Still under-appreciated

Rating: 10/10 (23 August 2006)

I know, I know, most people yawn when they hear about the next Rocky sequel, but these movies stand the test of time. The first Rocky movie, in my opinion is one of the greatest movies of the past 35 years. All those film students out there will be up in arms saying that is not possible. Most would say that some foreign film that nobody has ever heard of is the best. Though I had several film courses on a university level, I don't consider myself some scholar. I like what I like. My DVD collection is filled with Criterion titles and foreign films which I love, but it somehow all comes back to Rocky. It is one clichÃ© after another, but it's brilliant in it's simplicity. How can you not root for this underdog? People say how stupid Rocky is, that he's an oaf, etc. Rocky ISN'T supposed to be some nuclear physicist, he's just a down on his luck, poorly educated boxer with a big heart. Take the sequence when he goes on his first date with Adrian. They are both nervous as nervous can be, but as we watch, they slowly start to open up to each other. A great example of this is when they're at the ice skating rink. The way they communicate and laugh is fantastic, one of the most "real" scenes I have ever seen in movie. Adrian says "Why do you fight?", Rocky says "Because I can't sing and dance.". EXACTLY. The dialogue is crisp, they say exactly what they should say in that situation. Look at the ending, the scene where the winner is decided is a mere two second shot. Rocky isn't even paying attention, he's looking for Adrian. The scene where she's standing in the tunnel and starts to run to the ring after the fight still gets me misty after all these years (and I know I'm not the only one who gets like that!). This is a film about inspiration and not backing down. When Rocky gets up after the 14th round, his right eye swollen shut, his face looking like it was run over by a truck, he never backs down. He gestures to Apollo, as if saying "Come on, bring it.". Apollo just shakes his head. Apollo may know he has already won the match, but Rocky won it all. He won self respect, the respect of Mickey, the respect of the country, and the love of Adrian. I've started jogging in the past few months and every time I'm at the park I try to push myself a little bit further. A film like Rocky shows us that we can all go the extra mile. This is a great film and not to be missed.