases, people see others being successful and think to themselves how they could achieve similar success had they got the same breaks that person did or had been given the right opportunity. Some call it envy or how we’re unrealistic. Maybe those people are better and deserving of their success. It’s possible, but the opportunity is the difference maker. If the opportunity arises to prove your worth, will you be ready to prove people wrong, or will you falter under the pressure and expectations you brought upon yourself while blaming others for being “lucky”. Will you be prepared to prove your worth and show people that you are who you say you are? For a lot of everyday people and the aforementioned dreamers, we tend to tell ourselves that all we need is an opportunity to show people that we can be more than what we are. All we need is someone to pick us out of the crowd to give us a shot. On the other hand, a majority of people don’t push further than what they have, at least to the stage of what would consider to be a “dreamer”. They live life confidently thinking they could have been more but become content with what they got without ever taking the swing. This is the position Rocky Balboa is in, along with star Sylvester Stallone. The real-life story has now been told ad nauseum, so we won’t go in-depth with that, but the idea of Stallone being near penniless in Hollywood but refusing to sell his screenplay without being able to portray the main character is that of taking the “big swing”. He was willing to ride or die with his baby in Rocky and “take the punches” if you will, on if it was going to be a success or failure. He had to be the main actor to tell this story and refused to let it be made otherwise. If this was his only shot, he wanted to be able to say that he at least tried and achieved his goal, no matter if it was a success.

That is the work of a dreamer, and Stallone was correct in that he had to be the one to play Rocky Balboa, as he channels that authentic, earnest, tough, survivalist, underdog energy that makes Rocky one of the most endearing characters in the history of cinema.

Early on in the movie, Rocky is aimless. He boxes, but it’s not paying the bills. According to him, it’s turned into a hobby at this point. He attributes this inability to rise up in the sport to being a southpaw and people not wanting to fight southpaws. Though this could play somewhat of a factor, which is only heightened by hardened Irish trainer Mickey’s words about how southpaws should be outlawed from the sport in Rocky II, it’s not the real reason. The real reason is that Rocky never took it as seriously as he should have. He never dedicated himself like the true professionals do, the people who want to be the best. If you don’t work as hard as you possibly can, how can you say you deserve that chance? In life, we can talk all the game we want to anyone who will listen, but if we don’t put in that effort when no one else is watching, do we really deserve the opportunity of a lifetime? It’s true that Rocky is a hood, making money as a collector for loan shark Tony Gazzo. As Rocky tells Mickey, “It’s a living”, just like any of us would argue about our regular jobs that we do to get by. It’s a living, but Mickey is quick to tell him that it’s a waste of life. Not only is it a waste of life because roughing people up to collect money is no way of living, but it’s also a waste of life because of potential for a better one. Just like any one of us, Rocky can achieve his dreams or rather could, as Mickey thinks Rocky’s window has closed. He had the talent to be a good fighter, but he chose to put more of his effort into being a heavy. This is a profession where you can’t juggle both. You’re either all in on professional boxing or you are all out. With Rocky considering it a mere hobby and accepting $40 payments for winning fights while making more collecting, it’s obvious that the mindset is the problem. He’s not as dedicated as he needs to be and absolutely can be. Right now, he has the mentality of a bum and doesn’t even know it, which is a term that he outright detests and works every day to avoid becoming, or at least he says.

Rocky’s words of advice to neighborhood kid Marie about changing her environment and to surround herself with better people to get better herself are earnest and heartfelt. Because above all else, Rocky’s best trait is that he’s too good for this world, or really just Philadelphia. Even when he has to break Bob’s thumbs for not having Gazzo’s money, he can’t bring himself to do it because he thinks of the consequences no collector would ever consider. If he breaks this guy’s thumbs, he’ll get laid off and he can’t help but feel for him because of it. Rocky might be a fighter, but he’s a caring individual who just played with the cards he was dealt. He can throw hands with the best of them and is no slouch by any means, but he always does things the right way first. He’s too kindhearted to be the aggressor because his nature is to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. It’s not until he’s pushed to the absolute limit by others where Rocky’s hand is forced and he feels that it’s his duty to fight, as we see with Clubber Lang in Rocky III, Ivan Drago in Rocky IV, and Tommy Gunn in Rocky V. The heart, humbleness, and instincts Rocky has is that of one of the purest forms of a hero that you will ever see. Still, he had to find a way to get to that next level, one that he didn’t see as possible beforehand. So, when he tells Marie these strong words of advice, the viewer can’t help but note how Rocky is either not practicing what he preaches or that he’s accepted that he failed at becoming the champion he thought he could have been and is just trying to pay it forward by telling this young girl not to make the same mistakes he has. What pains Mickey and why he speaks with such vitriol at Rocky is that he sees the potential Rocky has and how he squandered it. For a trainer and former boxer himself, it bothers Mickey that Rocky is willing to throw it all away or waste yet another opportunity by not putting everything he has into this chance he’s been given. A chunk of Rocky is about the importance of commitment in lieu of a goal. Again, if you are serious in making it happen, you have to be fully committed in every conceivable way. The eyes have to be fully focused on the light at the end of the tunnel. Once Rocky realizes this himself, it finally clicks.

He knew how lucky this opportunity was beforehand, but it’s not until Mickey goes to his apartment to offer to be his manager where he starts to grasp the gravity of facing the world heavyweight champion. It’s not immediate though. In a emotional scene where Roger Ebert’s likening of Stallone’s performance to a young Marlon Brando is actually felt and not nearly as far-fetched as some hindsight critics will have you believe, Mickey drops the loudmouth act and aggressiveness to point out the freak luck that has happened to Rocky with this Apollo fight, warning him that it’s “… like the Bible says, ‘You ain’t gonna get a second chance”. He goes on about how he’s been involved with boxing for 50 years and how he knocked his opponent out of the ring in 1923 on the same night Luis Angel Firpo famously did to Jack Dempsey on the same card, using this historical example as to why Rocky needs a manager because Mickey didn’t get the same publicity Dempsey got for this reason. He tries to encourage Rocky by saying Rocky reminds him of Rocky Marciano because he moves like him and has heart like he did, but Rocky has had enough of the nice guy act after years of Mickey’s verbal assaults (“Yeah, I got heart, but I ain’t got no locker, do I Mick?”). He can’t let it go and why should he? Now that Rocky has the upper hand for the first time in his life, he can’t just ignore the fact that Mickey never gave him a chance just like everyone else and is only popping up to help now that he’s gotten this title shot. Mickey has all this knowledge and says he wants to help, but just like many of us who are lucky enough to start climbing the ladder, it becomes difficult to figure out who is earnestly reaching out to extend a helping hand and who just wants to ride the coattails. Rocky has to decide in that moment in his apartment about who Mickey is to him, as does the viewer. For Rocky fans who have watched the franchise constantly over the years, we know how much love Mickey has for Rocky, but it wasn’t as clear in 1976. Though the role of Mickey has been parodied to death just as much as the movie has, Burgess Meredith’s performance, especially in this first film, is worthy of its Academy Award nomination.

Anyone can scream at the top of their lungs how much of a bum Rocky is, but it’s in these moments of vulnerability behind closed doors where Meredith shows all sides of Mickey, the buried heart he has. He has a passion for the sport so strong that it just incenses him when fighters don’t take it seriously which is why he had trouble connecting with Rocky before. Nevertheless, his going out of his way to meet with Rocky in his apartment is not only a waving of a white flag to work with the young man in need of guidance, but a desperate plea to be a mentor for someone who has a chance to do something very few get in a lifetime. Knowing what he went through as a boxer, Mickey hopes to help Rocky avoid that stuff he went through because he knows how unprepared Rocky is for all the bullshit that comes with being a famous boxer. Still, Rocky is hesitant. The fight’s set already. He doesn’t need a manager. When Mickey brings up how he has the pain and experience, Rocky points out how he has pain and experience just as well. Following it up, Stallone is at his most gripping, yelling at the old man and reminding him how he needed his help 10 years ago, but he never helped nor cared. Mickey tries to say that he didn’t ask but Rocky knows he asked, “… but you never heard nothing!”. He knows Mickey looked past him back then, made his assumptions early in Rocky’s career, and never gave Rocky that opportunity from a personal standpoint to get to know or understand the man putting on the gloves. It’s in this scene where Stallone not only wakes up Hollywood to who he is as an actor, winning over the audience with an authentic portrayal of the goodhearted boxer that finally has a chance to do something special, but it’s where he shows how great the screenplay is too. Too many of times do people discuss the boxing itself, the larger-than-life characters, or the underdog premise that can be looked at by some as predictable or even unbelievable, but that’s just because people have become accustomed to Rocky over the years since the movie is replayed on television or referenced in media more than The Wizard of Oz. If you sit down, watch this with no distractions, and immerse yourself in this world Sylvester Stallone has created, you will find yourself believing again.

That’s the real power of Rocky that cannot be understated and why it has the legacy it does. When you are at your lowest and the motivation escapes you as life gets harder, watching Rocky Balboa push himself to the limit in a gray sweatsuit and converse and trying to capitalize on his opportunity with his old school training regiment of punching raw meat like it’s a heavy bag, hitting the speedbag with laser focus, the one-handed pushups, the smile and eventual sprinting through Philadelphia to the top of the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art that has now colloquially become known as the “Rocky Steps” is a montage that not only influenced generations, but could even bring a tear to your eye as you remember how powerful cinema can be when handled with such care from all angles. It takes real artistry to do that. Equally important to it its presentation and lasting influence is how it’s combined with Bill Conti’s iconic “Gonna Fly Now” that somehow didn’t win the Oscar for Best Original Song, despite being as recognizable as the fucking Star Wars theme. It’s goosebumps-inducing every time. Even without the more obvious stuff that everyone remembers, the complexities of the screenplay itself should not be ignored either. While adhering to the hood, high school dropout way Rocky speaks, as well as how Mickey’s aggressive and direct way of talking can be as this tough-as-nails Irishman, Stallone balances both in his writing while having the deep conversation in Rocky’s home be true to the characters at hand but also emotionally available enough to show how these tough guys are really feeling. Basically, there’s an eloquence to the basic language used in a scene like this. It’s just raw, and it allows the actors to feel out the scene for what it’s worth, with Mickey’s saddened expression when Rocky lays into him saying more than what the written word can express. All he can get out before leaving is commenting “I’m 76 years old…”, but it becomes too much for him and he leaves Rocky alone, as if to say this is his last opportunity to make things right with Rocky.

It continues when he stops on the stairs and hears Rocky yelling aloud in his apartment acting as if Mickey is still in the room. Mickey can hear it all, and he hangs his head in guilt because he knows Rocky is right to feel the way he does, as Rocky was abandoned by everyone including him until Apollo gifted him this opportunity. Not until Rocky V does Rocky have such a deep and emotional outburst where he gets all the pain out and every line of dialogue is like a dagger to the chest, with Stallone seemingly getting out all of his struggles with trying to achieve success in Hollywood in his dedicated performance. It’s just Rocky alone in that room and he angrily slams the door, “Took you long enough to get here! Took you 10 years to come to my house! What about my prime Mick? At least you had a prime! I didn’t have no prime. I didn’t have nothing!”. Echoing the feelings felt in Brando’s “I coulda been a contender” speech from On the Waterfront, the daunting task Rocky is about to face combined with the disrespect he has gotten up until this point has made him explode, and the viewer can’t help but feel for the goodhearted man because we know how much it takes for Rocky to become enraged like this. He may sound dumb to those around him, and they have gathered a perception about his character because of it, but Rocky Balboa is much more than meets the eye. He is aware of how people think of him and treat him. They think he’s stupid because of his grammar or the way he interacts with others. They think he’s some punch-drunk boxer, but he’s not and it does bother him. It does hurt his feelings hearing this stuff, and as any man does, he internalizes it and tries to avoid expressing these feelings until he lashes out. For fighters, the hope is that it comes out in the ring. It can work in some cases, just like how Bianca notes to Adonis Creed in Creed III. When he has trouble expressing his internal strife about Dame Anderson and their past, she notes how she can’t help nor can he help himself if he doesn’t express it. It will take a toll, especially when he doesn’t have the outlet of boxing anymore.

Here, Rocky is fully prepared to go at Apollo without a manager and train like how he would anyone else until he lets his feelings be known. It’s a struggle for him, as evidenced with how much he explodes in that interaction with Mickey. It’s not until he lets it out that he’s able to progress mentally in preparation for the biggest night of his life. Without getting this off his chest and coming to this understanding with Mickey, the story would have turned out much differently.

Like he does on countless occasions in the Rocky franchise, Rocky lets his opponent talk, and he is as humble as possible. It’s not a strategy as a boxer. It’s just who Rocky is as a person, which is why when hurtful words are thrown his way, he takes them to heart but tries to play it off. You believe him at face value when he says it doesn’t bother him because we believe in Rocky as a person like when he hears those insults from Apollo Creed on TV how since Rocky is Italian, he can at least cook if he can’t fight. Just when he’s about to head home for the night, he privately admits to Adrian, “You know when I said that stuff on TV didn’t bother me none? It did”, and the audience can feel it in their souls seeing this kind man take so many shots on the chin before even stepping into the ring. It’s life, and life has kicked Rocky down more times than he can count. Nevertheless, the ultimate message of 2006’s Rocky Balboa can be felt in every movie when looking back at it. It’s not how hard you hit. It’s how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done, whether it be in the literal sense or metaphorically winning at life. You have to fight.

Even with the iconic, star-making performance from Sylvester Stallone, the film wouldn’t be the same without the rest of the supporting cast, as they are every bit of Rocky’s story as Rocky himself. Talia Shire’s Adrian being this cute, overly shy woman who’s afraid of venturing out or taking chances with love is incredible. For those unfamiliar with her work, they may not realize how convincing Shire is as this awkward, inexperienced, and regularly uncomfortable woman who doesn’t know how to interact with someone as talkative and fun as Rocky. However, we do know of Shire’s work and she’s nearly unrecognizable with how she carries herself as Adrian. Her evolution through the movie makes us smile ear to ear, as the persistent love of Rocky brings out the best in her. Slowly as the movie progresses, Rocky and the viewer get to see more of Adrian’s true personality as she begins to open up ever so slightly. It’s the side of her that she hides from the public because she’s afraid of getting hurt. Watch how she eagerly waits to rub Rocky down after a workout, but he turns her down because as we know, “Women weaken the legs”. How about when she lovingly responds with a “Yo!” of her own when Rocky greets her with one to show how in love she’s becoming with who he is, or when she deadpans “Why did you do that?” when Rocky asks her if she liked him calling her out on TV, only for her to admit she was joking. Seeing her respond and flourish with Rocky’s love is all the evidence we need to see to show that this is true love blossoming. These moments mean more because she’s so outlandishly shy in the first half of the movie, the viewer is unsure if she even likes Rocky’s company. It doesn’t help that they have one of the worst first dates ever, but it actually kind of works because of how mismatched and awkward they are. If it went normally, it wouldn’t be Rocky and Adrian. Really, it’s a reminder to the casual viewer how incredible both Talia Shire and Stallone are as actors because they are literally nothing like these characters in real life or in any other role.

The most frustrating thing about critics of Sylvester Stallone in particular is that they conflate him with the character of Rocky just because it’s still Stallone’s signature voice that is hard to mask. However, if you really pay attention to the nuances of this performance, the speech pattern Stallone has, how he talks and uses words so effortlessly in that “Rocky” way of speaking, and his general attitude with how he interacts with the people and his environment, it is truly one of the best performances of the decade. It got lost in the sauce because people like to imitate the character, but I assure you the effort it took in cultivating the personality and every facet of the Rocky character is more in-depth than meets the eye. Additionally, Burt Young is too good as the most miserable best friend anyone could ask for. Though Rocky fans will defend Paulie because he actually is a realistic depiction of the typical, alcoholic, hardnosed, working-class Italian man coming out of the East Coast, he becomes increasingly detestable with each subsequent rewatch of the series. Rocky gives this man a leash like no other best friend in the history of film. Why he keeps giving this ungrateful motherfucker so many opportunities to make up for his transgressions is beyond me. The drama this man causes for being the bitter alcoholic he is knows no bounds in Rocky, and it only gets worse in sequels. Don’t even get me started on Rocky V right now, or we will be here all day. In one frustrating example, Paulie fishes for a job and offers to run errands for Rocky while he trains, but Rocky just wants to train himself since nobody cared about him yesterday. Paraphrasing Rocky’s own words to Marie, Paulie makes a good point in that he doesn’t have a good chance if he doesn’t have good people around him. For some reason however, Paulie flips in an INSTANT when Adrian defends Rocky’s puncher’s chance, and he slams his beer can on the table and walks out. Sweetheart Adrian still offers to get him another beer, but he has the audacity to tell her to keep out of his life as if she did something wrong.

Adrian asks what she did because she didn’t say anything, but he just becomes enraged screaming, “That’s right! You didn’t say nothing! Nothing it all!”. It was almost completely unprompted. It gets even worse later when Paulie’s at work and asks Rocky what he sees in Adrian because he doesn’t see the attraction and then flat-out asks him if he’s fucking his sister, which is just two outrageous things to ask about your sibling to her boyfriend. Even in private, Adrian still defends Paulie for his stunt by calling the reporters when Rocky was hitting the meat, which threw off his training schedule for the day, by saying how he’s just trying to help. Rocky counters with how Paulie keeps asking for a job with Gazzo despite knowing nothing about fighting and how he doesn’t know what he wants from him, but Paulie hears the last part and tries attacking them both with a fucking bat! He demands they leave his house, how he didn’t “raise” Adrian to go with this “scum bum”, how Rocky hasn’t given Paulie a single thing now that he’s on the come-up, despite him giving Rocky free meat every morning from his meatpacking job, and how he gave Rocky his sister too. Then, he calls Adrian a loser, blames her for him not getting married, and how they both owe him since he put them together. Finally, Adrian stands up to him and brings up how she cooks, cleans, and picks up his dirty clothes for him and tries to state confidently that she’s not a loser. It makes you just want to hug Adrian because you know how much that took out of her to lash out like that. What does Paulie do? He calls her “busted” and outs her for not being a virgin. Are we just supposed to forget about his bullshit just because he’s credited with punching the hanging red meat first that inspires part of Rocky’s caveman training? It’s still hard for me. I would have told Paulie to shove that Shamrock Meats Inc. sponsorship on Rocky’s robe up his ass for how much unnecessary stress he caused him and Adrian, especially with future installments in mind because it definitely doesn’t stop in just this first movie. Either way, he is crucial to the series, as the negativity coming from Rocky’s best friend is part of what strengthens him to push even harder. Plus, it makes moments like in Rocky IV where Paulie does show Rocky love and appreciation that much more special.

Keep in mind however, those moments are few and far between. He’s such a bastard in this film to Adrian, you become even more impressed with the restraint Rocky shows for not knocking this man’s lights out. Then, there’s Carl Weathers whose Muhammed Ali-like portrayal of Apollo Creed is iconic. He emulates the marketing abilities of Ali, the interview skills, the larger-than-life personality, the showmanship, and the undeniable charisma that is able to make him the memorable antagonist or the boisterous and cocky supporting hero of future installments purely because of the likability of Carl Weathers. Calling his shot in three rounds, the energetic, smiling, good-looking Apollo is the epitome of what a superstar boxer was in the 1970s, making the character more than just an Ali impression but rather a fighter that could rival him. In comparison with real life, the 46-0 Apollo Creed could be thrown into a picture with all the top stars of the heavyweight division at that time and looked like he belonged. Weathers looked the part, acted the part, and absolutely felt like the man he is written to be, the world champion and the tallest mountain to climb in Rocky Balboa’s life up until that point. In terms of skills, he might be the purest boxer of any character in the franchise too, with his only rival in that regard being his long-lost son Adonis in the Creed spinoff films. Still, every great has that man that has his number for whatever reason, and Rocky’s iron jaw, hands made of stone, and a heart of steel is that very man. He’s not the greatest boxer of this franchise. However, he’s the greatest fighter and warrior, and that’s the difference that allows him to bridge the gap against any of his opponents. Plus, “he goes to the body like nobody you’ve ever seen”. Rocky and Apollo’s 15 round war that takes up the third act is the stuff of legend. They are polar opposites in fighting styles and personalities. It’s seen at the press conference and on that canvas where they wage war. You can’t put it any better than the commentators do calling it “The caveman against the cavalier”. It’s the respected, world-famous heavyweight champion taking on the 50 to 1 underdog who was a nobody journeyman not too long ago with a record of 44-20 with 38 knockouts. Still, through luck and sheer will, the latter wins the heart of millions by refusing to give up.

Even when the doubt creeps back in the night before, where he starts to put it in his own head that he can’t do it, Rocky changes his goal. At the very least, he’s already proven he is not a nobody, so he’s halfway there. However, if he could go the distance with Apollo, which is something no one has ever done, nobody could ever consider him some bum from the neighborhood. A goal in mind like this is only reserved for someone with a heart of a champion, and that’s the mentality Rocky walks in with, setting the stage for the climactic clash of contrasting styles that even Apollo is stunned by and his trainer Duke knew was going to be a problem ever since he saw the blood on Rocky’s hands after punching the red meat on that news report. Much like the movie as a whole, this fight exemplifies why we go to the movies. The exhilaration is palpable as the two prepare in their respective locker rooms, with Rocky wearing his overly baggy red and gold robe and doing a prayer by the sink, something that would become Rocky’s staple before every fight. Of course, Rocky’s low-key humor never leaves him, as he knows he’s the rock of his crew, pun-intended, joking to a nervous Adrian, “How about I wait here and you fight, huh?”. He even asks her if the robe is too baggy while halfway out the door, but she just wishes him good luck. Rocky’s tension-cutting humor to remind the audiences the humanity of the character has become one of my favorite signatures of the character too, like him seeing Gazzo on the way to the ring and thanking him for showing up, asking Mickey if Apollo is talking to him when Apollo points in his Uncle Sam costume and says, “I want you!”, or his comment asking how much Apollo’s garish George Washington and Uncle Sam outfits cost for his entrance. Even after the final bell sounds and Adrian makes her way through the crowd to hug Rocky, the first thing he asks her is “Hey, where’s your hat?”.

Actually, he was dead serious there, but it doesn’t make it any less funny.

As I have stated in previous reviews, there’s nothing I adore more than the scene depicting the calm before the storm. When done right, it can fully immerse the viewer into the stakes of the film and bring out the goosebumps before the big fight, race, game, war, or whatever depending on the movie. It’s the hero soaking in the moment and internalizing what this next day will bring, either a career-maker or life-destroyer. It’s everything, and the near silence of Rocky walking into the Spectrum and seeing his picture alongside Apollo Creed’s is the prototypical example of how this scene should be done. It’s that moment that filmmakers chase for in every movie they make, and it’s expertly captured by director John G. Avildsen. The anxious eyes of Rocky takes it all in. Even though he’s put in all this work, it’s the reality check he gets in being there and seeing it that wakes him up to what is about to go down, a true fight of the century that people will still talk about to this day, in real life and in the Rocky franchise, as Dame references the fight when trying to make a case for his title shot as late as 2023’s Creed III. At the same time, it’s like a bright-eyed filmmaker getting to see his vision come to life on the big screen in real time. For many Stallone fans, we know what he went through to get to that point, so it feels as though there’s an extra twinkle in his eye in this scene, looking around this empty arena that is about to be filled by thousands to watch him. It’s like Stallone is coming to the realization that millions are going to watch him on the big screen. It’s this layer of reality added to it that makes the heart flutter. The beautiful feather in the cap is when Rocky notes how they got the poster wrong. The depiction of him should have white trunks with a red stripe, but it has red trunks with a white stripe instead. Promoter Jergens plainly tells him, “Doesn’t really matter, does it? I’m sure you’re gonna give us a great show”. They took a real-life, behind the scenes mishap and turned it into a meta scene referencing the movie itself. Jergens is basically telling the audience directly to not worry about this small detail because Stallone and this team in place are going to give you a moviegoing experience that you will not forget.

Finishing it off with the wide shot of Rocky leaving the empty arena with the slower theme music playing was just a chef’s kiss. Other excellent decisions came from the understated decisions in going with a static shot to show Rocky waking up at 4AM and cracking 5 eggs and drinking it with no edit, the wide shot of Rocky stopping Mickey down the street and the two signaling an apology between them with a handshake without a word being heard, or the silent apology hug when Rocky realizes he was just a little too aggressive in telling Adrian to make the meat for him instead of accepting her affection when he’s dog tired. These simple visuals tell just as good of a story as the heated dialogue exchanges or the fights. Also, shoutout to nice guy loan shark Gazzo for giving Rocky $500 for training expenses without wanting anything in return. Rocky can really make good friends with everyone. If anyone deserves their celebrity status in the world of sports, it’s Rocky Balboa. How can you not love this guy?

When Apollo continues to toy with Rocky, Rocky misses some huge punches, and then the crowd later goes nuts when he is able to knock Apollo down for the first time in his career, you feel like you’re in the arena. God, what I wouldn’t give to watch this film on its premiere night to watch it for the first time with a huge audience. It’s not just all of Philadelphia cheering for Rocky, it’s all of us. When Rocky closes the second round strong and the music shifts to the electric “Going The Distance” tune that becomes another staple of the franchise, the viewer becomes just as invested in this fight as Rocky is and you find yourself on the edge of your seat, beginning when Mickey tells broken-nosed Rocky “Go for the ribs! Don’t let the bastard breathe!” while Duke stresses to Apollo that Rocky “… doesn’t know it’s a show. He thinks it’s a fight!”. It’s magnified when that song hits and the two have to be separated after the bell. Rocky refuses to be a tomato that Apollo is going to walk through. He will take hits and will get knocked down, but Rocky will be damned if he gives up (“You stop this fight, I’ll kill ya”). Cut his eye (which prompts even Mick to comment “Oh, God” to himself) and do whatever you have to do, but Rocky will show that he belongs. He will endure all the punishment he has to go through to last, proving he deserves to stand among the greats and is deserving of that coveted opportunity. For Rocky Balboa himself and this franchise, Sylvester Stallone’s biggest triumph embodies everything that both stood for. Just when they count you out at every turn (“What is keeping him up, Bill?”), you show them why they can’t keep you down. That is when you find out what you’re really made of. It was never about winning or losing. It was about getting there, trying your absolute hardest in doing so, and being okay with what the results are, knowing that you gave it your all. Stallone did so in trying to make this production happen, and this love and never-say-die attitude of the movie in spite of all the things Rocky has to overcome is why it all connects as seamlessly as it does.

Sylvester Stallone was put here on this planet to make this movie. It’s as simple as that. No one could have put this together and put every last ounce of bodily energy into making it and understanding it through and through than him. That’s why when it’s all said and done, Rocky is still over-the-moon happy and just wants to be with the one he loves. How can you not feel victorious after that? In a way, it kind of mirrors Stallone nabbing the nomination for Best Actor against such stacked competition. He may not have won the award, but the fact that he got there proved that he wasn’t a bum. Just like Rocky had Apollo on the ropes before he was saved by the bell in the 15th round, Stallone looked like an equal that was on par with and had a logical case to be the winner over Robert De Niro’s Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver, William Holden and Peter Finch in Network, and Giancarlo Giannini in Seven Beauties. Stallone can always take solace in knowing that he was never some bum from the neighborhood. He was born to be a star.

Before the aura of Rocky was ruined by generations of countless parodies, this mythos of the underdog story that Rocky represents is a tale that evokes such passion and inspiration that it has to be seen to be believed. The Cinderella story of a lifetime that has captured the imagination of generations and continues to be a cultural phenomenon, Rocky will always stand the test of time. If you allow yourself to shut off preconceived notions and watch the film by yourself to appreciate the main character, the journey, and the overall message just as how it was intended in 1976, you will realize why it’s one of the greatest gifts cinema has ever produced.

Fun Fact: United Artists originally saw the script as a star vehicle for Robert Redford, Burt Reynolds, James Caan, or Ryan O’Neal. Sylvester Stallone offered the job of director to Ralph Bakshi, but he turned it down. Ken Norton was going to play Apollo Creed before pulling out. Carrie Snodgress was going to play Adrian, but a dispute over money led the producers to look elsewhere. Susan Sarandon and Cher were also considered.