This film makes you cry with joy and this film makes you cry. This film tells the story of a sporting adventure, a great love story, and the moving story of a “nobody” who became an idol. This film is “Rocky”, and it is one of the greatest films in the history of American cinema.
Rockyunrivaled performance
There are not many films that can boast of having brought in so much while costing so little. There is obviously The Blair Witch Project, produced for a total of around 500,000 dollars and having collected 248 million at the worldwide box office. There is also Paranormal Activity, with a total budget of approximately $250,000 for worldwide revenues of $194 million. But these two films do not, unlike Rockyfilmed in 1976 for 1 million dollars and which grossed a total of 225 million, obtained theOscar for Best Film.
In the working-class neighborhoods of Philadelphia, Rocky Balboa collects unpaid debts for a loan shark, and competes from time to time, for a few dozen dollars, in boxing matches under the name of “the Italian stallion”. However, Mickey, his old trainer, lets him down. His friend Paulie, who works in a cold storage warehouse, encourages Rocky to go out with his sister Adrian, a reserved young saleswoman at a pet store. Meanwhile, Apollo Creed, the world heavyweight boxing champion, is looking for a new opponent to put his title back on the line. His choice will be Rocky.
With a glorious critical reception and an incredible performance at the global box office, Rocky holds a special place in the history of cinema. Sports film, but also captivating illustration ofamerican dreamand above all revelation to the whole world of an actor and filmmaker who has become legendary: Sylvester Stallone.
The beautiful story of Sylvester Stallone
Like his boxer Rocky Balboa, a little guy from Philadelphia who dreams of being a professional boxer, Sylvester Stallone fought like hell to bring it to the screen Rocky. Before writing the screenplay for the film and playing the title role, Sylvester Stallone had only made small appearances on screen, mainly extras for which he was not even credited.
In March 1975, he attended the fight between boxing star Mohamed Ali and Chuck Wepner, an anonymous opponent. He created a surprise by holding out until the 15th round, before losing by KO. Sylvester Stallone returned home and wrote a first version of the screenplay for Rocky in three days. Among the studios and producers contacted, Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff are interested and want to acquire the rights. Stallone wants to play the lead role, but the producers refuse. They think more of Robert Redford or Burt Reynolds.
But out of the question for “Sly” to let anyone other than him play Rocky Balboa. He finally obtained the role against a significant reduction in the production budget, the studios not wanting to risk betting too much money on an actor who was still very little known.
Ten Oscar nominations and one of Tarantino’s favorite films
Nominated ten times for the 1977 Oscars, Rocky won three: Best Film, Best Director and Best Editing. Sylvester Stallone is personally honored twice, named to theOscar for Best Actor et al’Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. A performance that only Charlie Chaplin and Orson Welles had achieved before him, and no one since. The film also obtained the Golden Globe for Best Drama Film.
In his book Cinema Speculations, Quentin Tarantino writes:
When “Rocky” came out, it pretty much became my favorite movie of all time. I’m aware I’ve said this more than once. (…) I had already seen films where the audience cheered what was happening on the screen. But “never” – I repeat “never” – have I witnessed cheers comparable to those that erupted when Rocky knocked Apollo Creed to the mat in the first round.
Rocky’s posterity is impressive. It opens a saga made up of five other films, then a spin-off saga with the films Creed. Boxing film, a great moving love story that resonates with the memorable cry of “Yo, Adrian“, Rocky has not aged a bit and each year that passes reinforces its status as a masterpiece of cinema.
