Perhaps no one in the history of cinema is so closely tied to one iconic character as Sylvester Stallone. He secured his legacy by writing and starring in the Academy Award winning movie "Rocky" (1976). Afterwards, Stallone's star skyrocketed and his name soon became synonymous with over-the-top action movies.
The success of "Rocky" spawned several disappointing sequels over the next decade and a half. It was Stallone's own dissatisfaction with how the series had regressed that spurred him to write, direct, and star in "Rocky Balboa" (2006). In the film, Rocky, aged and long retired, makes one final return to the ring to prove to himself that he still has that fighter's fire. Stallone came to Boston in early December to promote the film.
Question: You have not directed for a long time. Why go back and do such a crazy job?
Sylvester Stallone: I didn't direct "Rocky V" (1990) and I just wanted to end the series on the right note and I felt the only way to do that was to do it yourself. So if it does stumble, you have no one else to blame. And if it works, then fine, you were able to translate the right meaning and the right words and the right finale to the audience. So, I find it a lot easier - I shouldn't say easier - but a lot less frustrating to do it yourself.
Q: How long did you train for Rocky to get back into shape?
SS: I went into this being very out of shape. The studio suggested I let myself go because Rocky hadn't been fighting and was working in his restaurant. Then about a month before filming I couldn't fit into my trunks. I understood what the studio meant, but you have to be at least in a bit in shape to get in there. So now I had to really overdo it to catch up in that last month.
Q: Do you have a specific diet in this regime?
SS: On this I was eating about four or five times a day, a tremendous amount of protein. For carbs, it was mainly pasta. And again I was burning 8 or 9 thousand calories a day. I don't recommend this, but it was a crash course. A lot of supplements, too.
Q: Were you running?
SS: Well in Rocky, where he says, "Well, your knees are shot." Well, that's true. I would do power lifting but I didn't do any aerobic work at all.
Q: What was it about the way that "Rocky V" (1990) ended that made you want to make this film?
SS: It ended with nothing. There was no emotion to it. No one wants to see the underbelly, the depressing side of their heroes. I said, "Boy, I made a mistake." The optimism that is associated with Rocky wasn't there. There was no moral message at the end, nothing uplifting.
Q: Was it a purposeful decision to make the poster retro?
SS: Yeah, as a bookend. I thought it was great. He ran up the steps 30 years ago, and boom, there he is again. You go back to basics; you go back to what works for you. I said that he can't run up the steps again. But then I said, "What if he carries a dog?"
Q: Is it hard to reconcile your vision as a screenwriter when it comes time to film?
SS: Yeah, you do sometimes have to compromise. When we first shot the bar scene where he meets Little Marie - when we first shot the scene it was packed with 40 people and it was filled with smoke. It was supposed to be a joyous thing, a return to where everybody knows Rocky. It was horrible. Luckily, everything was out of focus, it was great. So I got a second shot to reconcile it. So the original vision was wrong. So I threw everyone out of the bar, all the smoke out of the bar. So it was like Dante's version of hell, it was limbo. So in some ways you have to reconcile it, but great things can happen too. I'm a great fan of re-shoots.
Q: So this is the end of the series for Rocky?
SS: That's exactly right. I wanted to end it exactly this way. There is nothing more. Adrian's gone. He says, "Yo, we did it," and that's it.
Q: Do you see yourself doing more writing and directing?
SS: Yeah, absolutely. But this is, to me, my finest involvement. It was so impossible to get done and I am so happy with how we brought Rocky full circle. And at this age, what more could you ask for?
