The film Rocky was written by Sylvester Stallone and directed by John G. Avildsen. It was released in 1976 and it is one of the best films about sport of all time. The person who is very important for the production of the film is Sylvester Stallone because he had the idea for an original story. Rocky was nominated in nine categories for the Academy Awards, Oscar and it won three for best picture, best director and for best film editing.
Stallone made a great effort to make this film and the story of its production is very interesting because it is the story of passion. It was difficult at first to get people interested in the production of Rocky. Films about boxing were popular for a while, but just before Rocky was produced “the fight film had fallen out of favor with audiences, who seemingly preferred the likes of The Exorcist and Jaws and The Godfather” (White). This was obviously the worst time to offer a script for a boxing film because this was a genre that was not getting much attention at the time. However, Sylvester Stallone had a great inspiration and decided to have this film made.
Stallone’s inspiration was “Chuck Wepner taking on the legendary Muhammad Ali on March 24, 1975 at the Richfield Coliseum outside of Cleveland in Richfield, Ohio” (White). Wepner was 36 at the time and he was not considered to be a threat to Ali. Muhammad Ali would not give up easily and he put up a good fight, but Wepner had great determination and “kept moving forward and continuing to fight” (White). This was a great inspiration for Stallone and he believed in the success of such a story that glorifies people who do not stand the chance, who are considered to be underdogs and outcasts and who still manage to beat champions. This story was bound to have good reception because people like to see how great motivation and work on oneself can produce unimaginable success. This film conveys the message that everything is possible when a person has enough determination which is especially appealing for wide audiences because people like to think that hard work pays. Moreover, they are right in thinking so because every great progress and achievement in life is a result of great work, both intellectual and physical. This was the case for Sylvester Stallone who demonstrated his talent as a sportsperson, a great script writer and a great actor. “Wepner's accomplishment was a massive encouragement to a struggling young talent named Sly Stallone” (White). That is when Stallone decided to create both a script and a role for himself in order to make a great breakthrough as an artist. Stallone was greatly inspired by this event and he wanted to make a film which was according to his personal taste.
The themes in this film are related to love, pride, self-confidence and great effort. The story is about a man who loves his family and who is determined to be a successful boxer against all odds. Failure is not an option for Rocky and he fights his way to the top. He is a man who is capable of great feelings and a patriot who needs to work on himself in order to succeed. Stallone was not an experienced writer, but he had great determination and motivation to succeed. He had no money, but he was capable to express his ideas to people who could help him. The idea was to make Rocky look like a person who is relatable, but who is misunderstood because of his appearance. Wepner was a great inspiration as a man who took his only chance at winning and used it. Sylvester Stallone was not the only person who made filming of Rocky possible. “But while he was the driving force and passion behind the movie, a couple of others were directly involved in getting it to the screen” (White). These people were Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff who produced the film. At first, they did not want Stallone to star in it because they wanted an actor who was already a celebrity. However, they finally reached an agreement and Stallone was cast to play Rocky. This was a low budget film because they could not find a company who would invest in a film that does not have a famous leading actor.
The film had an extraordinary reception at the time in 1976 and it was acknowledged as a great success by the media professionals and by the audience. It earned over 220 million USD and it’s budget was 1,1 million USD. This was a huge success and Stallone believed in it from the start. Steadycam was first used in this film by its founder Garrett Brown. However, the review in “The New York Times” was not good and suggested that the film did not have a lasting quality. “Yet the sort of highpowered publicity (most of it free, it seems) that's been attending the birth of "Rocky" must, in turn, subject the movie to impossible expectations that can boomerang. Be warned” (Canby). The film is also criticized for Stallone’s bad acting and for not being realistic.
After Rocky won three Oscars the film was seen as a great success and it has had seven sequels so far, the last being made in 2015. The film has been discussed by academic and mainstream media as a work of art because it passed the test of time. The themes that are discussed by fans and professionals include perseverance in life, spirituality, love and finally, mortality, because the final Rocky is the film in which “Rocky is fighting his own mortality."There is no ring involved — this is reality," Stallone says” (Truitt). Therefore, Rocky is certainly a film that will be discussed by future generations because it left a remarkable trace on the history of film.
Works Cited
Avildsen, John G., dir. Rocky. United Artists, 1976. Film.
White, James. "The Story Behind Rocky." Games Radar. N.p., 26 Oct. 2009. Web. 6 Mar. 2016. <http://www.gamesradar.com/the-story-behind-rocky/>.
Canby, Vincent. "Rocky (1976) Film: 'Rocky,' Pure 30's Make-Believe." The New York Times 22 Nov. 1976. Web. 6 Mar. 2016. <http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9B02E4DE123EE334BC4A51DFB767838D669EDE>.
Truitt, Brian. "Sneak peek: 'Creed' gives Rocky new life." USA TODAY 30 June 2015. Web. 6 Mar. 2016. <http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2015/06/30/sylvester-stallone-creed-sneak-peek/29462009/>.
