ROCKY (1976)

Neha says
While Sylvester Stallone plays Sylvester Stallone and Rocky Balboa is a real to reel extension of the man himself I have no qualms about it because Stallone has two things going for him. 1) He may be limited as an actor but boy as a bum turned champ he sure has HEART- an emotional honesty that gets under your skin. 2) He sure looks like an “Italian Stallion” and brings a rugged personality to his down on his luck, backstreet boy Rocky Balboa with screen presence, sensitivity, humility, charm, aggression and intensity fusing together to give us and the 70’s an iconic pin-up action star. Stallone’s script (yes he wrote it himself) found its inspiration from the Muhammad Ali-Chuck Wepner fight back in 1975 but Stallone shrewdly takes the key event and weaves a classic fairytale story around it that speaks of defining the boxing movie genre as we witness the likes of Rocky get that “million to one shot” against world heavyweight champion, Apollo Creed. But it’s more than a sports movie and an uplifting and inspirational underdog story in my eyes- poignantly crafting a love story alongside a character study of a man who journey’s from hopelessness to hope, solitude to surrender, diffidence to determination, fear to fulfillment finally seeking redemption and glory. The quiet, reflective moments in the film and the dramatic, gripping and unleashed outbursts (Watch out for the confrontational scene between Balboa and his trainer Mickey.) create a moody tone for the film that only serves to beautifully heighten the impact of the essential climax and action centerpiece that not only provides a knock out in the ring but its Hollywood at its cathartic, emotionally soaring best. Rocky’s motivations set him apart as well. He knew he was outmatched and accepted he couldn’t defeat the likes of Creed but all he wanted to do was “go the distance” i.e. 15 rounds and prove he wasn’t “just another bum from the neighborhood.” With a superb musical score that elevates the emotional tone of the movie; with a solid supporting cast of characters including Rocky’s introvert girlfriend Adrian (Talia Shire), Adrian’s brother and Rocky’s hot-tempered best friend Paulie (Burt Young), Rocky’s trainer and mirror Mick (Burgess Meredith); with relationships that sensitively reflect how behind every success story there is a woman and a support staff; with a pro American sentiment that makes for a great American hero yet the emotional pulse of this story makes Rocky so uniquely universal- this one for me is the quintessential crowd pleaser that makes for great repeat viewing-each time reinforcing how the sequels paled to capture the balance of humor, heart, vitality, action, romance and purpose that made Rocky Balboa and consequently Sylvester Stallone a household name.

Ira says

You can't go wrong, albeit a bit bloody and at times rocky perhaps, with the story of The Italian Stallion Rocky Balboa, the quintessential underdog, boxer with the beginnings of a nobody, the body of a champion and the heart of gold. One of America and Hollywood’s most defining epic sports movies and rags to riches stories about a man from nowhere who had what it takes to go the distance, ROCKY, the original, more exciting, alive and vivid in its sheer arc from nothing to stardom, the most memorable of the series because it has novelty, simplicity and no fuss, is an entertaining film with enormous repeat value, however you look at it.

And that’s mainly because you love “Rocky” or rather Stallone, who wrote this and all the Rocky movies himself, who came out of nowhere and rose to stardom with this film, who pushed to make it on a shoe string budget without big names, went on to make it one of Hollywood’s highest grossers ever to date, and who gets the uneducated, but large-hearted debt collector and part time boxer, Rocky Balboa’s walk, talk, punches, smiles, and Italian drawl down to the T. Right from the start you cant help but root for him so once the final half hour creeps up and that famous moment as he runs up the stairs of the Philadelphia Museum of Art unfolds, you find yourself waiting breathlessly, cheering him on till that final match unfolds. From the way he plays with dogs and his domestic turtles, ‘Cuff’ and ‘Link’, to the way he woos his friend Paulie’s sister Adrian (a silent and strong Talia Shire who would grow into her own with the series), a shy bespectacled girl who works at the corner pet store with an infectious, direct, honest charm and poor jokes, to the way he vents his anger at local boxing gym owner Mickey (Burgess Meredith) who took him for a failure till he came begging to Rocky to make him his manager, he’s that simple, decent, capable good guy who may not be too quick on the intellectual uptake, but certainly is on the physical one, an overgrown, lovable fellow with a kind-hearted spirit you cant resist . (NB: Fans may feel this one has less in the ring than they would like but hey come on now, you’ve got the next three films to go).

In terms of setting Rocky up as a character, building and cementing his relationship with Adrian, the only word he repeatedly calls out at the end of the film, and still providing a gathering momentum that leads up to a spectacular final match between Rocky and the worlds heavyweight champion Apollo Creed (an excellent and unintentionally humorous Carl Weathers who’s character is openly inspired by Muhammad Ali), director John G. Aveldson (Save the Tiger, The Karate Kid) does a great job. With a strong and concentrated cast, few secondary characters (of whom in addition to Meredith and Shire, Burt Young as Paulie and Joe Spinell as loan shark and generous father figure, Tony, stand out) and fewer distractions, Aveldson givesyou a focused, straightforward tale about one man and his journey. With a flavor of downtown Philadelphia, insight into its cultural fabric, into the world of boxing and difficult living, loan sharks and meat packers and what it takes to be a champion in any sport, with enough humor and strength to get at your heart and punch your gut, Rocky, quite simply, is a well-made, but crowd pleasing underdog tale with a fiery hero and a tender love story to go with it. Its feel good, its die-hard, its simple, its got romance and action and an unsung star Stallone at its centre.

And lets not forget it’s about dreams and opportunity, not just freak luck after all. And in that, it shall always be remembered and beloved, because as champion Creed points out at one point in the film, the decision to give an unknown the chance of a lifetime, is not just ‘American’, its ‘smart’. Even though Rocky is known for anything but, in being true to what it is, the film remains strong, popular and smart.

THE GOLD RUSH (1925)

Neha says
Charlie Chaplin claimed GOLD RUSH as “The picture I want to be remembered by” and while personally I rate City Lights as the essential Chaplin film, Gold Rush in many ways reinforces the recurring themes and essences of almost every Chaplin outing- where our “Little Tramp” character with his twirling cane and little dictatorial mustache and with his two-sizes too short coat, two-sizes too big pants, shoes and hat is always on the hunt for the big Dream- food, shelter survival and a sense of belonging and love. This time round, a high concept tale takes Chaplin to Klondike in search for gold but first he must battle a wanted criminal, starvation, hardships, heartbreak, storms and bears before he realizes his dreams. Yes unique to the Chaplin world of film making, our lone prospector’s journey from Little Tramp to Millionaire is a reality!!! While the plot is marvelously simple, the inventive comic routines that occasionally do seem a tad overstretched stand out for the way in which Chaplin defined the genre of tragicomedy, combining pathos and sentiment, slapstick and pantomime routines, physical comedy and farce with social commentary in a way that can’t help but put a smile on your face. Some of the memorable, well-crafted comic centerpieces include Chaplin eating his shoes and the wick of a lantern; him struggling against the wind; Chaplin changing into a chicken; his shoe catching fire; his dancing act with Georgia while dragging a dog behind him; the wonderfully see-sawing cabin and of course “the dance of the dinner rolls” is my favorite. These elaborate comic routines work because of a character like the Little Tramp who is just simply the perfect vehicle to extract rib-tickling laughs and your emotions. Seeing him waiting with anticipation on New Year’s Eve for the beautiful Georgia will remind you of that sense of isolation that’s such an integral component of his Little Tramp character. You can’t help but feel overwhelmed. Chaplin once said “I don’t need interesting camera angles. I am interesting.” Well with Chaplin in almost every frame of the film, your attention never wavers from how he masterminds the moment and pulls you in any direction of his choosing.

Ira says

In Hollywood, there’s comedy, there’s comic timing, there’s farce, there’s satire, there’s the Marx Brothers, there’s even Laurel & Hardy, but there is only one Charlie Chaplin. Master of mime, brethren to the common man, ambassador of humanity, fool of the heart and artist of the highest order, our little Tramp was and always will be something of a little genius.
And in The Gold Rush, the movie that Chaplin himself has claimed he most wants to be remembered for, the maestro’s ability to provide comedy, laughter and relief soars even today as it did back in 1925.

A simple, complete, original, and thoughtfully made tale, The Gold Rush tells the story of The Little Tramp and his quest to be a part of the Alaskan Gold Rush, where he encounters a prospector named Big Jim McKay played by Mack Swain who has made a discovery of gold and an escaped fugitive Black Larson played by Tom Murray. Opening with the images of hardship that are common in much of Chaplin’s work, the men come together with a comic turn of fate. As they face difficulties of storms and no food, Chaplin’s unique blend of pathos and humor takes over till the 3 are parted and he finds himself in a small town where he falls hopelessly in love with a saloon girl, Georgia played by Georgia Hale (who would become Chaplin’s real-life sweetheart during the making of the film) who doesn’t quite reciprocate the feelings.With a refreshing new landscape (a snowy Alaskan world courtesy Chaplin Hollywood studio and set), a plot fuelled by just a few characters with enough supporting ones to add an authentic flavor and give the film texture and richness, and above all, with a screenplay that seamlessly integrates classically Chaplinesque themes; The Gold Rush, one of the highest grossing silent comedy films of all times is a classic and an entertainer. The little master is superb, in control and mesmerizing as always to watch and his insightful, thoughtful writing incorporates mans primal instincts, universal human values like greed, hunger, and generosity, with moments of farce, comedy, adventure, action, dancing, and romance, and a rags to riches, boy meets girl tale all at once.

The Gold Rush also has some of Chaplin’s most visually beautiful, simple, and elegantly shot and executed, comic and action oriented sequences, like the famous ‘roll dance’ where Chaplin pokes two forks into a couple of bread rolls and makes them dance as if they were living things with rhythm and motivations of their own to hilarious sequences between the three men, particularly Big Jim and Chaplin, struggling not to devour each other, quite literally, to holding on to one another for survival when a storm spins their cabin onto precarious terrain. And along with the somber, the quiet, or the farcical comes a lyrical alive sound score and Chaplin’s incredible ability to create a spirit that is tangible, energetic and boisterous. It has often been said that Chaplin’s films became remedies, and relief for a world made gloomy by the atrocities of the World Wars, that they had an uncanny and timely ability to uplift and entertain. Well, that is the true purpose of great art, and in the world we live in today where things are not much different and gloom of all kinds persists, they still do.