A perfect script - a near perfect movie

Rating: Null/10 (7 September 2011)

If the producers of Rocky were to charge a penny each time somebody mentions it, they would have been gazillionaires by now. The story of Rocky and the parallel it drew with its creator Sylvester Stallone's career is still climbing the steps of popularity, and it wouldn't be out of place to mention that it probably is museum-worthy now.
What Rocky means to all the generations that have come to revere and idolize it can be judged from the fact that it has inspired millions and continue to do so. The story of an underdog prizefighter who gets the chance of a lifetime to fight the world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) is savage and gritty in appearance but at its core is an emotional tale desperate for its comeuppance. It is heartbreaking one moment, and sweet the next and both the flavors are delivered by Stallone, perhaps for the first and last time, in a very Brandoesque manner. The film brilliantly showcases Rocky's macho moments when he fights and allows him to be adorable, especially in the pet shop scenes involving the reluctant and painfully shy Adrian Pennino (Talia Shire), even when he is working as an arm twister for a local loan shark. Rocky's brawn and Adrian's shyness at first seems to be at odds with each other, but we know they are made for each other when they confess to their weaknesses on their first date.
If Rocky were to put this in words it would be something like this- "Adrian is the sandpaper that smooths my rough edges, you know." She, in a much-understated manner, provides the footing to this emotional and heartfelt story with gray undertones mainly added to the mix by an equally brilliant Burt Young as Paulie, Adrian's resentful but a loyal alcoholic brother who shares a special bond with Rocky.
Instead of just providing the obligatory obstacles at every possible turn for its protagonist, Stallone very creatively infuses it with the juices of personality conflicts, blue-collar angst, patronizing elite, and defeated lives yearning to break free- all against the backdrop of boxing. He trains under Mickey Goodmill (Burges Meredith), a forceful but a tragic character who pities Rocky and holds him responsible for his misguided career. His interaction with Rocky is fascinating to watch because it is in his eyes before Adrian takes over we see Rocky from a has-been to a would-be contender. He trains Rocky as if he is exorcising him, which is indeed what he needs. For an average low budget boxing flick to achieve all this in 119 minutes with a completely unknown lead could have been a monumental task, but this film owes its success mainly to the assured direction of John G. Avildsen and a very very well written script penned in not very unlike conditions that Rocky often finds himself in. It has a heart. Rocky is not the perfect example of the Avant-garde cinema of the 70's, but director Avildsen did manage to imbue it with enough charm to make it noticeable in theaters and at the 1977 Academy Awards.
The underdog going the distance to get what is priceless has and would be done in all sorts of manner, but it would be difficult to match the emotional tug that Rocky has mainly because of its title character which sucks the entire energy of the story in a bumbling but affable manner. Alas, the sequels to this movie lost such tenderness when Rocky finally became a brand - another parallel to Sylvester Stallone's career, which is not entirely coincidental.