Essay On Rocky Balboa

The character of Rocky Balboa was introduced to the American public in 1976, with several hit sequels produced following the original’s success. Rocky IV, one of my favorite movies starring Rocky, focuses on the boxer combating America’s greatest foe at the time, Russia. The USSR was at its peak, and with its supposed global dominance, the American people started doubting themselves, doubting America. In comes the hero, Rocky Balboa, who fights for America’s honor. Rocky has many characteristics of a standard hero, yet in some ways he breaks the mold.
The story begins with a scene of Rocky’s old mentor and friend, Apollo Creed, being killed during an exhibition boxing match with Ivan Drago. At this point in time, Rocky has decided to retire from the sport and settle down with his wife.
Although Drago is much larger than Rocky, the latter challenges him to a match to win back honor for both his mentor and country. In the stories covered so far in the semester, many other heroes enter fights reluctantly, for the greater cause. In the Bible, David, a young shepherd boy, attacks and kills the giant Goliath when no one else in the Israelites’ camp will step forward. David, like Rocky, was fated to win the fight against all odds, although by the will of God rather than the screen writers. One of the key differences between these stories is that Balboa never kills his opponent, as he proves that not only is he a greater fighter, but also not a savage like Drago. Unlike the kingly David, Achilles can be seen in The Iliad acting like a complete savage. After the death of Patróklos, Achilles goes completely insane trying to cope with the loss of his friend. Rocky keeps a level head and trains to fight the Russian, rather than rushing to fight him immediately. Drago’s overconfidence is ultimately his downfall, as the humble underdog American takes down the champion of the USSR. Humility is one of Rocky’s most