Film Review: Rocky IV (1985)

The most important films are usually not the best films. Some earned their place in history books simply for featuring a detail that would symbolically mark important moment in time. One such example is Rocky IV, 1985 sports drama written and directed by Sylvester Stallone, known mainly as the film that has shown the beginning of the end of Cold War.

Rocky IV is the fourth instalment in the series which started in 1976 with Rocky, immensely popular drama in which Stallone starred as Rocky Balboa, boxing underdog who ultimately triumphed in his pursuit of American Dream. At the beginning of this film Rocky is already established as the world’s heavyweight champion and, as time takes its inevitable toll, starts contemplating retirement. That isn’t the case with his best friend and former rival Apollo Creed (played by Carl Weathers). When Ivan Drago (played by Dolph Lundgren), Soviet amateur boxing champion, arrives in USA and his staff begins talking down American athletes, Apollo, motivated by patriotism and desire to stay relevant, sets up exhibition match in Las Vegas. The match goes terribly wrong for Apollo who dies after being pummelled by Drago in the ring. Rocky, who was part of Apollo’s team, feels responsible for friend’s death and decides to avenge him by challenging Drago to another match, which is to be held in Moscow. Drago, heavily promoted by Communist government, aided by scientists and various performance-enhancing chemicals, is clear favourite but Rocky is determined to win and begins methodical preparation for the clash that symbolically pits USA against Soviet Union.

Rocky IV was huge box office success and became commercially most successful part of the series. Critics, however, didn’t like the film and that can be partially explained by film’s unashamedly jingoistic approach to Cold War, which was in many ways similar to Rambo: First Blood Part II, another film in which he played American hero fighting the Soviets. His script in many ways follows decades-old propaganda stereotypes that became the norm in Reagan’s years and portrays Evil Empire as cold, hostile land built on the system of absolute state control and suppression of individuality. This is the reason why character of Ivan Drago is portrayed as anti-thesis of Rocky – unlike an ordinary man who reached fame and fortune by his own skill and determination, Drago is product of a state which equipped him with computers, high tech equipment and drugs. As such he is the most memorable of all Rocky’s opponents, and it was Stallone’s good fortune to cast tall, blonde and muscular Swedish martial arts expert Dolph Lundgren in a role that would become start of his career. Lundgren in many ways plays Drago like Schwarzenegger played Terminator – as sinister, robotic and seemingly unstoppable and invincible force; only at the very end we see glimpses of emotion in his character.

This, however, isn’t enough to compensate for many serious flaws. In previous three films Rocky was presented as part of community, person who did what he did because of family and friends. Here, when he is already established champion and forced to act as a national symbol, characters of his family and friends only get in a way, like his cousin Paulie (played by Burt Young) acting as comic relief or wife Adrian (played by Talia Shire) trying to talk him out of match. Another problem, something that Stallone apparently became aware of during production, is actual lack of plot. Even with hour and half of running time, there was little actual content in the film, so Stallone compensated it with prolonged montages of his training and events in previous three films, accompanied with 1980s pop songs that make Rocky IV look like prolonged MTV video. Character of Drago’s wife and spokeswoman Ludmilla is completely unnecessary and it is hard to evade impression that it was introduced only to provide role for Brigitte Nielsen, who was Stallone’s girlfriend (and future wife) at the time. Music by Vince DiCola is mostly forgettable and far below standards of Bill Conti’s work in previous three films.

Rocky IV becomes interesting only at the very end, although most of the audience, even those who haven’t seen previous three instalments, can guess how would American underdog fare against his Soviet adversary. Stallone directed those scenes very well and fans of spectacular boxing action will have reasons to be pleased. The most interesting moment, however, happens at the very ending. Due to his courage and determination during the course of the match Rocky has managed to win initially hostile crowd and at the end even Soviet leader, who looks like Mikhail Gorbachev (played by David Lloyd Austin), rises up and begins the clap thus congratulating Rocky’s victory. In its essence, that fictional event corresponded with the real changes in Soviet Union that began with an arrival of Gorbachev, whose reforms, based on the idea of copying the ways of its Cold War adversary, would ultimately transform superpower into pathetic and decaying shadow of its former self. In many ways, Rocky’s victory in this film – which represents not only victory of one man over another, but the idea of individualism over collectivism – was prophetic signal of the history-defining events that would transpire only few years later.

RATING: 5/10 (++)

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