Definitely One Of The Greats

Rating: 9/10 (11 March 2008)

This is not only one of the best sports movies ever made, it's got to rank as one of the most impressive films ever made. Rocky Balboa must be perhaps the most memorable character Hollywood has ever come up with. Really - is there another character that could compete? Maybe James Bond - except he wasn't a Hollywood creation; he came from novels. The memorable thing about Rocky is that he's everyone - everyone who has ever been down and out, everyone who has ever felt that life didn't give him a fair shot, everyone who has regrets about not having lived their dreams - and who doesn't fit in there somewhere? Rocky Balboa (whom Sylvester Stallone was absolutely born to play) is a bum. There's no other word for it. He's uneducated and crude, he lives in a rundown apartment in a rundown part of Philadelphia, he makes a living by collecting for the local loan shark and sometimes by being a club fighter, and from the opening scenes of the movie - featuring a depiction of one of his club fights - he's a club fighter who's even outclassed by the other club fighters, except that when he gets mad, boy can he punch! And - when he wins, bloodied and bruised, he gets the winner's share, which amounts to all of $40.55, if I remember correctly. But there's another side to Rocky. You see it early in the movie when he returns to his apartment after that club fight and he stares at a picture of himself as a young boy. It's in his eyes - "What happened to me? What happened to that young boy?" And you keep seeing it. There's a gentle, even playful side to him. He can't bear to break the thumbs of a guy who owes the loan shark money, he looks out for a young girl who's hanging out with a bad crowd, he picks up a drunk passed out on the cold streets outside a bar and carries him inside to warm up, he likes animals (he has pet turtles and a goldfish) and he plays with the animals at the local pet store. And - most important to the movie - there's a sweet sort of innocence to him as he struggles to come up with the words to ask the equally shy Adrian (Talia Shire) - who works at the pet store - for a date. Rocky is a far more complex character than most people think.
And then, out of the blue, comes the big break. The Heavyweight Champion of the World - Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) - needs to find a replacement opponent. A huge Bicentennial Fight (the movie was made in 1976) has been promoted and a lot of money spent and the top contender has been injured and can't fight. No other ranked contender is interested - they need more than a few weeks to prepare. So, Creed reasons, we need an angle - we'll give an unknown a shot at the title. And from the multitudes of nobodies who certainly must exist, Rocky Balboa is chosen - not because he's a good fighter or even well known, but because Creed figures he can promote the heck out of his nickname - "The Italian Stallion." And the movie leads up to the climactic bout between the two.
Two scenes stand out for me (several do, actually, but these two most of all.) The night before the fight, Rocky can't sleep and goes over to the Spectrum, where the fight is to be held. When he returns, he sits on the bed beside Adrian and admits to her that he realizes he can't win - he's not even in Creed's league. But, he realizes, he doesn't have to win. All he has to do is go the distance (15 rounds). No one has ever gone the distance with Creed, he says, and if he does he'll prove to himself that he's not "just another bum from the neighbourhood." Then there's the 14th round. After a brutal fight, Creed finally knocks Rocky down. Rocky's own corner men (led by his manager Mickey - played superbly by Burgess Meredith) call out to him to "stay down." He's been magnificent; he's got nothing left to prove. Creed figures the fight is finally over and puts his arms up to celebrate his victory, then watches in disbelief as Rocky struggles to his feet and gestures at him to keep going. Rocky makes it all the way. He goes the distance. He loses the decision, but it doesn't matter, because sometimes losing is just as good as winning.
What a great movie, and well deserving of its Oscar. There were just a couple of things that gave a bit of an unbelievable edge to it. First, this fight would never be sanctioned as a title bout. It would have been at best an exhibition match, with the title not up for grabs; second, I find it hard to believe that the referee would have let Rocky continue after the knockdown in the 14th round, given the shape he was in at the time. But it's a movie. Suspend disbelief, and just enjoy - and one of the things that you will enjoy the most is the unforgettable "Rocky" theme music!
The "Rocky" franchise may be getting old and tired. The first two sequels were all right, the next two were awful, and I haven't seen the latest installment ("Rocky Balboa") where a sixty year old Rocky returns to the ring. But even if the franchise is getting old and tired, the first of the movies will always be one of the greats! 9/10