The Film that set the ball rolling (in more ways than one).

Rating: 9/10 (20 June 2007)

A movie criminally overlooked for the great piece of art it is because of the hideousness of it's sequels and the whole embarrassing sub-genre this, the original underdog story, duly spawned. Back in 1976 and even today Rocky was and should continue to be looked upon as not only groundbreaking, but also as a truly landmark moment in western cinema. I don't merely hyperbole either, because Rocky was the first of it's kind; it was the movie that created an archetype. The underdog story, in which a million-to-one shot gets his one chance at stardom and overcomes seemingly insurmountable odds to top the world, is now, an all too familiar tale, but back in 1976 this type of tale, one that captured the very essence of the American dream had never before been brought to the big screen. It was the first of what was now to become a genre of it's own; it was innovation at it's finest.
Along with proceeding a long line of copycat stories it was a sports film that wasn't necessarily cantered around the sport; true, the fight was the showpiece of the film but the interpersonal interaction between Rocky and the film's other primary protagonists (Mick, Adrian, Paulie, Apollo, and that gangster guy who's name escapes me currently), provided the ammunition and the motivation behind the Rocky character. The film wasn't only about the sport of boxing it was a step into the human psyche and an analysis on just what the human is capable of under any given circumstance. Rocky was symbolic and a metaphor for the American dream. It was hard hitting (pardon the pun) and frank about putting forth the values and ideology that shaped and continue to, even in an era of immediate gratification, shape American, and to a lesser but no less resonant degree, western society.
In this regard the film was also a pretty apt form of social commentary. Using the city of Philadelphia as a backdrop for the times and something of a secondary character for which to juxtapose with the character of Rocky. After Vietnam and the Watergate scandal, mid 1970's America ushered in a new era in American history; a time of hope, a time of freedom and a time when the American dream was as strong as ever, and Rocky, as well as the city of Philadelphia helped represent this wonderfully.
A flawless film that captivated a generation and saw life imitate art, in that it shot Sylvester Stallone from wandering nobody to worldwide, overnight super stardom. The perfect Cinderella story and quite possibly the perfect film.