His ambition is to gain self-esteem through craftsmanship: “All I wanted to do outta fightin’ was prove I weren’t no bum—that I had the stuff to make a good pro.” I believe this sets the scene for Rocky and his "opportunity of a lifetime", fighting against Apollo Creed in the heavyweight championship. Technically speaking, I really like how this scene was written. The editors and scriptwriters purposely discuss Rocky's personal connection before he becomes the competitor against Creed. Choosing to do this was extremely effective, because it introduces to the audience that he is willing to work hard given any opportunity. Later in the film, Rocky tells Adrian his one true goal: ": “It really don’t matter if I lose this fight. . . . All I wanna do is go the distance . . . if I can go the distance I’ll know for the first time in my life that I weren’t just another bum from the neighborhood.” In Knockout by Leger Grindon, Grindon states that "Rocky qualifies his embrace of a competitive success ethic by refocusing his goal on winning respect for his craft—going the distance." Because Rocky is offered an opportunity, he plans on making the most of it in hopes that he can prove he truly can accomplish something important to him.
This scene captivated me because of the fact that it is presented to the audience through a television set. While watching this scene, I was imagining myself turning on the TV one day and randomly coming across someone beating up a carcass...... (something that can be very alarming if you were not aware of the context). I think this was intentional by the director because he wants the audience to understand what lengths Rocky is willing to go to succeed. This scene is meant to encapsulate the spirit of Rocky and his dedication to train and become equal to his opponent. I also like how they show Apollo Creed's friend watching the broadcast, while Creed ignores the program. I think it's important because Creed is very judgmental of Rocky. Because Creed has had more credible, success-worthy opportunities than Rocky, Creed believes that he will win the fight no matter what. There is clearly an imbalance of power. It is unfair to think that Rocky has to battle a man who has had far better training than his challenger, solely because he has had better financial opportunities.
Because of this scene, Rocky realizes he needs to overcome his emotions. He gets the motivation he needs to take that pain and experience and channel it into his career as a fighter. Rocky differentiates itself from other boxing films that include money and fame as a driving factor for the boxer. In this film, the main priority is for Rocky to find himself and prove his worth. I think this is best told by the intimate household scene included in the movie. When Rocky tells Adrian he wants to go the distance, he is in the house, a private setting, just as the scene above. Similar to the movie Raging Bull (1980), this scenes show a different side of the violent boxer. It is important because we see the domesticated version of a strong-willed fighter. By doing this, the audience is meant to view the boxer as something more than just a piece of meat, and it ultimately gives the fighter more humanity.
While watching the documentary "The Real Rocky", I was amazed to learn that boxer Chuck Wepner was the influence towards fictional character Rocky. Mentioned in the first few minutes of the film, Vic Ziegel, writer for the New York Times, says "What you could say about Chuck is he did give it everything he had." During Wepner's fight against Muhammed Ali, one could say that Wepner was given an opportunity of a lifetime. The film describes Wepner as a local, hometown boxer, much like Rocky. In the real-life fight between Wepner and Ali, it was not as mythic as Rocky's fight, but it did break expectations. One main difference in Rocky is the fact that Rocky had a challenging time making a name for himself. In "The Real Rocky", Wepner had fights with Sonny Liston and George Foreman prior to the heavyweight fight. In Rocky, Rocky never was able to make it professionally because he hadn't had proper managing and training. I think this is important because it highlights how much the fight against Creed meant. This was Rocky's first chance to prove to people he has what it takes. Because this was offered to him, he wanted to take advantage of the situation. The main similarities are highlighted during the two fights. Both Creed and Muhammad are viewed as advanced fighters. Compared to their opponents, it is likely a given that they are due to win. Going into the fight, Creed assumed it would take three rounds to knockout Rocky. When Rocky surpasses those rounds, he ultimately shows he will not go down without a fight. Even though Creed won the fight, the audience can still classify Rocky as defying the odds, just as Wepner did when he fought Ali. Because Rocky hadn't had the same opportunities as Creed, the audience ultimately classifies Rocky as a destined to be boxer. He was born ready to box, and we ultimately consider him the true winner because he beat the odds and made the most out of this boxing opportunity. In a piece by Nina Schnieder titled "The Making Of An Aged Hero in Rocky Balboa", Schneider says "Moreover, although Creed and Balboa might be of the same age, they should be years apart in terms of their physical abilities with regard to professional training and fighting experience. But the movie tells otherwise: by avid training, his compassion as a fighter and his urge to “go the distance” and to show he is not, in Coach Mickey’s words, “just another bum from the neighborhood,” Rocky manages to build up his body and boxing techniques to achieve a draw in the match with Apollo Creed." This is important because it acknowledges a main purpose of this film, making the most out of one's opportunities. Although Rocky didn't win the fight, he did amazingly considering the disadvantage he had against Creed's experience. Rocky knew this was an incredible opportunity , and it truly shows that you have to make the best out of your situations. For most of his life, Rocky didn't have a chance to prove his worth as a boxer. While trying his hardest, Rocky proved that no matter what, you always should appreciate the opportunities given to you. This was my first time viewing Rocky, and while watching it, I liked how they explored a sort of mythical aspect of the film. When Apollo Creed picked Rocky as his opponent, it truly was the chance of a lifetime. After all the time he spent as a struggling boxer trying to make a name for himself, he finally was presented with a life-changing opportunity. Overall, I believe that this film was trying to captivate the spirit of making the most out of every situation. By making the most of the opportunity presented to him, Rocky ultimately proved to himself and his loved ones that he has what it takes to be a contender.
2 Comments
Adam Nyland
11/2/2016 10:29:58 am
I think focusing on the editing of this movie was really interesting. To me, the editing in the film didn't seem like anything too groundbreaking, but it did seem incredibly polished and well done. This film did win best film editing at the Oscars the year it was released, so it did receive some accolades for it's efforts.
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Andrew Russell
11/9/2016 10:53:07 am
I found how you were relieved that this film did not take the "white savior" route interesting. I too was relieved, but did not think of it going near a Different Strokes vibe whatsoever. I also find it really interesting how you focus on editing considering I didn't find it very prominent except for the first fight that was continuous. This was a very interesting post.
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