Week 4 Blog: Rocky – Acting and Acting Styles

1.Identify three actors from your film and classify each according to the types of actors listed in your text.

Three actors that stand out in the film, Rocky are Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, and Burt Young. Sylvester Stallone and Burt Young are personality actors. Talia Shire is a wild card actor.

2.Explain your reasons for classifying the actors as you do. Use specific references to the film and pay special attention to how these decisions impacted characterization. Also, consider the impact of any realistic or stylized portrayals within the film.

Sylvester Stallone (Rocky) and Burt Young (Paulie) are considered to be personality actors because they play such similar characters in nearly every film they are in that it eventually becomes difficult to distinguish the differences in their characters. In Rocky, Sylvester Stallone plays the protagonist who is a hero that comes from an underprivileged background. Rocky is a character that comes from a slum neighborhood and has almost no chance of true success in his life. The only reason he achieves his goals is because a once in a lifetime opportunity to fight the boxing champion presents itself to him. Throughout the film, Rocky continues to display a sense of humbleness as a result of where he came from. This realistic portrayal helps the audience connect to him on a stronger level. Although Stallone is a personality actor, he performs well this way. Like in many other movies he stars in, Stallone proves that he is best at performing the role of an unlikely hero. A specific scene in which Stallone’s heroic acting is portrayed is when he overcomes all odds and knocks down the boxing champion, Apollo Creed. He then lasts all rounds of the fight to prove to the world that anyone can become successful if they truly work hard for it.

Burt Young plays the role of Paulie, a bum-like individual who takes care of his sister, Adrian. Paulie is a very rough character; he often misinterprets what others say to him, resulting in a retaliation of anger and violence. Paulie is a realistic character that has never had anything handed to him; he has worked hard for everything he owns. Due to this self-determination, he has an overbearing amount of pride and is not afraid to defend it. This portrayal gives the audience the opportunity to fully understand where he comes from and why he acts in the way he does. The role is performed well. An example of this in the film is when Paulie reacts violently and starts smashing objects around him in reaction to Rocky’s comment about Paulie’s lack of knowledge in boxing. Much like the character Paulie, Young has continued to play rough-like characters throughout his film career. Both Stallone and Young lack versatility in the types of characters they play.

Talia Shire, on the other hand, is a very versatile actor and has played a variety of characters, each with a completely different personality and intention. After playing a woman who continuously has affairs to spite her brother in the film The Godfather Part II, she plays the painfully shy love interest (Adrian) of the protagonist in Rocky. This film shows how she is able to completely change herself as an actress to perform any possible role. Adrian is a very timid character with little experience in socializing with strangers. This portrayal of a shy girl who has yet to discover more about the world and the people in it is surprisingly non-stereotypical. Adrian is an independent woman who simply prefers isolation over socializing. She also does not fall in love with Rocky until he displays countless efforts of affection. This portrayal is quite realistic and positively impacts the character relationship between Rocky and Adrian. Even so, the film, much like the real world, is not solely focused on romance. It is simply an addition to the successful life of an individual. A scene in the film that demonstrates the complete switch from Shire’s previous roles is when Rocky offers to walk her home from the pet shop but she refuses as a result of her fear of relationships and sex. Because of this ability to change herself as an actor, she is considered a wild card.

3.Focus on one of the actors you’ve discussed. Based on other films the actor has been in, would this actor always be placed in the same category? If so, what does this say about the category or actor? If not, what can you infer about the flexibility of these categories? Provide evidence (references from other films, including film clips and stills) to support your argument.

One of the actors that really stood out in the film is Talia Shire. Based on her other roles, she would always be placed in the wild card category. This is because she has continued to play a different type of character with a unique personality and motivation in each film she starred in. For example, she plays a seductive, manipulative woman in The Godfather Part II and plays a very shy, innocent woman with little real-world experience in Rocky. This contrast demonstrates her ability to completely change her acting styles. She is a very talented actor and can play nearly any role possible. This is partly due to her use of realistic acting which is focused more on body movement than dialogue. “The center of gravity is in the body and not in the words. In fact, in some of the finest scenes in modern theatre, the words are concerned with only the superficial action” (Kernodle, 1960).

References

Avildsen, J. G. (Director). (1976). Rocky [Motion picture]. USA: Chartoff-Winkler Productions.

Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2014). Film: From watching to seeing (2nd ed.). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. This text is a Constellation™ course digital materials (CDM) title

Kernodle, G. R. (1960). Style, Stylization, and Styles of Acting. Educational Theatre Journal, 12(04), 251-261. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3204551

MOVIECLIPS. (2014, February 19). Rocky (9/10) Movie CLIP – Creed Gets Knocked Down (1976) HD [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSUmB80GqDM

Week 3 Blog: Rocky – Sound

1. Describe each of the three basic categories of sound (dialogue, sound effects, and music).

Dialogue: The dialogue in a film is the talk between different characters. The purpose of dialogue is to match the conversation and dialect between individuals in everyday life in order to make the communication in the film seem more natural and realistic, despite the eventual outdated culture it represents. Dialogue from popular films often becomes made into catch phrases that are assimilated into cultural norm in regular conversation. In film, there are three basic reasons to use dialogue: to further the development of the plot, to enhance characterizations, and to establish very quickly important information the audience needs to know to understand the action (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014).

Sound Effects: Sound effects are used to add to establish and enhance specific moods and scenes throughout the film. For example, there are many violent noises such as gun shots or explosions in action films to emphasize the intensity of the action-packed scene. If not for sound effects such as these, the scenes filled with violence and action would not be very intense at all. A combination of sound and image create the overall effect. Sound does not have to be intense to create a powerful effect, however. In many cases, mellow sounds quite subtly establish a certain mood for the surrounding environment or even relationships between specific characters. “The sound effect is not only a mechanical tool (e. g., fire a gun, cut a shot), it can also be employed creatively and artistically” (Kerner, 1989). Natural sound effects are nearly impossible to obtain, so they are added after the scene has been filmed. Everyday sound effects such as a doorbell ring or crackling fire are made and recorded by individuals known as Foley artists. Simple sound effects such as a crowd murmuring in the background are known as walla.

Music: The first element of music on film is the score. This is the music that is played in the background of scenes. Score is usually (not always) made specifically for a film and is mainly instrumental. The second music element is soundtrack. This is a selection of songs that is played throughout the film, often containing original songs, popular songs, and even some scores. Music from the soundtrack may cover plot holes or set the tone of the scene. “Soundtrack songs enjoy a unique place in popular culture, in that the best of them can stand alone as art in their own right, yet when a soundtrack fits with a movie just right, both the music and the film become better than they would be alone” (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014).

2. Explain how the different categories of sound are being used in your chosen film.

a. Assess the impact of sound in establishing the theme.

The sounds that have the most impact in establishing the theme of Rocky are dialogue and music. Throughout the film, there are various situations in which the dialogue powerfully contributes to the overall theme of achieving personal success by discovering the greatness from within oneself. The dialogue serves as an explanation of the growth of Rocky as an individual and also serves as an inside view of the obstacles Rocky must overcome to achieve a sense of personal success. One scene in particular that shows this is the scene that involves Mickey Goldmill asking to be Rocky’s coach and Rocky responding with loud yelling about his struggles as a fighter. The dialogue demonstrates Rocky’s understanding of his faults and his ability to overcome them so that he may be a better fighter after all. This then leads him to make up with Goldmill and have him be his coach again. The way that music impacts the theme is by creating a motivating tone in the background of Rocky’s training montage scene. The music creates a sense of hard work and accomplishment. The audience both sees and feels the passion for success that Rocky is experiencing.

b. How does the use of sound inform the mood of the scene, or the film overall?

The sound creates a variety of different moods that impact each of the scenes appropriately. In the scene where Paulie breaks down and begins to get violent, the dialogue goes from low volume speaking to yelling, and there are loud crashing sounds to accompany his violence. This creates a very serious and almost scary scene as these actions are not easily anticipated from a semi-mellow character like Paulie. This demonstrates the impact of sound in a film. It enhances the mood, message, and concept of the scene. As a whole, the use of sound gives the film great variability in its conceptualization of the overall theme and delivery of scenes, allowing the film to demonstrate great complexity.

c. Can you identify specific sounds in your film that allow you to infer a particular genre?

During Rocky’s fight scenes, the sound effect of the loud cheering crowd in the background, the punches being shot at each individual in the ring, and the dialogue from the commentators all adds to the intensity of the action-packed scene. This combination of sounds also helps align the film with the sports genre because of its heightened mood during scenes associated with the focus sport.

d. Since each category of sound may produce a range of effects, how might you characterize the effects in your film? For example, realistic and expected sound effects may have a different effect on a viewer than exaggerated or unexpected ones.

The majority of the film incorporates realistic and expected sounds. This is brilliantly incorporated throughout the entire film to offer a sense of realism, giving the audience an opportunity to relate to the characters and movie in different ways. Unlike films of the fantasy genre which are purely imaginative, sports films like Rocky aim to represent a possible real-life situation. The use of realistic sounds helps establish this. Hence, the effect of these sounds is positive and compelling.

 3. Assess how the scene or sequence would play differently if you changed or removed a key category of sound.

By removing the key sound effects from certain scenes such as Rocky’s training montage, the overall theme, delivery, and impact of the movie would be greatly weakened. The intensity would be lacking and the most vital scenes would have little to no influence on the film’s plot. Although the visualization of the movie is definitely a key factor in producing a well-crafted movie, the sound is absolutely necessary to emphasize and/or portray certain aspects of the characters’ actions, thoughts, and development.

References: 

Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2014). Film: From watching to seeing (2nd ed.). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. This text is a Constellation™ course digital materials (CDM) title.

Kerner, M. (1989). The Purpose of Sound Effects. Film Sound, 11-15. Retrieved from http://filmsound.org/articles/purposeofsoundeffects.htm

MOVIECLIPS. (2014, February 19). Rocky (8/10) Movie CLIP – Gonna Fly Now (1976) HD [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YYmfM2TfUA

Week 2 Blog: Rocky – Lighting

1. Identify the type of lighting used in the film (traditional three-point, high-key, or low-key) and assess the impact of the lighting used to establish the theme.

The movie, Rocky, does not limit itself to one form of lighting. Its complexity of scenes and theme leads it to exhibit three-point, high-key, and low-key lighting styles. Each scene has unique lighting that contributes to the mood and overall event occurring in that scene. For example, high-key lighting is used when Rocky takes Adrian to the ice skating rink where the two begin to fall in love. The lighting helps set a loving and hopeful mood, and is serves as a symbol for the origins of eternal happiness. “A high-key lighting design has very bright light over everything, with few shadows and relatively low contrast between the lightest and darkest parts of the scene. This style of lighting is typical of comedies, happy scenes…” (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014).

a. What are the benefits of the style of lighting used?

The benefits of each type of lighting are infinite. The three-point lighting helps accentuate the significance of the characters in the frame of the scene. For example, when Rocky escorts Marie from the hooligans, three-point lighting is used. This gives the effect of epitomizing Rocky as a good person who wishes to make a positive difference in other people’s lives. He is the focus of the scene.

The low-key lighting helps add intensity to the scene. When Paulie loses control of his emotions and starts breaking items in the house with a bat, the lighting goes from high-key to slightly low-key. This helps create an intensified mood and adds a bit of dramatization to the situation, making it seem like more of a serious matter. “Low-key lighting is often used for intense dramatic scenes, horror films, mystery thrillers, and the like” (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014).

High-key lighting is used the most throughout the film. This has a variety of benefits including giving the sense of happiness, hope, love, and peace in many of the scenes. For example, during Rocky’s training montage, the lighting is high-key, showing that this is a moment of greatness and he is working towards achieving something truly positive.

b. How did this technique contribute to the theme?

The theme of Rocky is: the only way that one can achieve personal success is by discovering the greatness from within themselves. The multitude of lighting styles helps contribute to the theme by showing the complexity of coming to terms with both the flaws and strengths of one self while also overcoming external conflicts around them; there is never a single solution or mood that is appropriate for the situation at hand. The theme is best represented during the ending scene when Rocky loses the fight, but his greatest triumph of finding his own greatness is still achieved. Because of such feelings, the only motive he has is to celebrate his personal victory with Adrian.

c. How was the lighting technique suited to the genre of the film? For example, documentary films tend to rely on natural light as a way of creating an overall tone of authenticity.

The different lighting techniques were appropriately suited to the genre of the film: sports. Sports movies often portray the struggles that an individual must overcome in order to achieve a new sense of pride and success, not only externally but internally. This calls for a variety of lighting styles because the situations that the protagonist faces are not all the same. There is a distinct difference in tone and meaning which is further detailed when the lighting style appropriately matches it. In the opening fight scene, the lighting is low-key which symbolizes Rocky’s lack of faith in himself as well as his inept fighting style. In the closing fight scene, the lighting is high-key, symbolizing Rocky’s achievement at recognizing his personal greatness as well as his skills as an accomplished boxer. This change in lighting reflects the general trend in most sports movies: working one’s way to the top by overcoming amazing feats.

2. Compare how the scene would play if different choices had been made.

If the lighting would have differed in any of the scenes, the effect of that scene would have been much less significant and/or apparent. The lighting styles used throughout the movie help emphasize certain aspects of the characters or the scene. Such subtle aspects would be completely unrecognizable if the lighting would have been different. Emotion and intensity would be almost completely absent. Therefore, the way each lighting style is used is completely necessary to the meaning, effect, and appeal of the film.

Resources

Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2014). Film: From watching to seeing (2nd ed.). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. This text is a Constellation™ course digital materials (CDM) title.

MOVIECLIPS. (2014, February 19). Rocky (10/10) Movie CLIP – Adrian! (1976) HD [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tc7H9s4PdSI

Week 1 Blog: Rocky

1. Select a full-length film and identify the title, writer, director, major actors, and the year it was released

Title: Rocky

Writer: Sylvester Stallone

Director: John G. Avildsen

Major Actors: Sylvester Stallone (Rocky Balboa), Talia Shire (Adrian Pennino), Burt Young (Paulie Pennino), Carl Weathers (Apollo Creed), Burgess Meredith (Mickey Goldmill)

Year: 1977

2. Summarize the story and plot of your chosen movie

Story: Rocky is a 1977 film about a man who takes advantage of a chance to fight the heavyweight boxing champion, Apollo Creed. He not only agrees to this bout for the title, but also for a chance to earn self-respect. Throughout the course of his film, he develops romantic feelings for a woman named Adrian Pennino, who plays a significant role in motivating Rocky to win the bout against Apollo Creed.

Plot: The film begins with a man, Rocky Balboa, winning a boxing match against another individual. He is a popular, well-respected man in his Philadelphia neighborhood. However, with only his pet turtles to keep him company, he feels that he must find companionship. He decides to try and win over the pet store clerk, Adrian Pennino. Unfortunately, his efforts seem to make no real impression on Adrian. Later, Rocky loses the respect and trust of Tony Gazzo, Rocky’s boss for his daytime job, when he fails to break the thumb of one debtor. Crushed by such a reaction from his boss, Rocky turns to the gym for solace. While there, however, Rocky finds that his manager, Mickey Goldmill, has given Rocky’s locker to someone else. Mickey claims that Rocky fights like an ape and he should leave while he still can.

In another failed attempt to win over Adrian, Rocky turns to her brother, Paulie, for advice. After verbally denouncing his own sister, Paulie decides to invite Rocky to Thanksgiving dinner the next night. In the meantime, the heavyweight boxing champion, Apollo Creed, learns that his upcoming opponent is will not be able to compete anymore due to an injury. Fearing the loss of popularity in the media, he decides to have an exhibition match with an anonymous competitor in Philadelphia. After some research, he finds that Rocky Balboa may be a worthy opponent to go against.

At the Pennino Thanksgiving dinner, Rocky arrives, unaware that Adrian does not have the slightest clue about the scheme that Paulie had pulled to set the two up together. Adrian retaliates by locking herself in her room. Rocky is eventually able to get her to out of the room and takes her to an ice-skating rink. He reveals his faults to Adrian and explains that the reason he turned to boxing is because his father told him to use his body as a replacement for his lack of brains. Adrian then reveals that as she was growing up, it was quite the opposite. Her mother had told her to use her brains because she had no body. At this moment, there is a deeper connection between the two that officially sparks a subtle romantic interest. While walking home, Rocky says that their weaknesses make them the perfect pair. Adrian is uncomfortable at the sound of this and attempts to leave, but is quickly charmed into staying, leading to a passionate embrace between the two.

Later, Rocky is informed that Apollo Creed’s promoter, Miles Jergens, wants to meet with him. While discussing this with Mickey Goldmill, the former trainer insults Rocky, claiming that he has failed to live up to the expectations of a fighter. When Rocky meets with Miles, he discovers that he is being offered a chance at the heavyweight championship against Apollo Creed. Doubtful of his ability to win, he turns down the offer. After a bit of persuasion, however, Rocky agrees to fight the champion. This is then announced on television where he is mocked by the commentators. Mickey later tries to convince Rocky to allow him to become his manager once again. Appalled by his earlier remark, Rocky asserts that he needed a manager ten years ago, and now it is too late. He explodes in anger, and Mickey accepts his defeat. As he is walking away, Rocky stops Mickey and decides to hire him anyway.

Rocky then begins an intense training regimen to prepare him for the biggest fight of his life. During this period, Rocky slightly bumps head with Paulie when he asks Rocky if he has slept with Adrian. After pushing him off, Rocky releases his anger by punching meat until his fists bleed. Mickey begins to train Rocky and tells him to stay away from women because they will inhibit the training regimen. Despite this advice, Rocky continues to see Adrian. Later at a television interview in the meat locker, Rocky impresses Creed’s trainer with his drive and passion to win.

Paulie’s growing jealousy leads him to threaten both Rocky and Adrian. Adrian then agrees to move in with Rocky, claiming that she no longer wants to feel like a loser. After much training, Rocky is able to run up the Museum steps—he had previously struggled with overcoming this task—and raises his hands in triumph. Despite this feeling of euphoria, he is quickly discouraged when he visits the arena that he will be fighting in. He informs Adrian of his doubts in winning and claims there is no way he will win the bout. His only goal is to last all fifteen rounds.

During the fight, Creed lands many jabs and punches. Rocky is only able to strike a few hits, but they are very powerful. As the fight continues, Rocky continues to struggle back to his feet no matter how badly injured he is. He lasts all fifteen rounds and is immediately flooded with the feeling of elation. Due to this excitement and newfound pride, he disregards the announcement that Creed won the fight. He instead calls Adrian’s name who later arrives in the ring. They embrace and profess their love for one another.

3. Discuss whether your film is presented chronologically or non-linearly. In your discussion, address the following:

a. Was the film presented chronologically or non-linearly? How did this aesthetic choice contribute the general effect of the audience?

The film was presented in chronological order. This helped create a more developed sentimental plot and ending. Throughout the film, the audience sees the gradual development of the romantic relationship between Rocky and Adrian. This bond increases Rocky’s motivation to train harder and make the love of his life proud of him. This creates a very touching ending when Rocky does not care that he lost the fight; he just wants to hold Adrian and profess his love for her.

 b. How are elements like character development or foreshadowing impacted by the choice of storytelling methods?

The chronology helped further develop Rocky’s character traits. He falls to the bottom of his boxing career and is able to rise all the way to the top through his efforts to earn respect not only from others but from himself as well. By the end, his pride and self-respect overpowers any negative feelings about his loss in the championship boxing match. He has fulfilled his own goals as a result of the learning experience from both internal and external influences.

 4. If the film had followed a different presentation style, how would the general effect on the audience have been different?

If the film had been presented non-linearly, then the overall effect of the theme would not have been as powerful. Although the general concepts of romance and pride would still remain, the specific character development of Rocky would be much weaker, causing the theme of the movie and the ending scene to have little meaning. Therefore, the chronology is appropriate for the film.

Resources:

AFI. (2008). AFI: 10 Top 10 – Rocky. Retrieved from http://www.afi.com/10top10/moviedetail.aspx?id=53862&thumb=1

MOVIECLIPS. (2014, February 19). Rocky (1/10) Movie CLIP – Date at the Ice Rink (1976) HD [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jK4lxjvrhHs