One of My Favorite Sports Dramas

Rating: 8/10 (28 March 2014)

Sports dramas, what can you say about them? Well, I'm not the biggest of them. For me, the majority of sports dramas are boring, overly- schmultzy, and extremely cliché. I won't say that sports dramas is a sub-genre that I really DESPISE as there are films that I DO like in there but for me, if Hollywood just unexpectedly stopped producing sports dramas in general, it wouldn't be that big of a loss for me. However, there is ONE film in the genre that I happen to really love, and that's Rocky.
If you are one of the five people who haven't seen this film, here's a basic rundown of the plot. Rocky Balboa is a small-time boxer and part- time collector for a loan shark living in Philadelphia. His friends include Paulie, a meat-packing plant worker with alcohol problems and violent mood swings, and Adrian, a shy pet shop clerk who's also Paulie's sister. Rocky seems to be going nowhere in life as he's constantly in need for money, winning fights by the skin of his teeth, and nobody seems to see him as anything but a bum. But when World Heavyweight Champion Apollo Creed's opponent Mac Lee Green drops out due to an injured hand, Creed decides to pick an unknown local as his opponent and he chooses Rocky because of his nickname, the Itallion Stallion. Will Rocky go the distance and prove to the world he's not a bum? Or will Creed decimate him in the ring?
I think the reason I like Rocky so much is because of hopeful and optimistic it is while still feeling like a real story about real people. A lot of sports dramas feel too sanguine and schmultzy for me to believe that this could happen in real-life but this movie perfectly balances out being optimistic while still having a sense of grit and realism to it that helps us believe in the story. The first half of the film feels very SLOW, and very urban. We get some really LONG takes of Rocky roaming around the streets of Philadelphia that makes the film feel sorta like a documentary in a way and the overall cinematography is very simple and static. This helps ground the film in a realistic style as opposed to it if it was very stylized and creative. They also do a very good job of making you FEEL Rocky's current place in life by having him interact with various people in scenes that don't always have a point in the PLOT, but make you feel just as directionless as Rocky is in his life. When Rocky's preparing for his fight with Apollo, the movie feels a lot more focused in its structure, just like how Rocky now has a purpose in life. The way the film is
But what made this film CONNECT with so many people and become a classic was the characters. Rocky is a very real and relatable character because he's not portrayed as an action hero he later would or even a particularly smart guy, he's just an oaf with a good heart. Stallone could've played him really emotional and whiny the whole time but instead, he keeps most of his pain inside which makes for a much more subtle and nuanced performance. Paulie is many ways, what Rocky could have been if he unleashed his frustrations in violent mood swings. He's often angry and moody because of how frustrated he is with his life's shortcomings and he feels his sister owes him because he's the only person she can communicate with and feels unappreciated by her but deep down, has a heart of gold. This character could've just came off as a huge douche but the way Burt Young plays him, makes him likable despite some major flaws in his character. Adrian is kinda like Rocky in a way as he's often unsure of himself and has self-esteem issues but when pushed by someone like Mickey and loved by Adrian, becomes unstoppable. Just like how she's shy and quiet at FIRST, but once given some love, becomes a very strong and in-control woman and Talia Shire plays her part BEAUTIFULLY. She came off very nerdy at first but she changes believably to a very strong woman by the end of the film. Rocky's trainer, Mickey, is very gruff and blunt about his thoughts and feelings a lot of the times but he's also the father figure to Rocky as he's the one who motivates him the most when he needs it outside of Adrian and his gruffness can be interpreted as "tough love". All these characters were very likable and compelling in their own right.
And then, there's the score by Bill Conti, which has now become a part of any gym trainer's MP3 playlist and for good reason too. The music in the film is very powerful, it starts out being very subdued and sad when Rocky's aimlessly wandering through Philly but then it becomes bombastic and triumphant when Rocky's getting ready for the big fight. It has this sorta brass fanfare sound to it that fits boxing very well and the softer piano pieces perfectly compliments Rocky's downbeat lifestyle.
Lastly, I want to touch upon the final fight. Whereas most movies would try to make this scene as exciting as possible. Here, Rocky just ENDURES the entire fight and doesn't do much damage to Apollo until the very end where he manages to bruise his ribs. He doesn't even win the fight in the end, Apollo won due to a split decision. I love that Rocky doesn't win at the end because he doesn't HAVE to, he already proved that he's not a bum and that's what the whole movie's about. The script's very consistent in this sense.
Overall, Rocky is well-directed, well-written, has great characters, and has a great score. It definitely deserves its status as a classic. 8/10