"Rocky" still goes the distance

It was fun to revisit "Rocky" after many years. As a Philadelphian, I always hear "Rocky this" or "Rocky that" when talking about the city to visitors or folks out of town, but I hadn't actually seen the movie for quite a while. Happily, it still remains quite a film... subtle yet crowd-pleasing, complex yet supremely entertaining. And the small touches are as great as I remembered: the ice rink employee yelling out the minutes Rocky has left to skate with Adrian; the loan shark Rocky works for, who's actually almost as sensitive and nice as Rocky; Rocky's turtles Cuff and Link, etc., etc. In the end, the original "Rocky" is, I think, up there with the better works of Francis Ford Coppola: it has mood, intense visual details, and characters faced with some major decision-making about their futures and where they want to go. "Rocky" is still a winner.

Best Picture 1976

Rocky is an excellent movie with a mediocre series that, while cash ins, surve to fully realize the potential of a superstar like Stallone and the charisma he has and the charisma with realistic on screen characters like Rocky. Rocky is the story of Rocky Balboa, a second rate, 2 bit boxer from Philadelphia who goes the distance when he gets that one a million shot against champion Apollo Creed, a Muhammed Ali style flambouyant boxer. The stubborn, street smart Rocky doesn't realize he's just a fill in for the show against chamoion Apollo Creed; all ranked contenders were out of action and Creed and company give Ricky the shot because he had a goiod gimmick- Creed versus The Italian Stallion on inpendxcence day. Rocky also falls in love with Adrain, a hoimely 30 old woman who works at a store. Also featured is her brother Paully and Mick, Rocky's crusty trainer. The ending is classic, when Rocky goes the distance, not being knocked out by Creed and yells Adrian over and over again as his face is covered in blood and bruises, as is Creed's face. No movie fan should miss Rocky, the upbeat, super realistic story of a two bit boxer who gets that one in a million shot against the champion on independence day.

The epic in times of crisis!

Maybe I am wrong, but objectively speaking, the best film of that year was Network. But as you must know not always the best imposes by itself, the human factor prevails. I still remember a famous statement in what concerns the fact the last instant before a decision take is always emotive. And so the emotion made this film deserved the coveted statue as Best Film in 1976.

Those were hard times, loaded of profound turbulence and social restlessness; Watergate and Vietnam affairs were still turning around the ethic conscious of many people and Network equaled to add even more combustible to that crackling bonfire.

Rocky became in this sense a well calculated picture, that found in sports a true cathartic exit; following perhaps the same aims that Bruce Springsteen achieved with Born in the USA; I mean to bring back the extenuated wills, there were other paths to walk and new motives to get along.

So Rocky may be seen as modern fable, an urban legend about an unknown and sane guy who wants to shine and get out from the darkness of the anonymity through the box. This original proposal worked out in harmonic synchronization with a devastated generation for so many problems in the life's ring, who felt the sport in these modern times can become a simple guy into a mythical figure, worldly acclaimed, afr from the madding crowd of so many known nasty subjects around.

Rocky meant in this decade the new prototype of the success through unconventional roads, taking into account the huge interest of the entire world by four emblematic box figures: Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali), Joe Frazier and Ken Norton who defeated him and finally Joe Foreman, a still reminded fight that revived once more the syndrom of David and Goliat.

Sylvester Stallone simply found the perfect formula and embodied as simulated boxer and new screenwriter, the great desires to triumph, against all the odds.

Maybe the only negative aspect must have been the majuscule personal surprise of Sydney Lumet who gave by discounted he would deserve the coveted Prize that never came to him.