Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) is a
character that everyone can connect with. Rocky takes us through his love life
with Adrian Pennino (Talia Shire), his friendship with Paulie Pennino (Burt
Young), and through his training with Mickey Goldmill (Burgess Meredith). After
having a rough go of it for a long time he finally gets a shot at the heavy
weight title of the world against Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers). Rocky's been
boxing for 8 years but at the amateur level and he's never been scene by the
public eye on the main stage of boxing. But in order to make the opportunity
worth while, he strives to go the distance with Apollo. In order to do that he
has to find what he's fighting for, run incredibly long distances through
Philadelphia in Converse shoes, perform many one armed push-ups, and tenderize
steaks with his fists.
Though Rocky isn't a true story. It was
inspired and heavily borrowed from the real life boxing match of Chuck Wepner
vs. Muhammid Ali in 1975. The two battles have very distinct parallels where
Wepner had gone all 15 rounds with Ali.
Rocky is able to connect with us on the
human level. It takes part in the Horatio Alger myth, the classic American
success story. Thus, the film is primitive. As a viewer, and fellow human, we
are able to supply the feeling needed to understand and make the film a great
one. Rocky doesn't need to tell us how he feels during certain situations
because we've all been there! Taking us all on the journey of life and teaching
us that we just need love in the end.
The film was made in 1976. If this film
says anything about that time it says, times were tough and only the strong
would thrive to the top. Also boxing was much more popular then than it is
today. Not that it isn't still popular, today we just have more options of
fighting sports to watch from pro wrestling to MMA fighting.
