A story about real life winners

Rating: 8/10 (5 August 2016)

First of all this movie is not about the boxing. This movie is about a fighter (Rocky) who struggles with his life without losing his courage to continue pursuing his dreams. It is movie about courage, about love, about unfulfilled dreams. It is a movie that shows with which the real life winners are made from. In the first scenes we meet Rocky. The man who tries to make some cash by participating in low level boxing games, but he doesn't want to. He knows that his life and his potential is far above. Then he comes back home where he reveals to us his loneliness and his unhappiness for himself. He is so lonely that he is talking to his turtles, sharing his news with them and feeding them. After he looks himself in the mirror, where there are hanging photos of his childhood and early life and next to the mirror is a poster of his idol, the boxer Rocky Marciano. His is unhappy about his life and thinking that his life turned to be different than it should be. The important thing is that behind his loneliness and his disappointment is a smile that never fades away and a positive attitude for life. Although life has treated him bad, he is not a give up guy and continue to pursue his dreams.
The movie has exceptional character interactions. The first one is between Rocky and his dream girl, Adrian. She works at the pet store of the neighborhood where Rocky bought his turtles. She is a lonely and shy girl. She doesn't have any friends, same as Rocky. Rocky trying to flirt her but she is too shy to give in. She like him too but she's afraid because she doesn't want to get hurt because she doesn't trust him. In the end she gave up and Rocky seems more relaxed. His face is more calm and feels stronger to pursuit his other dreams.
The other interaction is between Rocky and his coach Mickey. Mickey is an old and difficult to handle man but with a heart of gold. He always knew where Rocky potential is but he was disappointed that Rocky ruined his life with his choices. A great scene is when Mickey visit Rocky at his home. Rocky is angry at him because he feels that Mickey doesn't help him when he was in need. He almost doesn't speak at him. On the other hand Mickey, has come to offer his help. The reasons are two in my opinion. Firstly he is feeling guilty for his behavior towards Rocky the past years and secondly to help someone else succeed in order to calm his ghost of past failures as a boxer. When Mickey leaves the house, Rocky blasts at him. All his pain comes out fiercely. Mickey can still hear him and Rocky knows it. Mickey leaves even more disappointed. At some point Rocky understands that he was yelling at an old man, a man who believes in him and a man he could help him reach his goals. He runs out of the house catching him and made peace at last.
The turning point in Rocky's life is the sunshine of luck after a bad strike of luck. He was chosen to confront in the ring the champion Apollo Creed for the title of the World Champion of the World. He isn't ready to deal with it. He is scared because he knows that Creed is out of his league. He is champion for god's sake and Rocky is just a low level boxer but with extreme potential. Adrian helps him to deal the fight mentally while Mickey trains him for the match of his life. An important point in the movie, which shows us the character of Rocky, is the night before the match when he talks to Adrien. As expressing his fears to her at some point says that he doesn't care if he win. The only thing that matters to him is not to fall because he knows that this have never happened before in Apollo matches. If he achieve it then he would know that he is not just a bump but someone who has really achieved something in his life.
The important background of this movie is the story of Stallone himself. A man like Rocky who can't find the way to succeed in life, writes the script of this film and run to producers to sell it, but with one condition, Stallone to play Rocky. Almost everyone turned him down. Fortunately almost everyone. Stallone got his chance as his character does and both fight the battle of their life at the exact same time.