The Balboa Legacy: Rocky

“I was nobody. But that don’t matter either, you know? ‘Cause I was thinkin’, it really don’t matter if I lose this fight. It really don’t matter if this guy opens my head, either. ‘Cause all I wanna do is go the distance.” – Rocky Balboa

☆☆☆☆☆

Rocky Balboa might be my favorite movie character of all time. He is a man who has seen the highest of highs and lowest of lows. Usually a character through the course of seven films should be stale and a parody. But not Rocky Balboa. Balboa got MORE interesting as his story progressed. For the next seven weeks I will be reviewing every Rocky movie, leading up to my most anticipated film of 2018 Creed II. Because I had so much fun writing The MCU Reviewed series, I wanted to explore another franchise. A franchise that means a lot to me. So I decided that the Rocky franchise was my next target.

When I was 8 years old, I watched this movie for the first time. It was the first live action movie (that wasn’t a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie or Home Alone) that I absolutely loved. My father showed my family all five Rocky movies; and each of them had an impact on me in some way.

The story of Rocky Balboa is the story of all of us. Everyone has a dream in life. It could be to write a novel. Maybe you want to get a promotion within your job. It could be finding a job. Everyone has a dream in life.

Sylvester Stallone’s dream was to get his script about a starving boxer getting a chance at a title fight. The reason Rocky resonates with so many people is that it comes from a very real place. Stallone had stooped so low in his life that he took $200 to appear in Party at Kitty and Studs, which was a porno flick later entitled The Italian Stallion after Rocky’s success.

The story of how Rocky got made is a great one. It is a story of perseverance and believing in yourself. It’s a story of never settling. Stallone was offered large sums of money for the Rocky script on the condition an actor such as Burt Reynolds or James Caan appeared in it and refused. United Artists wasn’t exactly looking to bankroll a movie starring That Guy From Death Race 2000. Stallone believed that he should have starred in this film and no one else. This was after all, a film about a boxer getting a million to one shot at the world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed.

Stallone stood his ground until United Artists caved and gave him $350,000 for the script and a million dollar budget, which was absolutely nothing for a film of this scope. That’s how much Stallone believed in this film. Producers Irwin Winkler and Henry Chartoff ended up putting mortgages on their houses to get the additional funding needed for Rocky. The end result is this gorgeous, raw and powerful film about chasing a destiny. Rocky is a part of my Top 10 favorite films of all time. For me, this is a Mount Rushmore film.

Rocky is more than just a boxing movie. It is an American institution. People from all over the world make it a point to run up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art when they visit Philadelphia. The film was released in 1976, the year of America’s bicentennial (which wisely serves as a plot point). During the 1977 Oscars it was even the underdog for Best Picture, going up against the stacked lineup of instant classics such as Network, Taxi Driver, All The President’s Men, and Bound for Glory, with Rocky surprisingly taking Best Picture.

Watching this film critically, you can’t help but marvel about how well shot this film is. The city of Philadelphia is a character in and of itself. We see run down neighborhoods, dreary cloudy landscapes, and even the little flourishes such as Frank Stallone’s then rock group Valentine singing doo-wop in front of a barrel of fire. Rocky’s Philadelphia has always had a raw and gorgeous aesthetic to it. Director John G. Avildsen absolutely nails this.

But one name that doesnt really get brought up in the conversation as much is Garett Brown, the inventor of the Stedicam. Brown invented this technique because he hated the hand held style and wanted something smoother. With Rocky, he changed the game and then some. He pioneered a technology that is still being used to this day.

Speaking of Stedicams, let’s talk about the most iconic movie montage ever put to film. With the Stedicam now in play, the world saw the iconic training montage. With the triumphant musical score of Bill Conti backing him, you just want to run with Rocky. Actual people in Philadelphia were throwing him apples and Stallone incorporated it into the scene.

Speaking of Bill Conti, on the special features of the Rocky Blu-Ray, Conti says something interesting about music: that it gives you an emotional response of love or hate. I cannot think of a more brilliant score for this film. Conti allows the quiet moments to be quiet and the triumphant moments to be triumphant. Theres also that little fact that “Gonna Fly Now” was #1 on the Billboard charts in 1976. A piece of score was #1 on the pop charts in 1976. Let that sink in.

Each performance in this film is nothing short of spectacular. Not even the bit players sleepwalk through this. So let’s talk about Stallone’s Rocky Balboa in this film alone. Stallone brings a layer of nuance and depth to this character. He is a starving fighter who stoops to being a loan shark for the mafia. He chooses to not break a man’s thumbs because his internal logic is he needs them to pay the mafia. He is an animal lover. He is socially awkward. Beneath his fighters spirit, he has a heart of gold. My God does Stallone nail this role. Imagine Burt Reynolds or James Caan in this role. It just wouldn’t work because they were already established A-list actors.

Talia Shire, fresh off of The Godfather and The Godfather: Part II, is absolutely wonderful as Adrian. She is this shy, meek woman who just wants to be left alone, but to Rocky she is a goddess. Their relationship is one of the most beautiful film relationships ever put to film. Their natural chemistry together as he makes bad jokes trying to get her attention is nothing short of just pure romance.

Burt Young’s Uncle Pauly is rough as nails. He is an opportunistic prick who treats his sister like shit. But he also sees the good within Rocky Balboa. This is one of the most complex characters ever put in film and Burt Young nails it.

Rounding out this great film is Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed and Burgess Merideth’s Mickey. Carl Weathers is a cocky prick who is also a great businessman and marketer. He sees this magnificent opportunity and seizes it. His Apollo Creed is intimidating and intense.

Prior to Rocky, Burgess Merideth was mostly known as The Penguin on the 60’s Batman TV series. You wouldn’t have known this if your first impression of him was Mickey. He has a rawness to him. You get the sense that he has seen some shit in his 50 years of training boxers. He delivers a much earned Oscar nominated performance here.

The boxing match itself is a pure masterclass in suspense. Both Rocky and Apollo are giving it their all. Everything about this works. You have George O’ Hanlon, aka George Jetson calling this fight and perfectly capturing the suspense. You have Sylvester Stallone’s brilliant fight choreography. The gut wrenching line of “Cut me Mick” as he needs to see. They had to do so much with so little. I could even forgive Garrett Brown being visible with his Stedicam ringside.

Masterpiece is a word I rarely use. Rocky is a masterpiece. This is a film that is close to my heart. Rocky is nothing short of perfect. With memorable and iconic characters, great dialogue and a great boxing match with actual payoff, Rocky is a film that deserves to be a classic. It’s a timeless story of overcoming the odds and facing your destiny.

We are all in some way Rocky Balboa.