I t was back in November 1976 that a film appeared in American cin- emas that had none of the win- ning traits of the classic Holly- wood blockbuster. The lead actor was an unknown guy with a speech im- pediment, the budget was modest, and the script was written over the course of just three and a half days in a burst of inspiration. Five decades on, Rocky re- mains not only one of the most important achievements of world cinema, but also a universal pop-cultural metaphor for an- yone who fights against a Goliath in life. The story of this film’s creation is as dramatic as the action that unfolds on screen. A then young Sylvester Stallone, who at the time was practically homeless and had only 106 dollars in his bank ac- count, attended the legendary 1975 box- ing match that saw Chuck Wepner, a total
HALF A CENTURY OF ROCKY The underdog who made the whole world fall in love with boxing How a screenplay written in three days and filmed guerilla- style with relatives and a pet dog became an indestructible pop- culture icon whose undiminished fame has endured for 50 years
Jubilee » Jubilej | 41
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator