A classic, an explosive breakout performance that created a beloved character.

Rating: Null/10 (20 March 2018)

I saw this film again recently, maybe for the first time in forty years, since it was released back in the seventies, and was happy to see that it has lost none of its power. Stallone's performance shocked me because I had come to think of him early on as a ham bone, an actor of little talent who would spend his career playing thugs, and street toughs, and bad guys like Machine gun Joe Viterbo. And then, out of nowhere, comes this masterpiece, and the role of a lifetime. How wrong I was, how wrong we all were, about him. The film, written by Stallone, is a metaphor for his own career, and the fear of being typecast, and relegated to walk ons and minor roles He proved in the most impressive way that he wasn't "just another bum from the neighborhood", but one of the most talented guys on the block. Stallone put himself into this film body and soul, and the power of his performance is something to see. The supporting cast, especially Burgess Meredith in one of his best roles, are all excellent. A must see film, and a true classic that has stood the test of time. A Cinderella story in which art imitates life.