It is said Sylvester Stallone wrote the screenplay for Rocky (1976) over the course of three and a half days and twenty straight hours. Now having seen the completed film, it’s not hard to see why.
Rocky is perhaps one of the most famous films in cinema history, and certainly the most well-known among the vast collection of sports dramas. The familiar storyline epitomizes the feel-good rise to fame— a young uneducated, yet kind-hearted, working class small-time club fighter gets the opportunity to fight the reigning heavyweight champion for the title. Many find it “so inspiring”, but frankly, I think it’s disastrous mess. How many times have we seen this before? The plot is unbelievably predictable, Stallone’s acting is downright cringeworthy, and Avildsen’s direction is decidedly amateurish. Adrian’s younger brother, Paulie (Burt Young) was simply a mindless casting decision, the million dollar budget shows through its lack of composure in shots, and of course there’s a completely unnecessary romantic subplot mixed in between. The infamous score was probably the film’s only redeeming quality.
There are elements of Frank Capra clearly present in Rocky. His films of the 30s and 40s resonated with audiences so universally through capturing despair at its deepest, and fighting against its powerful tide with love and hope. Those classics, most notably It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), were masterfully executed for their era, and still stand the test of time wonderfully. In Rocky, Stallone practically remakes a Capra film with a low budget and without the talent. There’s no substance behind Stallone’s character— no dimension, complexity, or any hints of a normal human being. Just a simple outline of what should be a more developed character.
Possibly a greater comparison could be made with Scorsese’s masterpiece, Raging Bull (1980). The emotional depth of Robert De Niro’s character is almost unparalleled in cinema history, perhaps only rivalled by Charles Foster Kane in Citizen Kane (1941) and Daniel Plainview in There Will be Blood (2007). De Niro is so perfect as well, walking the line of insanity and obsessiveness flawlessly. Unlike Rocky, Raging Bull is brutally honest, depicting human nature at its true core.
So if great films are supposed to reflect real life, why do we know where Rocky will lead? Why can we predict the outcome of every scene? It makes me think… Forrest Gump was right; life is just like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.
C-
Rocky is perhaps one of the most famous films in cinema history, and certainly the most well-known among the vast collection of sports dramas. The familiar storyline epitomizes the feel-good rise to fame— a young uneducated, yet kind-hearted, working class small-time club fighter gets the opportunity to fight the reigning heavyweight champion for the title. Many find it “so inspiring”, but frankly, I think it’s disastrous mess. How many times have we seen this before? The plot is unbelievably predictable, Stallone’s acting is downright cringeworthy, and Avildsen’s direction is decidedly amateurish. Adrian’s younger brother, Paulie (Burt Young) was simply a mindless casting decision, the million dollar budget shows through its lack of composure in shots, and of course there’s a completely unnecessary romantic subplot mixed in between. The infamous score was probably the film’s only redeeming quality.
There are elements of Frank Capra clearly present in Rocky. His films of the 30s and 40s resonated with audiences so universally through capturing despair at its deepest, and fighting against its powerful tide with love and hope. Those classics, most notably It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), were masterfully executed for their era, and still stand the test of time wonderfully. In Rocky, Stallone practically remakes a Capra film with a low budget and without the talent. There’s no substance behind Stallone’s character— no dimension, complexity, or any hints of a normal human being. Just a simple outline of what should be a more developed character.
Possibly a greater comparison could be made with Scorsese’s masterpiece, Raging Bull (1980). The emotional depth of Robert De Niro’s character is almost unparalleled in cinema history, perhaps only rivalled by Charles Foster Kane in Citizen Kane (1941) and Daniel Plainview in There Will be Blood (2007). De Niro is so perfect as well, walking the line of insanity and obsessiveness flawlessly. Unlike Rocky, Raging Bull is brutally honest, depicting human nature at its true core.
So if great films are supposed to reflect real life, why do we know where Rocky will lead? Why can we predict the outcome of every scene? It makes me think… Forrest Gump was right; life is just like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.
C-