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Analyzing The Film 'Rocky'

Decent Essays

It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of ‘Rocky’, it’s not only required viewing for every boxer to ever step foot in the ring, but it’s also the kind of film that needs to be shown in schools. Motivation is difficult to come by these days, in a climate fundamentally riddled with people and companies prying for your attention, it can be difficult to find a moment of peace and solitude. That first ‘Rocky’ is a film that can get you out of any sort of slump, be it emotional or physical. Southpaw’ is eyeing the champ, this film is looking to go toe to toe with ‘Rocky’, and it’s not one that should be easily written off.
The ‘Rocky’ films did got a bit silly as the franchise progressed, but that first film is an authentic and honest portrayal of boxing, …show more content…

He plays a character that could have easily been a write-off, but he’s so captivating in his portrayal that you can’t help but fall in love with this mentor. I’d say that Whitaker’s trainer is on the level of Burgess Meredith’s in that first ‘Rocky’, that’s how prominently I feel he factors into the film as a whole. Rachel McAdams actually proves that she’s still a good actress here. She has a few scenes that feel flat in hindsight, but for the most part all of her scenes are incredible, specifically one scene that broke me down to tears. 50 Cent, though underutilized, is actually very good here, which was surprising given the current scandal surround the hip-hop artist. I don’t think there’s necessarily a weak link in the cast, everyone pulls their own weight, but if I had to pick one as the weakest it’d be Oona Laurence. But that’s only because she’s surrounding by Academy Award level …show more content…

All you have to do is establish the rules of the sport and maintain a degree of tension, ‘Southpaw’ does that with ease. This is the kind of white-knuckle tension I’ve been waiting for all year. Sutter forces you to loathe the antagonist of the film without coming across as manipulative or insincere, and it’s because of this immense hate that you’re driven to support the protagonist even more in his journey to self-improvement. I didn’t go into this film expecting much more than a hardcore boxing film, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that this is so much

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