The 2022-2023 Film Journal Entry #7-"Creed"

2022-2023 Film Journal Entry #7

by Xavier E. Palacios

"Creed"

4.5 out of 5

Directed by Ryan Coogler

Rated "PG-13"

Continuing the Rocky saga nine years after the era-closing Rocky Balboa, Adonis "Donnie" Creed (Michael B. Jordan), the bastard son of the legendary and long deceased boxer, Apollo Creed, is a troubled, outcasted boy who later is raised by Creed's wife, Mary Anne (Phylicia Rashad), and grows to become a technically well-off adult who nevertheless is scarred by his inherited identity, eager to prove himself a worthy man in the boxing ring. His search brings him to Philadelphia and Apollo's old friend, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), who, believing he is in the twilight of his years, ultimately feels he must accept Donnie's request to train him. Donnie also meets Bianca (Tessa Thompson), a musician medically doomed to lose her hearing forever, who helps him grow into his own person, not Apollo's son. When news of his heritage leaks, Donnie finally gets to prove his self-worth by fighting the dishonorable and haughty champion, Ricky Conlan (Tony Bellew). Meanwhile, he and Rocky's relationship is tested by the grave news that The Italian Stallion has been diagnosed with a fatal disease.

From when the first film changed, even saved, my life forever on that fateful day of February 25th, 2019, to now, the Rocky saga remains an unstoppable and cherished part of my life. The story of Rocky "The Italian Stallion" Balboa, a man who, internally and externally, bravely faces the endless battle to see himself as more than a loser, is one of the finest cinematic series ever, a benevolent piece of American folklore, an utterly empathetic and meaningful drama, and one of the most influential tales that continues to inspire me in the greatest and smallest of ways. (For further backstory on this topic, I recommend reviewing my entry for Rocky V in the 2020-2021 Film Journal and then entry #68 of the 2021-2022 Film Journal, found in part four of that posted text).

Naturally, particularly in anticipation for seeing my first ever Rocky film in a theater with the upcoming Creed III, I have looked forward to seeing the next installment of the saga and the beginning of its new era with Creed. While I needed to see this film to the very ending to understand and appreciate entirely what the picture aims to achieve, this piece is another mighty chapter in this glorious, universal series about the challenges of and freedom in self-esteem, self-acceptance, and self-belief. Here is proof that this saga is continuously relevant, joyous, and powerful.

Beyond continuing these films' high-quality of storytelling, Creed further exemplifies director Ryan Coogler as a filmmaker who deserves far more praise and admiration in film fandoms, (particularly with folk continuing to unjustifiably salivate over the highly overrated works and stylings of director Zac Snyder). Not only does this film fit perfectly in with the previous Rocky films, but there are elements of filmmaking that even outdo them. The jaw-dropping long takes; extending the training throughout the film rather than in a single montage; the refreshing use of slow-motion and editing; composer Ludwig Göransson's rampant and thrilling score; terrific acting with palpable chemistry; the fun but not obtrusive callbacks; and so much more. Creed is what blockbusters can be, and the work here is strong and exciting through the evident creativity, entertainment, and spectacle.

Once again, (and still showcasing what blockbusters can do), this chapter in the saga hits me at the right time and place. Having finally overcome my war against many of the scarring difficulties I mentioned in my last two Rocky entries and over the course of the 2021-2022 Film Journal, I, no longer held prisoner by my old place or my debilitating mental illnesses, am feeling a bit lost. Like Rocky in this film: lonely, exhausted, and, while triumphant, without much of a future. Like the young and instantly great new protagonist, Adonis: eager to prove his place on this Earth without many believers or chances to do so, weighed by his harsh past that has now made him comfortable but not fulfilled, and looking for love of all kinds. How these films have appeared at exactly the right time in my life seven times and counting is unbelievable, but I do not lie.

Thus, Creed is a narrative with a delightfully dense amount of thematic concepts to explore and threads to follow, from Conlan and Donnie's parallels, the aged Rocky's heartbreaking willingness to succumb to an illness rather than fight anymore, the Italian Stallion's eternally good conscious and second-chance at being a teacher, Donnie's slowly revealed motivations related to his father's legacy and his youth, his romance with the very likeable Bianca, to that truly perfect final exchange between Donnie and Rocky in the ring before the series' divine theme rings victoriously.

Like Rocky, I have to look to the future because there is always the chance, if not the certainty, that there is a person worth fighting for even when there seems to be no one left; a reminder that the old war was not won to fade into that good night but to become enlightened and have the privilege of giving back to others. I must keep fighting because there is a future; after all, I made it out of 2022 and my old place. Like Adonis, I must accept that I am more than my inheritance which gave me the scars and woes I have today; that who I am is my name, and my name represents the best of me, who is just getting started. The fact that both characters find such truths through each other, calling the other their family, is beautiful, and leads to what I believe may be the thematic word for this picture.

"Love". Love for those who welcome you into their hearts as you do them, like Donnie and Bianca. Love for those who may not be perfect but stand by you, like Rocky and Donnie. Above all, I feel, love for oneself, to see themselves not as a mistake but a gorgeous creature whose essence is their own to shape. Who knows where the next two swiftly approaching installments will bring me, concluding this saga to its present state, but I will forever be grateful that this series has done so much for me these past four years. Hail, Rocky. Hail, Adonis. Hail, this saga. Hail, Creed, the first great movie of this cinematic year.