Of Rocky Balboa and Life
Rocky Balboa is one of Hollywood’s most beloved and most popular characters of all-time. And the first Rocky movie was considered by established film institutions and film critics as one of the gems among contemporary motion pictures. It even went as far as winning the 1976 Academy Award for Best Picture and earning Sylvester Stallone his only Academy Award nomination for best actor. The sequels the followed did not do well among critics, although the public received well Rocky II, Rocky III, and Rocky IV. They were good movies at any rate.
With the speculation of ending the Rocky series with a fifth installment, Rocky V was a mess, in the opinion of critics and movie fans alike. Rocky Balboa, by the time the fifth movie was released, is already one of pop culture’s most recognizable icon, mainly because of the symbolism he projects that man can overcome all obstacles if he just will himself to do so. Ending the well-loved series with a so-so movie was deemed an outrage. Fans demanded to end the series as beautiful as it started. The ending took 16 years to finish. But the wait was worth it.
Rocky Balboa, the final chapter in the Rocky saga, begins with the former champ now a successful restaurateur, but his accomplishment in the dining business is overshadowed by his depression over the death of his wife, who inspired Rocky through their marriage, and the drag his estranged relationship with his son creates. Many people can easily relate to this setup. The death of a relative, especially a close one, can create this hole inside a person, which lingers and sometimes refuses to be filled. Rocky’s unsteady connection with his son also creates tension. Such kind of relationship is pretty much in existent within families. The movie’s storyline is not original. In fact, it is more archaic. But the formula was laid well by Stallone, as he did with the first Rocky movie.
As the movie progresses, we are shown to Rocky’s ways of dealing with his inner demons, ‘stuff in the basement’ as he calls it. He wants to fight. Which is quite ridiculous, especially since he is pretty much old. But he made real good speeches to get his message accross, twice. The first occasion was when the Philadelphia Boxing Committee refused to grant him a boxing license, even after passing all the necessary tests. The second one was with his son, Robert, who urged Rocky not to step on the ring again.
But he did got on the ring against the reigning heavyweight champion. Against a younger, faster, and more devastating opponent he has ever faced. And no, he did not win the match. But he did gained more than that. Rocky is seen as the guy who went the distance with the fighter, a feat no other boxers has achieved. Rocky is now on good terms with his son. And he finally got rid of the pieces of baggage he’s been hoarding inside. A great movie. And a great way to end a well-love story.
Rocky did made some excellent verses that are worth pondering on. The messages from both speeches mentioned earlier can hit anyone close to home:
“If something makes us happy, who’s stopping us from doing it. As long as we are not hurting anybody and not stepping on anyone’s toes, it’s perfectly okay.”
“Life is not all sunshine and rainbows. Life will drive us to our knees and will keep us there permanently if we let it. We can’t hit as hard as life. But it’s not how hard we can hit. It’s about how hard we can get hit and keep moving forward. If we want something in life, we must be willing to take the hits.”
Message received. Okay, Life. Give me your best shot.
