Rocky

The film Rocky encapsulates the American dream: With hard work, anyone can become a success. Rocky Balboa, the “Italian Stallion,” represents the experience of Italian immigrants who come to America in the hope of building a better life but come up against mounting obstacles. Although the film was overwhelmingly popular with American audiences, the cultural elite dismissed the film and its fans. The struggle over the placement of the Rocky statue highlights issues of class, ethnicity, and cultural elitism.

Rocky Balboa is an underdog club fighter who works for a loan shark, Tommy Gazzo. Rocky represents the majority of America's working-class immigrant citizens. In Philadelphia, Italian immigrants populate South Philadelphia, Bella Vista, Girard Estates, Marconi Plaza, Packer Park, and the Italian Market area. According to the 2010 census, Italian Americans compose over 50,000 households in Philadelphia. Rocky lives in a cramped Philadelphia apartment, surrounded by relics of a career that never took off.

In the movie, the current heavyweight champion is an African American named Apollo Creed. He is looking for a public relations gesture to enhance his image. For the national bicentennial, why not give some local a shot at the heavyweight title? Apollo plans on boxing a few rounds with an unknown contender, giving him a shot at the title, only to knock him out before the evening news. Flipping through a local Philadelphia boxing book, he eyes Rocky, nicknamed the “Italian Stallion,” and immediately knows that he has found his patsy.

Out-of-shape Rocky is seen huffing and puffing as he attempts to jog the stairs of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Rocky trains intensely, running, lifting, and sparring. Undergirded by Bill Conti's inspirational score, the training montage crescendos with Rocky racing up the Philly stairs with a rising sense of hope. During the fight, Rocky gives Apollo Creed more of a challenge than expected. In the end, both men look ravaged, and the decision comes down from the judges: one for Rocky and two for Apollo. Although the technical win goes to Apollo, the audience understands that merely going the distance with the champ was a victory.

The plot of Rocky closely mirrors the life of the man who wrote it. Sylvester Stallone was a bit actor and screenwriter who for two years attempted to break into Hollywood with little success. Living with his family in a small West Hollywood apartment, Stallone struggled to pay his bills. While watching television, Stallone saw a boxing match between Muhammad Ali and an underdog club fighter from New Jersey, Chuck Wepner. Everyone was surprised to see this smalltime fighter go the distance with the champ, even though he lost by a split decision. Stallone reportedly cranked out the Rocky screenplay in only three days.