Stallone's masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (5 December 2015)

They say there are only seven stories in existence, and every movie therefore must fit one of those stories. I'd argue that Rocky defined a story in its own right, because many sports (and many non-sports) movies since have followed its formula. With the possible exception of The Godfather, I doubt so many movies have been spawned by a winning formula. But Rocky is the original and by far the best, set aside by Sylvester Stallone's winning performance and John Avildsen's direction.
For many reasons, Stallone will always be intricately linked with Rocky Balboa, but the reason I consider the most important is because his rise in Hollywood is synonymous with Rocky's own. He was a street tough with a dream (Hollywood career/boxing career) but resorted to less than glamorous work (porn/breaking thumbs for loan sharks). He absolutely lives the role of Rocky - he's charming, a bit thuggish and he absolutely wears his heart on his sleeve. You couldn't teach the best actors alive to replicate Stallone's shyness or awkward touching the wall when he tries to flirt with Adrian. When rejected by others, you can see the hurt written plainly across his face. Rocky is so afraid of rejection, he asks out Adrian and then never gives her a chance to say no because he nervously fills the silence with rambling.
Rocky's relationship with Adrian (Tahlia Shire, who is more incredible than she ever was in The Godfather series) is one of my favourite put to film. Both are so shy but show it in very different ways. They have a connection but it takes her a third of a movie to even have a conversation with him. Watching their romance blossom throughout Rocky is almost more rewarding than watching him go toe-to-toe with Creed in the ring. When the credits rolled, I felt like I'd made two new friends - that is how invested I was in their romance. Burgess Meredith and Burt Young both crop up as supporting players in Rocky's life, and both deliver solid performances. The film belongs absolutely to Stallone and Shire, and we miss them when they're not on screen.
Rather than creating a villainous braggart like the opponents in Southpaw and even Million Dollar Baby, Stallone pens an opponent whose adversity comes from his stark contrast to Rocky himself. Carl Weathers' Apollo Creed is exceptionally articulate and reeking of confidence, the two areas that are Rocky's greatest weaknesses. Combine that with the huge scale of the fight and we as an audience can be severely intimidated by the ordeal Rocky is about to undertake. We feel Rocky's tearful apprehension the night before, and watching Rocky knock Creed down makes us want to cheer in triumph.
Avildsen's direction is assured and he does a masterful job guiding our emotions throughout the film. The film's glorious music builds in triumphant excitement as Rocky's fitness increases - quiet piano as he gasps and pants his way up the stairs through to brazen trumpets as he bounds effortlessly up in the film's most iconic scene. He keys sad music whenever the moment calls for it - most notably a beautiful scene where Rocky is yelled at for just trying to help out a little girl. Its always hard to decide when to give credit to Stallone's screenplay or to Avildsen's direction, so I'll just praise them both. Each character is so well written and all of the dialogue feels completely natural. People say Rocky should be enjoyed without looking at it too much, but I disagree - I think Rocky is deeper and more thoughtful than many give it credit.
A deserving Best Picture winner, Rocky embodies exactly what the Academy should recognise: culturally significant movies that explode and change cinema forever.