I'm a paragr
Then how does this character almost transcend fiction to become someone we can admire, look up to, and respect? What is the point and the messsage of the movie Rocky?The answer is very simple. Rocky is not just a name. He is not simply a fictionalized character, conjured up by Hollywood. What Rocky represents is something much more deeper than that. He represents courage, unbreakable spirit, and the American dream. This movie gives the message and makes the point that the American dream is attainable for anybody. The audience is very broad and because this idea can appeal to anyone who has hopes or dreams. The method of appeal that is primarily used in the movie is pathos. The movie and the idea of Rocky appeals to the viewers emotions
Now what do I mean by this? Phrases such as “unbreakable spirit” and the “American Dream” are not ones that I throw around lightly. How does Rocky represent these things? I am not going to waste time going into details about how he overcame the almost insurmountable obstacles that life put in front of him. I could talk about how he boxed, and worked as a loan shark for the mafia just so he could rummage enough money to live in the slums of West Philadelphia. I could go into detail about how each day of training was difficult and excruciating. Throughout the movie, he is given every opportunity to quit, yet he doesn't. I could create a mental picture of when the night of the biggest fight of his life finally came. Round by round and punch by punch, you feel at any moment the underdog that you fall in love with almost at the beginning of the movie, is about to go down. His defeat looks imminent. Is he going to quit? He has to quit. I have never seen a man take such horrible punishment in the boxing ring. The only movie where I have seen a man more bloodied and battered was in Mel Gibson's The Passion. What is spectacular is that he doesn't quit. He never stops fighting till the fight is over.
How Rocky Balboa Epitomizes The American Dream
Rocky Balboa can arguably be considered one of the greatest and most inspirational fighters in boxing history. Just a young boxer, who was the son of Italian Immigrants, was able to capture the hearts of millions of people in his epic 15 round boxing match with Apollo Creed. The Italian Stallion is what they called him. He was able to do what was considered to be impossible. He went the distance with the heavy-weight champion of the world. After watching this boxer slug his way through 15 rounds of punishment, running purely on blood, sweat, and heart... I have to say that he is one of the greatest athletes to have ever lived. What makes this all the more incredible is that Rocky Balboa does not exist. He is a fictionalized character played by Sylvester Stallone.
In the end, he doesn't even win the fight. Apollo wins by decision. But to see a man take such punishment and keep moving forward is a victory that nobody can take away from him. What you see in the movie is a man who is running on nothing but heart to get him through. His fighting spirit was so strong, that no matter how the champion Apollo smashed him with rights, jabs, hooks, and uppercuts, he would not give up. By not quitting, he is essentially saying “no matter how hard you hit me, no matter what you try, I will not give up. I have a will of iron and I will go through hell and fire to finish this fight.” That is the reason why so many people love Rocky; why they can relate to him and his struggle. Rocky represents more than a boxer. If he was just a boxer, it is likely that only boxing fans would be able to appreciate this movie. What Rocky represents is the American dream.
It is almost immediately apparent that Rocky represents this abstract idea of the American dream. If you are looking for movie that utilizes pathos to relate to its views, then you need look no further than Rocky.
If you haven't seen the movie, then go see it, and you will know what I am talking about. If you have seen the movie but don't agree with me, I would say stop reading this essay, go to your nearest red-box if you can find one or use netflix and actually watch it. Obviously you could not look past the goofy accent of Sylvester Stallone and the bloody brawl in the boxing ring to see the true importance of this movie.
What do I mean by the American dream? Why do so many people love this movie, this character, even though the majority of these fans don't even like boxing? The answer is what we see in Rocky when we watch the movie. We see hope, the American dream, and if you look deep enough, we can see our own dreams.
The American dream is easy to spot in this movie. We all know what the American dream is. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps, start at the bottom, work hard, and then achieve something great. That is exactly what happens in this movie. The son of poor Italian immigrants is given a chance to do something truly great. In other countries this may not have been possible. But in America, your background or ethnicity is irrelevant. It is what you do that defines you and makes you great. That is what the American dream is.
Lets stop for a second and focus a little bit on pathos. To be honest I prefer to talk bluntly and let what I am feeling, what is on my mind, flow to to my fingers and type what I feel natural. Due to the nature of this class and what we have been assigned to do I will address how pathos is used in this movie. Pathos in this movie is used more than logos or ethos without a doubt. Look at this link that emphasizes the emotion used in the movie.
I know I have asked this question time and time again so I will ask for your forgiveness in advance. How does Rocky relate to so many of us. What do we find so appealing and relate-able about his story? . The struggle iswhat we relate to.
We all have hopes. We all have dreams. Nobody can stand in front of you and say that they have not had hopes, dreams, or the desire to do something great at least at one point in thier life. If that person is telling the truth, then you are not talking to a person at all. You are talking to a soulless inhuman robot with no emotion or passion left who is simply coasting through life until time and old age make even having the slightest thought of doing something great is truly impossible.
What we see in Rocky is not just a boxer. We see our hopes, our dreams, that fire that we once had or still have to, achieve something great. He came up from nothing, but with heart, and a burning passion of will and determination, he was able to do what was considered impossible.
At some point in our lives, like I said, we all had hopes, dreams, or the ambition to do something great. In Rocky, We are watching more than just a movie. We are watching someone who is just like us. Here is someone who decided to stop being average and to achieve something extraordinary. The only thing that can make us different from Rocky is the fear of following your dreams. The fear of failure. We even see him battle with this fear of failure in the movie. Maybe we could call it his personal demon, but once he overcomes that fear, the sky is the limit for him and the personal victory he gained will always be with him. For those of us with a burning passion to do or become something great, this film really hits us to the core. For those of us who had dreams but were maybe to cautious or scared to follow them, this film can help rekindle that fire and passion to achieve that dream. In the end, to put it bluntly, when we see Rocky, we see ourselves. It is like looking in a mirror. We see someone struggle and fight for what they believe in. That burning unstoppable spirit that we see in Rocky, is in all of us. That is why this movie appeals to so many people, boxers and non boxers alike.
Rhetorical Essay