RETROSPECT: From "Rocky" to "Creed" or, What We Can Learn From Sylvester Stallone

"Why do you want to fight?" "Cause I can't sing or dance."

In the early-1970s, a young actor was struggling to make it into the movie business. He was constantly being rejected by producers and agents who never believed he would be a movie star, due to the way he looked and the way he talked; when he was born, he was pulled out by the forceps, which caused a paralysis in his lower lip and a permanent snarl. He was also struggling to make ends meet, and (according to one resource) had only $106 in his bank account. Inspired by the poems and life of Edgar Allen Poe, as well as the idea of unfulfilled dreams, he turned to writing as another form of escapism and inspiration. Then, one night, after watching a televised boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner, he had an idea for a story. A story about a lowlife boxer from Philadelphia who is given a one-in-a-million shot at the heavyweight title. A story about redemption, self-respect, love, courage, and going the distance.

This man was Sylvester Stallone. And the story he wrote became Rocky. The rest is history.

A landmark film from 1976, Rocky is arguably the quintessential underdog story (at least, as far as fictional stories go). But what makes the film even more compelling is the real life story behind Stallone's life up to that point, including his persistence and dedication in writing it, as well as his insistence on playing the lead role. In a way, it's a semi-autobiography of his own life (which the other films, from 1979 to 2006, would subsequently do).

Rocky could easily be called a sports/boxing movie, but it really isn't. The heart of the film lies in its character drama and universal story. (It should be noted that the characters in this film, all fully-realized and multi-dimensional, represent the kind of people that they don't make stories about a whole lot anymore.) There's the title character, Rocky Balboa (a.k.a. the "Italian Stallion"), a street-smart fighter (complete with his trademark fedora and jacket), who makes a living by working the books for a loan shark. There's Adrian (Talia Shire), the painfully shy pet shop worker he falls for. There's Paulie (Burt Young), his closest friend, a meat factory worker and brother to Adrian, who constantly asks Rocky for other job opportunities (namely, the one Rocky does). There's Mickey (Burgess Meredith), Rocky's trainer, who at first seems very arrogant and mean-spirited, but who deep down believes in Rocky so much he's willing to be brutally honest with him (watch this clip here). And finally, there's Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), the prized fighter a la Muhammad Ali, who gives Rocky a shot at the title.

If you don't believe Stallone has range as an actor, you haven't seen this film! He's tough. Charismatic. Charming. Sensitive. Sympathetic.

The screenplay for this film represents a great three-act structure in how to tell a story. There's, of course, the introduction, which sets up the characters, who they are, and what their dilemmas and desires are (Rocky's low point in society, Adrian's shell she apparently can't escape, Paulie's lack of career opportunities, and even Apollo's flaws he tries to cover up). There's, of course, the central conflict, pitting two ends of society against one another, preceded by a manager's offer to Rocky, and followed by Mickey's insistence on training Rocky (much to the latter's initial refusal), plus the various forms of physical, relational and emotional conflict brewing between the characters. And, of course, there's the resolution, or payoff, with the climatic match.

Talia Shire and Sylvester Stallone in Rocky

Films certainly have a long history of "happy accidents" that have become seminal or iconic moments over the years. And this low-budget film (made from about $1.2 million) is no exception. From the lack of extras in the ice-skating rink on Rocky and Adrian's first date, to Talia Shire being sick with the flu during her love scene with Stallone, to the fight poster's misplaced colors, and Rocky's baggy fighting robe. These scenes could've been cheap because of the film's low-budget. And yet, they work because the actors made the most of them.

And, of course, we can't talk about Rocky without mentioning the iconic training montage, complete with Rocky running, meat punching, and soaring to the top of the Philadelphia steps (which, reportedly, is the second most-toured landmark in the city of Philadelphia, after the Liberty Bell) with his fists in the air, and at the height of Bill Conti's unforgettable score (a personal favorite of yours truly).

For so many sports films (let alone, sports stories), it's easy to watch a film and hope that the main protagonist will win because that's the conventional nature of the story and of the hero. Rocky was made and released during the mid-1970s, a time when various antiheroes dominated the cinema, from mafia boss Michael Corleane in The Godfather films to Travis Brickell in Taxi Driver. Stallone has said he was inspired by films like Mean Streets, Marty, and On the Waterfront when writing the film. (You can even see some semblance of Marlon Brando's performance from the latter film in Stallone's performance.)

What made Rocky so inspiring was his integrity and perseverance against all odds. And also his raw honesty. He even admits (in a scene that may just be the best showcase of Stallone's acting career) he can't win the fight. On the other hand, he believes if he can still stand after ten brutal rounds (the most he's ever endured), then it will all be worth it. And therein lies the moment of truth for Rocky, in the form of "going the distance". In other words, the important thing for Rocky (and all the other "Rocky"s in the world) is not merely winning. The important thing is sticking it out; but from that, it's a win for one's integrity. Or as he says, "If I can go that distance . . . I'll know, for the first time in my life, that I weren't just another bum from the neighborhood."

Stallone in the 1980s (left) and in the mid-2000s (right)

"But then, the worst thing happened to you; it could happen to any fighter: you got civilized."

Stallone's career from there on became a series of hit-or-misses, as well as some career lows (almost all of which he has personally admitted). However, in the midst of these various projects (including another franchise he helped popularize, adapted from David Morrell's novels about Vietnam war veteran John Rambo), he kept coming back to Rocky every few years, incorporating semi-autobiographical elements related to his growing fame as a movie star and status as a machismo icon. While these sequels were mostly crowd-pleasing stories (with over-the-top fighting and occasionally sappy dialogue), they still came with their share of signature moments or elements. For one thing, there were the diverse opponents Rocky came up against, including the obnoxious Clubber Lang (future "A-Team" member Mr. T) in Rocky III, and Soviet machine Ivan Drago (future action star Dolph Lundgren) in Rocky IV. There was also the surprising character arc (and rivalry-turned-friendship) of Apollo Creed, a friendship that Rocky began to value and soon avenged. And who could forget Survivor's inspiring anthem, "Eye of the Tiger," in the third film, or the gripping training montage of intercut workout methods in the fourth film?

Things came to a supposed (and disappointing) end after the release of Rocky V in 1990, which found Rocky (broken down and brain-damaged from his match with Drago) being stripped of his riches, forced to move his family back into his old neighborhood (one of the few worthy story choices here), and seeking to train a new up-and-coming fighter, who eventually gets led astray by money and fame and pride, all while Rocky puts his family aside. There was even a street fight instead of a boxing match, which Stallone admits was a dark choice instead of a hopeful one. The overall effect of the film (besides its critical and commercial failure) took a toll on Stallone, who admitted he made the film out of greed. He continued starring in various hit-or-miss films, including the action-packed Cliffhanger, the disaster feature Daylight (in which his son, Sage Stallone, who also played his son in Rocky V, appeared), and the critically-acclaimed police-drama Copland, in which he packed on 50 pounds to play an overweight sheriff of a small New Jersey town led by crooked cops.

Personally, Stallone had gone through two failed marriages and two sons. Then, in 1997, he wed actress Jennifer Flavin and eventually had three daughters, all of whom were named "Ms. Golden Globe" in 2017. On his marriage to Flavin, Stallone stated, "It's been a fantastic revival of my life. As you know, my first marriage didn't go so well, though I have a relationship with my sons, but this marriage has been a second beginning. I used to think my career was number one, so I was gone nine months out of a year, but I learned the hard way that the most important thing is that you start at home and then comes the career." At the Golden Globe Awards in 2016, he thanked his wife and children by saying that "having [their] love is the greatest award in the world, every day."

"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."

In 2006, Stallone was, at first, the laughing stock of the film industry when he announced he was writing, directing, and starring in a sixth Rocky film, titled Rocky Balboa, leading many to believe it would be just another pointless, cash-grab sequel. But when it was released, it proved critics and general audiences wrong. Instead of a mere fight film, Rocky Balboa recalled the emotional complexities of the 1976 original by portraying an aging fighter in a world that has passed him by, where he has lost some loved ones (his wife, Adrian, has passed away), and who fights an inner "beast," apparently out of the difficulties and unpredictabilities of life. And yet, Rocky still tries to maintain what he does have (i.e., his friend Paulie, his son Robert), and prove that his life (and life in general) is still worth living.

Stallone in Rocky Balboa

The film marked a proper end to the series and the birth of a renaissance era for Stallone as an actor, as well as an action star who didn't let his age discourage him (he was in his early 60s at the time) by writing, directing and starring in a fourth Rambo film, as well as the 2010 surprise hit, The Expendables, an ultra-violent mashup of 1980s action stars and explosive mayhem.

"I got other plans for my life, and this wasn't part of it."

Stallone was certain he was done with the Rocky series, and obviously worked hard to complete it on a high and worthy note. Then, when audiences and critics (let alone, Stallone) least expected it, a young up-and-coming filmmaker from Oakland had "an intensely personal idea" for reviving the Rocky franchise: a spinoff centered on the illegitimate son of the late Apollo Creed, and his tutelage from the Italian Stallion himself. Director Ryan Coogler first connected with Rocky through the sheer passion of his athletic father, who was a huge fan of the series. When Coogler was completing film school at USC, his father had fallen gravely ill. As a personal favor, the young filmmaker then knew what film he wanted to make, and who he wanted to make it for.

After Stallone refused Coogler's initial idea (which included an aging and ailing Rocky), Coogler's directorial debut, the Sundance-winning drama Fruitvale Station (2013), was released. It impressed Stallone and co-producer Irvin Winkler, but Stallone was even more enamored by Coogler's sheer willpower and determination, which reminded him of his own tenacity when writing and starring in the original Rocky. Therefore, Creed (2015) represented a passing of the baton from one generation (Stallone) to the next (director Coogler, actor Michael B. Jordan, who plays Adonis Creed; and actress Tessa Thompson, who plays love-interest Bianca), as the story centered on a young man who has fighting in his blood, and who sets out to prove to himself and to others that his existence isn't for nothing, and that "a name alone" does not define one's legacy.

Coogler added a gritty realism and original voice that had never been seen or heard in the series before. The fighting, for one thing, has never been more realistic or intense. (One scene shows two rounds of boxing done in one impressive take.) The character of Adonis, like Rocky and Apollo, sees Rocky as a surrogate father-figure, even while fighting or going through feelings of abandonment. This is the first time Rocky has played a supporting role in a film. And yet, Stallone has never been more vulnerable or believable with this character, or in any other role for that matter. (And he deservedly received various accolades for his performance.) Creed is a story of father-son dynamics, of hard work and will, of holes needing to be filled, of forgiveness, and fighting together. ("You taught me how to fight again," Rocky tells Adonis. "I'm gonna go home and I'm gonna fight this thing. But if I fight, I want you to fight, too!")

"Show me something." (l-r) Sylvester Stallone and Michael B. Jordan in Creed

The story will continue this month in Creed II, with Stallone returning as the Italian Stallion, Jordan returning as Adonis, Thompson returning as Bianca, and first-time feature-film director Steven Caple, Jr., filling in for Ryan Coogler (who remains one of the film's producers). Here, Adonis will go up against the son of Ivan Drago, who infamously "beat" Apollo Creed in Rocky IV. (Dolph Lundgren will reprise his famous role from that movie here, as well.) The film could go one of two ways: it could be 1) just another cash-cow installment centered on a brutal grudge match, and filled with Rocky nostalgia from the Eighties. Or 2) it could be a more grounded approach (maybe with some unexpected character development and depth) and a continuation of a previous installment (which many considered over-the-top and controversial), and of the Rocky mythology in general, where one opponent seeks to "rewrite" his history and legacy. If anything, it should be a thrilling experience.

"One step at a time, one punch at a time, one round at a time"

Stallone has proven he's not just a movie star or action hero. He's proven he is an artist, a poet, a painter, and a devoted husband and father. Whatever you think of him, you can't deny he is a dedicated and hard-working man, not to mention a force to be reckoned with. And he's still pressing on.

As Rocky would say, "Ain't nothin' over still it's over."