If I asked you what movie won Best Picture in 1976, you might have to think about it, and I almost guarantee that Rocky wouldn’t cross your mind.
It won several Oscars that year and is considered the greatest boxing movie of all-time because Sylvester Stallone gave all the blood, sweat, and tears he had for the role. Stallone actually wrote this amazing story about an ordinary man chasing his dreams in the ring and with his future wife. Little did he know that he would bring to life an American icon.
Today, people who don’t like boxing or sports, in general, are familiar with the song “Gonna Fly Now” and associate it with Rocky. When I hear that song, I know it makes me wish I had the energy to run across the streets of Philadelphia and up the stairs of Independence Hall, where I could raise my arms in triumph.
Personally, I wish I had the drive, passion, and determination Rocky has. He took his one in a million shot and turned it into one of the most emotional stories ever written. It is so rare that a movie, let alone a loveable loser, would have such an impact on society. People can mock Rocky all they want, but he is far from the rags to riches story we’ve all become accustomed to these days. No one believed in him. He didn’t even believe in himself. Yet when it came time, he used the limited resources he had and wore his heart on his sleeve in the ring.
Stallone’s brilliant writing allows Rocky to be a hero, the kind of guy who doesn’t need a belt or money, but the winner of life. If anyone ever looks into the creation of Rocky, you’d be amazed to know that Stallone gave everything he had to make this movie possible. This guy broke and completely flattened his knuckles by punching the raw meat in those fridge scenes. It’s these little things that Stallone brought to the film that made it just feel so authentic.
If you have never seen Rocky, you should find some time and enjoy a brilliant film that isn’t just about sweaty guys punching each other, but about an ordinary guy who did everything he could when given the shot of a lifetime. 9/10
Ten Stars or Less 