When we think of action heroes certain names come to mind-Schwarzenegger, Van Damme, Seagal, and of course Sylvester Stallone. These tough guys are known for breaking bones, lots of stuff, and hearts on the regular. However, what is sometimes lost in the mix of explosions, gun-fire, fighting, and more explosions; is the sensitivity the above mentioned "bad asses" convey in a great deal of their films. One man in particular summons these emotions better than the rest, and that man is; Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone.
Stallone struggled early on in his career playing small roles, starring in B-movies, and even dabbling in soft core porn...but the break of a lifetime was just around the corner. Inspired by the Muhammad Ali/Chuck Wepner fight (and some say Jake LaMotta, we won't get into that) Stallone wrote a little screenplay entitled Rocky. Rocky was a critical and box office hit that single-handedly launched Stallone to super stardom. He went on to star in other great films like Rhinestone, Oscar, and the now classic Stop! Or My Mom will Shoot.
But First Blood is really where his sensitive side came to fruition. In First Blood he plays John Rambo, a super bad ass-green beret-Vietnam vet looking for one of his friends from the war. He soon discovers that his friend is dead so he travels to a small town. This is when Rambo is harassed and arrested by the sheriff (Brian Dennehy), then tormented and beaten by his cronies. The flashbacks he has of torture prove too much for Rambo and he snaps. Police chases, man-hunts, and Rambo going "guerrilla war" on that ass ensues. Except we don't truly see the emotional breakdown of Rambo until the end of the film. By this point, Rambo has blown up most of the town and is holed up inside the police station. Then Colonel Trautman (Richard Crenna) enters and tries to talk Rambo into surrendering. Watch the clip here. When Stallone says, "I can't find your fucking legs," he isn't acting anymore, he becomes John Rambo! Stallone is completely lost in the emotion and sadness of his friend being blown to pieces in front of him. Gut-wrenching stuff to say the least and just one example of the softer side of Stallone.
Let's explore another touching moment of Stallone's acting career with Rocky III. Rocky III is probably my favorite of the franchise. It has everything you could ask for- Hulk Hogan as Thunder Lips, the Eye of the Tiger theme song, and best of all Mr. T. as boxing nemesis Clubber Lang. The movie picks up where Rocky II left off when Rocky beats Apollo. It shows all the money, fame, and glory of being the champ. Basically in this film, Rocky blows up. He's got endorsements, a pinball game, the mansion, the nice cars (not the robot yet, that comes in IV) essentially everything he's ever wanted. Clubber Lang, played masterfully by Mr. T., coaxes him into a fight by harassing Adrian (Talia Shire) at Rocky's statue unveiling/retirement press- conference. Rocky is all glitz during his training and not focused on the fight, this drives Mickey (Burgess Meredith) nuts. When the two boxers face off, Rocky gets an ass whipping and Mick's health is so bad he leaves the fight. After getting knocked out, Rocky goes to the dressing room where Mick lays dying. Watch the clip here. Completely devastating. Stallone channels a young Brando mixed with Sloth from the Goonies. That scene was driven on pure emotion and heartache. Once again, Sly showed us that under his tough-looking beefy exterior, is just a sensitive little puppy who needs to suckle the teet of his mother.
The end of Rambo and Mick dying in Rocky III are just two examples of Stallone's acting prowess. He's also played an estranged father/truck driver/arm-wrestler in Over the Top. So we shouldn't look at Sylvester Stallone as just a meat-head action hero. We should delve deeper into his work and find those hidden gems, for instance; the two scenes I've reviewed here. And not just in his work but other action stars performances as well-Van Damme in Lionheart or Seagal in Hard to Kill. Thus I believe the moral of the story is this: No matter how tough you are, it's okay to cry.
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