Old School Reviews: John G. Avildsen, Rocky

Rocky (1972)

Director: John G. Avildsen

Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Carl Weathers, Burgess Meredith, Burt Young

Release Company: United Artists

MPAA Rating: PG

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Rocky Stand Up
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"I can't beat him. But that don't bother me. The only thing I want to do is to go the distance--that's all. Because if that bell rings and I'm still standing, then I'm gonna know for the first time in my life, see, that I wasn't just another bum from the neighborhood."

Most of us have dreams that go unrealized. Sylvester Stallone was once obsessed with that idea, so he wrote a script about it--about a guy that most people considered a bum, who finally gets a shot to realize his big dream. Actually that story could apply to Stallone, himself. He was a bit actor, often taking uncredited roles (note the cameo in Woody Allen's Bananas on the subway) before landing a decent role in The Lords of Flatbush and contributing to the script.

Still, he was an unknown actor/writer seeking his fortune in Los Angeles, living in an 8 x 9 foot room with about $106 in the bank after selling his dog (Butkus, that will play a part in the film) to scrape rent money together. After plugging his script for Rocky with the proviso that Stallone play the lead, two parties showed interest--one was a major studio who eventually upped its offer to over $300,000 to buy the script as long as Stallone dropped his demands on acting in it. They saw no box office potential without a big name for the leading role.

The other group (producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff) told Stallone to develop the idea more, and they'd produce the movie starring Stallone without a writer's fee. The one thing they liked about the concept was the idea that Stallone was going against formula but having the hero lose in the end.

The rest is history.

Stallone Rocky Balboa--a role that translated into numerous awards and a whole lot of bucks, allowing Stallone to move out of the flophouse and transforming him into one of the highest paid stars in Hollywood. Granted, Sly has participated in some utter garbage movies that make him look like just another no talent Hollywood bum, but he'll always have the original Rocky.

The improbable plot was inspired by a March 1975 boxing match that Stallone saw between Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner (nicknamed the "Bayonne Bleeder" for his ripped apart face). So thank Ali for giving the 36-year-old club fighter who moonlighted as a liquor salesman a shot at the title and supplying the core plotline for Rocky. Wepner was one of the "bums" that Ali took on that never had a chance to win, but the rock hard chinned Wepner actually did knock the champ down in the ninth round and lasted 15 rounds.

Despite his courage in the ring, Wepner wasn't financially wise while serving as a consultant on Rocky. He chose to take a one time payment of $70,000 instead of a one percent take on any Rocky project. Another boxer blew a chance at movie stardom, as one time heavyweight champion Ken Norton turned down the project, giving way to Carl Weathers to fashion his memorable Apollo Creed role into a Muhammad Ali clone in the original Rocky.

Keep in mind that the only "name" actor in the project was Burgess Meredith as the crusty old boxing manager, who also never had a chance at the big time until Rocky's one in a million shot comes through. Meredith creates an unforgettable character, borrowed from hanging around some local gyms, and does some good improvisational work. A favorite verbal spar comes from Meredith's character: “You ever think about retiring?”

Talia Shire also gets a career boost from her part as the shy Adrian. She had done some fine supporting work in the first two Godfather movies prior to this project, but here she is more prominent and hits her marks well. On a fairly low budget, each actor was asked to create their own costume and do their own makeup. Shire’s choice of glasses to hide behind and those frumpy clothes are absolutely perfect for her transformation from the sheltered ugly duckling into a more confident complement to Rocky. The awkward first date at the ice rink after her brother tosses the Thanksgiving turkey out the window is very real and touching.

Of course, Rocky belongs to Stallone. His acting here gives the film its heart and establishes Rocky as an American icon. One tribute to Stallone’s performance is the common misconception that Stallone is a native Philadelphian. Not true—try New York City instead.

It would have been easy to rely on cliches and stock characters to create the film, but Stallone gives individuality to each of his characters, providing some nice touches. He may work for a loan shark, but he's got a heart of gold--allowing a debtor to slide in one scene, and attempting to counsel an ungrateful teen girl in another. Watch the slump up his shoulders and eye contact when she retorts, "Hey Rocky, screw you!"

While many will want to see Rocky for the boxing sequences in the final 10 minutes, but those are really immaterial. If you're looking for inspiration, try the training sequences with Rocky gulping down the egg yolks and running through the streets of Philadelphia. However, the biggest thing that Stallone does for Rocky is make him a real character. An everyman in a chump boxer's body, guided by principles but speaking nothing larger than two-syllable words, Balboa is believable--so much so that Stallone will be forced to play this same charmer in four sequels and play similar characters in numerous other films.

Artistically, Stallone maxes out in that first Rocky, but it's hard to turn down the money that the franchise created. Never known for great acting skills, Stallone makes the character work so well that it's impossible to imagine anyone else in the role. One funny anecdote relating to Stallone's acting skills is the story that Carl Weathers tells about his reading audition. He was doing the reading with "writer" Sylvester Stallone (unaware that the writer would also be the star), and at the end of the reading told the producers that "I can do this better with a real actor!"

So how does Stallone make this the definitive role of his career? Consider, this was the fulfillment of his dream and represents his own life. Stallone conceived the project and knew that he could play this character. Thus, Stallone came to the project with undeniable desire and energy to give the very best that he had, and he leaves nothing in the ring as the film ends. Give Stallone credit for going the distance in this film and not going down.

The fact that this film actually beat out Taxi Driver as the best film of 1976 only supplies more evidence that the Academy has its head up its anal aperture, but Rocky remains an enjoyable character study that doesn't require the standard Hollywood ending. Unfortunately, Hollywood recognizes a sure-fire money-maker, and Stallone agrees to pimp his one great character to "create" four generic sequels (and one more unbelievable come-back for Christmas 2006). If only Adrian had whispered into Rocky's ear "Quit" at the end of the first film...

If you have an old copy of Rocky, replace it with the recently released DVD special edition. The audio commentary track with director John G. Avildsen, producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff, actors Talia Shire, Burt Young and Carl Weathers, and even the inventor of the steadicam is worth the purchase price. But the feature I really enjoy the best is Stallone's video commentary. Stallone's love and enthusiasm for this project still comes through after 25 years, so no matter how bad his dreadful re-make of Get Carter is, or the horrific Cliffhanger, there'll always be Rocky.