FILMCLUB: ROCKY (OV)

118 minutes | Action | Start: 01.04.1977 | USA 1976

Young, uneducated Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) makes a poor living from a low-paying job as a bill collector and occasional boxing matches. One day, surprisingly, the heavyweight boxing champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) expresses his interest in a fight with Balboa. Not wanting to waste this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Rocky enlists the help of trainer Mickey (Burgess Meredith), as he not only wants to make his breakthrough as a boxer, but also to be in a position to successfully woo Adrian (Talia Shire), his best friend's sister....

With a budget of just over one million US dollars, the film was able to bring in 225 million US dollars!

The American Film Institute ranked the role of Rocky Balboa 7th in the "Top 50 Movie Heroes of All Time".

Nominated ten times for the Oscar, winning three times: in the category "Best Film" (Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff), "Best Director" (John G. Avildsen) and "Best Editing" (Richard Halsey and Scott Conrad).

"A quintessentially American tale of the 'underdog' who turns the social hierarchy on its head through tenacity, courage and naiveté. After the film's phenomenal success, sequels were not lacking, though they never again achieved the coherent character psychology and authentic milieu drawing of that first film."
(Dictionary of International Film)