Rocky: 10 Things That Still Hold Up Today | ScreenRant
When Sylvester Stallone wasn’t getting anywhere as a struggling actor, he decided to create his own success. He wrote the script for Rocky in a couple of days, held out for a producer who would let him play the lead role, and went on to become the third person in Oscar history after Charlie Chaplin and Orson Welles to be nominated for writing and starring in the same movie.
Almost half a century after the movie arrived in theaters, Rocky remains a timeless cinematic gem that never gets old. It still holds up today for a variety of reasons.
10 The Long, Engaging First Act
Traditionally, the first act of a movie takes up about a quarter of the runtime. But as a first-time screenwriter, Stallone wasn’t concerned with following the so-called rules of screenwriting. Rocky dedicates a solid hour to setting up its lead character and the biggest fight of his career.
This gives the audience plenty of time to get to know Rocky Balboa as a three-dimensional human being with strengths and weaknesses, a handful of close friends, and a blossoming romance.
9 John G. Avildsen’s Minimalist Direction
Rocky won three Oscars out of its 10 nominations. One of those wins was best director for John G. Avildsen, whose minimalist direction set the perfect tone to bring Stallone’s script to life.
Avildsen’s direction of the movie has been described as decidedly schmaltzy, but it also has a real edge to it. It mixes Frank Capra-esque sentimentality with a sobering dose of Elia Kazan-esque realism.
8 The Grounded Tone
As the story of a small-time boxer who’s suddenly challenged to a highly publicized match with one of the most famous fighters in the world, Rocky plays as a sort of fantasy.
But it has a grounded tone to prevent the story from feeling like far-fetched Hollywood escapism. The early scenes establishing Rocky’s illicit work with loan sharks give the movie an authentic working-class grit that’s missing from many if not most other sports movies.
7 Rocky’s Three-Dimensional Characterization
Stallone gave himself a three-dimensional role to sink his teeth into with the title character of Rocky. He’s in love with quiet, shy Adrian, which shows his sensitive side. On the other hand, he leads a life of crime to scrape by. He’s insecure about his chances against Apollo Creed, but he’s determined to give it his best shot and "go the distance."
Over the course of the first few sequels, Rocky turned into a one-note archetype. Fortunately, Rocky Balboa and the Creed movies brought nuance and depth back to the character to give him a more poignant swansong.
6 Bill Conti’s Iconic Score
Bill Conti’s iconic Rocky score captures the movie’s setting with a sumptuous Philly soul sound. The tracks that play over Rocky’s training basically comprise a workout playlist.
The main theme, “Gonna Fly Now,” is now one of the most beloved themes in movie history. It’s as instantly recognizable as John Williams’ Star Wars theme or Danny Elfman’s Batman theme.
5 The Passion In Stallone’s Script
Passion is infectious. The more of it a filmmaker has for a movie, the more of it the audience will ultimately feel for the story being told. Stallone’s script for Rocky is a fiercely passionate piece.
Written when he was an underdog himself, Stallone’s script tells the quintessential underdog story. Stallone was never a struggling boxer, but he channeled the foibles and frustrations of being a struggling actor into Balboa’s journey.
4 The Love Story
While Rocky is often described as a boxing movie, it’s really a love story first and foremost. Rocky’s fight with Apollo Creed is the external conflict, but the emotional core is his romance with Adrian.
The slew of boxing movies inspired by Rocky focused too much on the boxing. The best ones, like Raging Bull and Southpaw (and Rocky itself) are equally as interested in the boxer’s life outside the ring.
3 Sylvester Stallone’s Endearing Performance
Disappointing duds like Cobra, Judge Dredd, and Tango & Cash cast doubt on Sylvester Stallone’s acting abilities, but the first Rocky movie (and, later, First Blood and Cop Land) proved he’s a terrific actor with the right material.
In the original Rocky, Stallone channels a young Marlon Brando to offer a likable, endearing, yet rough-around-the-edges portrayal of Rocky Balboa.
2 The Perfection Of The Sports Movie Formula
The formula established by Rocky has since been ripped off countless times. Pretty much every sports movie starts with a down-on-their-luck athlete who gets an opportunity to prove themselves, leading to training montages, romance, and a climactic showdown.
Rocky may not be the very first underdog sports movie, but it arguably perfected the formula. No rip-off of Rocky has managed to improve on it, because Stallone nailed it out of the gate.
1 The Heartwarming Ending
Going by Hollywood’s usual standards, the logical conclusion to Rocky would be to have Rocky defeat Apollo Creed and seize his title so the audience leaves satisfied by a happy ending.
However, the actual ending is delightfully subversive. Rocky loses, but it’s still a happy ending because he doesn’t care that he lost. All he cares about is Adrian. When she runs into his arms in the movie's final frames, Rocky has everything he wants.
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