"All I wanna do is go the distance"

Rating: 10/10 (31 October 2017)

I find Rocky to be one of my very favorite films because of how complete it is, from the writing of the screenplay to the acting to the soundtrack to how the whole thing comes together so effectively with such originality. It's the quintessential underdog story of life and love and fighting for one's dreams, a work of art straight from the heart of Sylvester Stallone.
I think what I find so endearing about Rocky is how much I can connect to it individually. Rocky is the every-man that so many of us can relate to, and I haven't found a film that so perfectly encapsulates the struggles of life that I also find myself facing. I think that way more than being a boxing film, Rocky is a fighting film- it's the fight that we all have to face to varying degrees.
Rocky comes from the bottom. Notwithstanding his heart and honesty, he wasn't blessed with the same talents and abilities that others may have; he's clumsy in speech and perhaps not the brightest of the lot. Like Adrian, he's surrounded by people (ahem, Mickey) who tell him he's not good enough, to "stay down." And like I feel in many circumstances, he feels inadequate. But he approaches those struggles head on. Whatever blows he's dealt, he comes back with persistence that he can overcome those obstacles. His simple hope is to become more than just an average bum; he uses his frustration to fuel himself towards rising above the mediocre misery that plagues so many.
My favorite scene is when he lies down in bed the night before the big fight and confides in Adrian how he doesn't really feel the need to win, he just wants "to go the distance." Likewise, I don't need to be the best, but if I can just match up against the struggles I face, stand toe to toe with them, refuse to let them knock me out- endureÂ… Well, that's a victory worth celebrating. In the end, what the movie focuses on is not the outcome of the match, but on the love between Rocky and Adrian. Because in a world full of turmoil, underdogs like Rocky and Adrian can find each other, and rise together- and that's what matters.