Scene Anatomy 101: Rocky Balboa
Posted by George H. Sirois on 03.28.2007
Re-evolution of a Champion: When the re-active becomes pro-active…
Yes, we're in the midst of "remake fever" right now in Hollywood, but there's something else that's going on at the same time – "revisiting fever." Characters that we haven't heard from for years are suddenly making their way back to the big screen, and they've come back in different ways. They've come either as the first part to a new trilogy that passes itself off as an unofficial sequel, as a re-make to the first part of a long-running series that re-invigorates a character, or as one last journey with a film icon sixteen years after we last saw him. (If I can make it happen, I'll be sure to do a column on another revisiting film that's currently in theaters, one that makes a transition from live-action to CGI animation.)
Even though I'm not fond of all these remakes that are being churned out, I do enjoy the revisiting. Each film that we've seen makes sure to pay homage to the preceding films in their own unique ways. They attempt to remind us what we loved about their predecessors while downplaying what brought them down. And most importantly, they give us the chance to see some closure. Too many franchises don't end; they just stop. (Personally, I'd love to see one more Police Academy film to close out that series, but the latest word is that producer Paul Maslansky wants to do a re-make of the first film and not worry about ending the 7-part franchise.)
In one particular case, actor/writer/director Sylvester Stallone decided the time was right to re-visit the character that launched him into film history, and give him the closure he so richly deserves. The character, of course, is Rocky Balboa, and his final trip into the boxing ring is shown in the aptly named 2006 hit film…
It's been sixteen years since we last saw Rocky Balboa, and he's been through quite a bit since his injuries from his fight with Drago forced him to retire, and Paulie's mistake of signing over power of attorney to their accountant lost all of Rocky's money. Over five years after they re-located back to the old neighborhood in Philadelphia, Rocky and Adrian opened an Italian restaurant called Adrian's. Seven years later, Adrian sadly passed away from breast cancer. The relationship between Rocky and his son Robert has had its ups and downs over the years, but lately, they've been on a downslide. Robert moved out of the house and got a job in the city, and he and his father rarely see each other anymore.
By the time we re-join Rocky, he's still unable to let go of Adrian. The restaurant is going very well and he's having a good time watching over the place and telling fight stories to customers, but if Adrian can't be with him, he can't bring himself to be happy. Neither can Paulie, who's still working at Shamrock Meats and believes that this miserable existence will always be his life. There's the meat house, the guilt he feels over treating his sister badly, and the annual trips he goes on with Rocky around the neighborhood, as Rocky dives back into the past and vocally remembers the first date he had with Adrian and the time they spent together.
But then, all of a sudden, a simulated fight on ESPN is produced, a computer fight that puts two fighters against each other in their primes. This particular fight puts Rocky Balboa against the current Heavyweight Champion of the World, Mason "The Line" Dixon (Antonio Tarver), and according to the computer, Rocky wins by a knockout.
The computer fight causes a stir in both Philadelphia and Las Vegas. For Rocky, it ignites a fire that he thought was long extinguished and it fuels his desire to get back in the ring for the first time since his classic bout with Ivan Drago. Since there's nobody with him anymore that used to help make his decisions – namely Mickey and Adrian – Rocky steps up and truly becomes a pro-active character. He not only applies for a license to fight, but when it gets turned down because of his age and previous injuries, he talks the commission into granting him one.
Over at Mason Dixon's camp in Las Vegas, Mason's manager pushes his fighter to offer an exhibition bout with Balboa. It wouldn't be for the title, just a simple 10-round fight with nothing on the line except personal pride for both men. Mason's been spoon-fed bad opponents and the public has turned against him for not acting like a real champion. For Balboa, it'd be a chance to show the whole world, and most importantly himself, that he can still bring it.
Everyone is excited about this fight, except for Rocky's son Robert (Milo Ventimiglia). Ever since Rocky's re-emergence in the world of boxing, Robert's been mocked by his friends, asking him, "What happened to you?" Why didn't he follow in his father's footsteps? He's been trying his best to make a name for himself, and all of a sudden, his father's past is practically pushing him back down. He decides to finally have it out with his father, and visits the restaurant to try to talk him out of doing this.
As our scene opens, Robert and Rocky walk outside the restaurant.
ROBERT, JR.: So you nervous about the fight?
ROCKY: Scared to death.
Robert looks at Rocky, confused.
ROBERT, JR.: You don't look scared.
Rocky shrugs his shoulders. This fight is nothing he's not used to.
ROCKY: I ain't supposed to.
ROBERT, JR.: Then you don't have to do it.
ROCKY: Yeah. Well, I think I do.
Robert finally stops walking, struggling to come up with the right words to say what's on his mind. All he can think of is what the guys at work are going to say when his father gets destroyed in the ring.
ROBERT, JR.: You know, living with you, it hasn't been easy. People see me, but they think of you. Now with all this going on, it's gonna be worse than ever.
ROCKY: It don't have to be.
ROBERT, JR.: Sure it does.
This is the same kid that went out and got a job in the city. He's wearing good suits, he's using his head, he's on his way up. Rocky can't understand why Robert's talking like this.
ROCKY: Why? You've got a lot going on, kid.
ROBERT, JR.: What, my last name?! That's the reason I got a decent job. That's why people deal with me in the first place. Now, I start to get a little ahead, I start to get a little something for myself, and this happens! Now, I'm asking you, as a favor, not to go through with this! This is only gonna end bad for you, and it's gonna end bad for me.
It's starting to come in clear. According to his son, Rocky's only been thinking about himself.
ROCKY: What, you think I'm hurting you?
ROBERT, JR.: Yeah. In a way, you are.
ROCKY: That's the last thing I ever wanted to do.
ROBERT, JR.: I know that's not what you wanna do, but that's just the way that it is. Don't you care what people think? Doesn't it bother you that people are making you out to be a joke and that I'm gonna be included in that?! Do you think that's right?! Do you?!
Rocky doesn't answer for a moment. His kid has no idea what he's been through during his years as a fighter. He wasn't even conceived when Rocky did the impossible against Apollo Creed and went the distance – all fifteen rounds – and ended the fight still standing. Robert was in Adrian's belly when Rocky was being pursued by Apollo for a rematch, when he had to endure being called a chicken by Creed, the press and his colleagues at the gym. He was too young to comprehend the fear that Rocky felt when he went against Clubber Lang after ten hand-picked fights, and he was on the other side of the country when Rocky had to confront his fear and re-invent himself. Robert was only an 8-year old boy when Rocky lost his friend and former opponent, and had to fight in the Soviet Union to avenge Apollo's death. And finally, Robert was only a 13-year old when Rocky came back from the Soviet Union only to find that everything he fought for was flushed away.
After everything that Rocky's been through – including his kid suffering a bout with Brundle's Accelerated Growth Syndrome – Robert actually believes that because some people are making jokes about this comeback, Rocky should just pack it in? Apparently, Robert doesn't know his father at all.
Instead of telling his son all of this, Rocky smiles and holds up the palm of his hand.
ROCKY: You ain't gonna believe this, but you used to fit right here. I'd hold you up and say to your mother: This kid's gonna be the best kid in the world. This kid is gonna be somebody better than anybody ever knew. And you grew up good and wonderful. It was great just watching, every day was like a privilege. Then the time come for you to be your own man and take on the world, and you did. But somewhere along the line, you changed.
Our thoughts immediately go back to the first time we saw Robert in this film. He was in his suit being reprimanded by his boss in front of everybody. He hangs out with his friends and doesn't say a word, he just lets them dictate what's going on and, even worse, who he is. All they look at him as is "Baby Rocky" and that only makes him retreat further into himself.
ROCKY: You stopped being you. You let people stick a finger in your face and tell you you're no good. And when things got hard, you started looking for something to blame… like a big shadow.
"A big shadow." That's exactly what Robert told Rocky what he has, and that shadow's something that Robert's never figured out how to escape. But what his son doesn't understand is that Rocky never took everything that he got in life for granted. He always treated it like a gift and never forgot where he came from. And he never forgot about the lessons that life taught him along the way. Those lessons are what Robert still needs to learn for himself.
ROCKY: Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place, and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward, how much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!
Obviously, Rocky's speaking from personal experience, and he's got a little something extra to say. It's frustrating for Rocky to see his own flesh and blood not be willing to go into the trenches of life the same way he did.
ROCKY: Now, if you know what you're worth, then go out and get what you're worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you wanna be because of him or her or anybody! COWARDS DO THAT, AND THAT AIN'T YOU! YOU'RE BETTER THAN THAT!
Rocky takes a deep breath and lets those words sink into Robert's head. He allows himself to calm down before he speaks again.
ROCKY: I'm always gonna love you no matter what. No matter what happens. You're my son and you're my blood. You're the best thing in my life. But until you start believing in yourself, you ain't gonna have a life.
Rocky walks past Robert to go back into the restaurant.
ROCKY: Don't forget to visit your mother.
He walks back inside, leaving his son alone with everything that Rocky told him.
This is Rocky's way of saying, no, he doesn't care that people are talking about him. What he intends to do is silence the doubters. Once he steps back in the ring and takes a stand against a younger, faster, stronger champion, all the noise telling Rocky he can't do it – most importantly the noise within himself – will be silenced.
This is the first time in the series where we've seen Rocky take a pro-active stance, and it's good to see it's been in him all along. He always knew he had a spirit in him that very few people could ever have, and all he needed was the chance to show it off. After seeing Rocky Balboa like this, fighting for his chances on his own when there's nobody to speak for him or motivate him, it's refreshing to see that in order to properly re-visit this character, Sylvester Stallone also had to re-create him into a pro-active character. Not only did Rocky Balboa silence the doubters by going toe to toe with the current champion of the world, but Sylvester Stallone silenced his doubters by delivering a solid film that reflected the very best qualities of the icon he was responsible for giving us.
Next week, another icon makes his big return, and an old opponent is waiting… and he's a little angrier than when we last saw him.
