Rocky IV
Rocky IV is a 1985 American sports drama film starring, written and directed by Sylvester Stallone. The film is the sequel to Rocky III and the fourth installment in the Rocky franchise. It also stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, Brigitte Nielsen, and Dolph Lundgren. In the film, Rocky Balboa confronts Ivan Drago, a Soviet boxer responsible for another personal tragedy in Balboa's life.
Development for a fourth Rocky film began soon after the success of Rocky III. Principal photography began in 1984, with filming locations including Philadelphia, Wyoming, and Vancouver. Rocky IV was Lundgren's American film debut, and Stallone's last directorial effort until Rocky Balboa in 2006; they engaged in authentic punching in their fight scenes, which led to Stallone being admitted to intensive care. Filming also featured new special effects and bona fide, groundbreaking sport methods and equipment, some of which were years removed from public use. Rocky IV is known for its strong Cold War themes, as well as its successful theme songs "Burning Heart" by Survivor and "Living in America" by James Brown.
Rocky IV premiered in Los Angeles on November 21, 1985, and was theatrically released in the United States by MGM/UA Entertainment Co. under its United Artists label on November 27. The film initially received mixed reviews, with praise for Drago's credibility as a villain, but criticized the predictable screenplay. Scholars note that Drago's ultimate defeat and the Soviet crowd's embrace of Rocky represented the dissolution of the Soviet Union, while others criticized the film as propaganda through its Cold War themes and negative portrayals of Russians.
Rocky IV grossed $300.5 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing Rocky film, the third-highest-grossing US film of 1985 and the second-highest-grossing film worldwide. Later reviews were more favorable in the years later, with praise for the training montages. The film is considered an icon of 1980s pop culture, and gained a cult following. In 2021, a director's cut was released with the title Rocky IV: Rocky vs Drago – The Ultimate Director's Cut, receiving positive reviews. A sequel, Rocky V, was released in 1990. The film's storylines are continued in Creed II, part of the sequel series to the Rocky films.
Plot
In 1985, Russian boxer and Soviet Army Captain Ivan Drago arrives in the United States from the Soviet Union with his wife Ludmilla, his trainers and his manager, Nicolai Koloff. Koloff takes every opportunity to promote Drago's athleticism as a hallmark of Soviet superiority. Motivated by patriotism and a desire to step back in the ring, former heavyweight champion Apollo Creed challenges Drago to an exhibition fight. Rocky Balboa has reservations about his much larger opponent and about Creed coming out of retirement but agrees to help train Apollo for the match.The boxing exhibition takes place at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. Apollo enters the ring in an over-the-top patriotic entrance with James Brown performing "Living in America", complete with showgirls. The bout starts tamely with Apollo landing several punches that are ineffective against Drago, but Drago suddenly retaliates with devastating effects. By the end of the first round, Rocky and Apollo's trainer Duke Evers plead with him to stop the match, but Apollo refuses to do so. Drago aggressively pummels him in the second round. Apollo falls after a particularly savage blow and lies twitching on the ground. After the match is called in Drago's favor, he displays no contrition, commenting to the assembled media: "If he dies, he dies." Apollo dies as a result of the blow.
Rocky decides to challenge Drago himself, but has to surrender his championship to do so. Drago's camp agrees to an unsanctioned 15-round fight in Moscow on Christmas Day, an arrangement meant to protect Drago from the threats of violence he has been receiving in the United States. Rocky travels to the Soviet Union without his wife Adrian due to her disapproval of the match, setting up his training base in a remote cabin in Siberia with only Duke and Paulie Pennino to accompany him while being constantly watched by KGB Agents. Duke opens up to Rocky, stating that he actually raised Apollo and that his death felt like a father losing his son, and expresses his faith in Rocky that he will emerge victorious. To prepare for the match, Drago uses high-tech equipment, a team of trainers and doctors monitoring his every movement, and regular doses of anabolic steroids. Rocky, on the other hand, does roadwork in deep snow over mountainous terrain and workouts utilizing antiquated farm equipment. Adrian arrives unexpectedly five days before the fight to give Rocky her support.
On the night of the match, Rocky enters to a hostile jeering crowd. Drago is introduced with cheers and an elaborate patriotic ceremony, with the Soviet General Secretary and Politburo in attendance. In contrast to his match with Apollo, Drago immediately goes on the offensive. Rocky takes a pounding in the first round, but toward the end of the second round he lands a right hook that cuts Drago's left eye. Between rounds, Duke encourages Rocky by telling him he's proven Drago is only human, and Drago comments to his trainers that Rocky "is like a piece of iron."
The two boxers spend the next dozen rounds trading blows, with Rocky managing to hold his ground despite Drago's best efforts. As the 12th round begins, the Russian crowd starts to cheer for Rocky. After Koloff berates Drago for not finishing the fight and seeing the crowd turn on him, Drago rebels, throwing him from the ring and directly addressing the Soviet leadership, stating he fights only for himself. In the final round, with both fighters exhausted, Rocky seizes an opening to unleash a series of blows that KOs Drago, avenging Apollo's death.
Rocky gives a victory speech, acknowledging the crowd's initial disdain of him, but points out that it changed to respect during the fight. He says it is like the wider disdain between Russians and Americans, but that he and the crowd have come to respect and admire each other during the course of the fight. Rocky adds that the crowd has seen "two guys killin' each other, but I guess that's better than 20 million". Rocky finally declares, "If I can change, and you can change, then everybody can change!" The General Secretary stands and passionately applauds Rocky, and his aides follow suit. Rocky ends his speech by wishing his son Rocky Jr. a Merry Christmas, and throws his arms into the air in victory as the crowd applauds.
Cast
- Sylvester Stallone as Robert "Rocky" Balboa, "The Italian Stallion": The reigning two-time Heavyweight Champion of the World.
- Talia Shire as Adrian Pennino Balboa: Rocky's wife and support through his boxing career.
- Burt Young as Paulie Pennino: Rocky's friend and brother-in-law.
- Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed: Former Heavyweight Champion of the World, and close friend to Rocky.
- Brigitte Nielsen as Ludmilla Vobet Drago: Wife and supporter of Ivan Drago, and Olympic swimming champion. In real life, Nielsen was engaged to Stallone during the production, and married shortly after the release. They appeared together once again in 1986's Cobra, before they divorced in 1987. She later reprised the role in Creed II.
- Dolph Lundgren as Captain Ivan Drago: the Soviets' prize Champion boxer "The Siberian Express" and a Soviet Army infantry captain. Lundgren would also return in Creed II.
- Tony Burton as Tony "Duke" Evers: Apollo's father-figure, friend, trainer and manager, who becomes Rocky's trainer for his match against Drago.
- Michael Pataki as Nicolai Koloff: Trainer, promoter, and manager of Ivan Drago.
- Rocky Krakoff as Rocky Balboa Jr.
- David Lloyd Austin as Mikhail Gorbachev
- Sylvia Meals as Mary Anne Creed: Wife of Apollo
- George Rogan as Sergei Rimsky: Another Ivan Drago trainer.
Production
Casting
Sportscaster Stu Nahan makes his fourth appearance in the Rocky series as commentator for the Apollo Creed –Ivan Drago fight. Warner Wolf replaces Bill Baldwin, who died following filming for Rocky III, as co-commentator. For the fight between Rocky Balboa and Drago, commentators Barry Tompkins and Al Bandiero portray themselves as USA Network broadcasters.Apollo Creed's wife Mary Anne made her second appearance in the series, the first being Rocky, although the character was mainly featured in Rocky II. Stallone's future wife, Brigitte Nielsen, appeared as Drago's wife, Ludmilla Vobet Drago.
The Soviet premier in the sky box during the Rocky–Drago match, played by David Lloyd Austin, strongly resembles contemporary Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Austin later played Gorbachev in The Naked Gun, and Russian characters in other films.
Filming
doubled for the frozen expanse of Russia. The small farm where Rocky lived and trained was in Jackson Hole, and Grand Teton National Park was used for filming many of the outdoor sequences in the Soviet Union. The PNE Agrodome at Hastings Park in Vancouver, British Columbia served as the location of Rocky's Moscow bout.Sylvester Stallone has stated that the original punching scenes filmed between him and Dolph Lundgren in the first portion of the fight are completely authentic. Stallone wanted to capture a realistic scene and Lundgren agreed that they would engage in legitimate sparring. One particularly forceful punch to Stallone's chest slammed his heart against his breastbone, causing the heart to swell. Stallone, suffering from labored breathing and a blood pressure over 200, was flown from the set in Vancouver, British Columbia to Saint John's Regional Medical Center in Santa Monica, California and was forced into intensive care for eight days. Stallone later commented that he believed Lundgren had the athletic ability and talent to fight in the professional heavyweight division of boxing. Producer Irwin Winkler describes the exact same event in his autobiography, observing not Lundgren, rather, "Sly took a punch from a stand-in fighter and ended up in the emergency room with his blood pressure dangerously high."
Additionally, Stallone has stated that Lundgren nearly forced Carl Weathers to quit during the filming of the Apollo vs. Drago exhibition fight. At one point in the filming of the scene, Lundgren tossed Weathers into the corner of the boxing ring. Weathers shouted profanities at Lundgren while leaving the ring and announced that he was calling his agent and quitting the movie. Only after Stallone forced the two actors to reconcile did filming continue. The event caused a four-day work stoppage, while Weathers was talked back into the part and Lundgren agreed to tone down his aggressiveness.