Mythical. Honest. American.

Rating: 10/10 (10 January 2019)

This film uses boxing, and a bum's life to provide a engaging look into the American dream. What the dream is. Why it is unattainable for so many people. And what happens to those lucky few who do make it. Rocky only gets his shot because of the sheer luck of his nickname; America loves an underdog, but they also love a cynical entertainer. Stallone's script is really good at capturing this dual quality. So much of this film is just easy naturalism. The central love story is the most ordinary love story in the whole world. Paulie and Micky are just a couple of guys who missed their shot and resent Rocky for it.
And yet for all that easy naturalism the film has a grand quality to it. The fights are quite good, especially for the time. The film is filled with symbolism, some of it quite overtly religious. Creed riding in as Washington is a mythical image about American mythology. It is not surprising that this film spawned so many sequels. Americans love sagas too.