The best picture winner of 1976 was released on December 3rd, and directed by John G. Avildsen
on a small budget of one million dollars. The PG-rated feature was extremely profitable,
eventually grossing $225 million - making it the #1 film of the year. Written by its
lead actor, Sylvester Stallone - the two-hour story follows Rocky Balboa, a small-time boxer
who gets a rare shot to challenge the heavy-weight champion, and finally make something of himself.
The tag-line on the poster, "His whole life was a million-to-one shot" is such a perfect
encapsulation of what makes this sports-drama so engaging. Rocky is the ultimate underdog;
a wonderfully kind and determined fighter you'll love to root for. The American Film
Institute even named the titular character as one of the top-10 heroes in film history.
Sly's nuanced delivery is a heartbreaking one; Rocky is a self-described 'bum'; completely
poor, without any prospects - but he's always trying to improve his life. He angrily lashes
out at his trainer for never believing in him, "What about my prime, Mick? At least
you had a prime! I had no prime, I had nothin'!" Exhibiting shades of a young Marlon Brando,
this is easily the strongest performance in Stallone's career - and concrete proof he's
a capable and accomplished actor. Equally captivating is Talia Shire as Adrian, a nervous
pet shop worker and love interest. She's clearly intrigued by this handsome brute that keeps
making advances towards her, but too shy to let him into her life.
Their awkward courtship is as adorable as it is heartwarming... a realistic relationship
you can't help but smile at. Especially when Sly gives a shout-out to his girlfriend during
a TV press conference by yelling, "Yo, Adrian!" Burt Young is fascinating to watch as a frustrated
loud-mouth, who is conflicted between being a friend to Stallone, and a brother to Shire.
Meanwhile, the raspy Burgess Meredith does marvelous work with his limited screen time
as Rocky's boxing coach, who'd rather relish in past glories than acknowledge his mistakes.
This core group of four, who would reprise their roles in plenty of sequels were all
rightfully nominated for an Academy Award. In fact, with this honor, Sylvester joined
the illustrious company of Charlie Chaplin and Orson Welles as one of only three people
to be nominated for acting and writing in the same year. In a role that would be heavily
expanded in future films beyond its one-note portrayal here, Carl Weathers is great as
the arrogant heavyweight champion, too aloof in his world of fame and excess to notice
Rocky as a real threat. The film does occasionally feature boxing scenes - but ultimately, this
is a cute love story and character study instead of some title bout. Technically, the film
is paced well, and edited with careful precision, letting the heavier emotional moments play
out uninterrupted, while the fights are presented fast and furiously. Some non-traditional framing
is utilized to keep the dialogue interesting, and Steadicam technology was utilized for
only the third time on film for some of the movie's more kinetic scenes. Composer Bill
Conti weaves slower piano melodies and fast strings with big horns and even an electric
guitar to deliver an inspiring and moving soundtrack. Perhaps the most iconic sequence
in the film is a training montage set to Conti's chart-topping, and Oscar-nominated theme "Gonna
Fly Now"- which expertly ramps the mood up for the film's final fight. This montage famously
ends with Rocky charging up the steps of Philadelphia Museum Of Art - a moment so indelible, it's
become a must-see destination when visiting the city of Brotherly Love. Hundreds of people
still raise their arms in victory there every day, and I made sure to do the same when I
ran the "Rocky Steps" during my visit in 2011. The heavyweight battle is a bit anti-climatic,
and some of the lower-budget audio work needs to be cleaned up, but by-and-large, this is
a wonderful experience from start to finish. Spawning six sequels and counting, this rags-to-riches
tale has endured for decades thanks to its hopeful message and lovable characters. Later
chapters vastly improved on the fight choreography and took the story to more interesting places,
but there's a certain intangible magic about this inaugural effort that makes it such a
memorable picture. "Rocky" is a triumphant accomplishment of love and courage. I think
it's AMAZING.