Alice Oscura, Featured Writer
Disclaimer: All information contained in this article is provided by the actor’s statements during his interview as well as archival footage provided by the actor for the purpose of this documentary.
If you’re looking for someone who is the epitome of what society commonly refers to as a “self-made man” or someone who was responsible for creating the path to their own success, then American actor/filmmaker/writer Sylvester Stallone is your guy. In November 2023, Netflix released the documentary titled Sly, directed by Thom Zimny (Elvis Presley: The Searcher) which examines Stallone’s humble beginnings from his unhappy childhood in Hell’s Kitchen, New York towards his expansive film career as a writer, actor and director.
The documentary begins with Stallone packing up the possessions of his house in Los Angeles, California. For those of you that have watched the MTV Entertainment produced reality series The Family Stallone, it coincides with Sly and his wife Jennifer Flavin making the decision to move to relocate permanently to Palm Beach, Florida after their youngest daughter Scarlet left the nest to attend university in Florida. The actor candidly admits that time just flies by so quickly before you know it. He has regrets about certain things just like everybody else but chooses to deal with them by painting and writing. Stallone is actually a very accomplished artist and has some of his artwork displayed in the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Sly features interviews from actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, filmmaker Quentin Tarantino, actor/producer/comedian Henry Winkler (co-star from The Lords of Flatbush <1974> turned long-term friend), Frank Stallone Jr. (younger brother & singer/actor) and actress Talia Shire (co-star Rocky films). The actor recounts his troubled upbringing and strained relationship with his father Frank Stallone Sr. who was often both physically and verbally abusive towards him. Sly was a bit of a juvenile delinquent, got expelled from several schools for truancy and fighting. He was even voted by his teachers as “Most Likely to End up in the Electric Chair”.
Once the documentary gets into his film career, Stallone discusses how he got into writing his own scripts and his inspiration for his hit film Rocky (1976). Sly mentions that the film is often referred to as a sports drama about a struggling boxer who finally gets his shot at the heavyweight title. However, to Stallone it’s so much more than that; it’s a love story. And I must say, I’ve never thought about it from that perspective, but I can totally see where he comes from since it is such an emotionally charged film series. The story that really caught my attention was a disturbing incident related to the actor’s brother Frank Jr., concerning their father’s. reaction to Sly’s sudden rise to fame with the Rocky film. Jealous of his son’s success, Frank Sr. wrote a spin-off screenplay in an effort to overshadow what Sly had accomplished. Stallone would go on to describe other incidents throughout his youth where any success that he was able to achieve would just trigger a jealous streak in his father who would often react violently towards him.
Also covered in the documentary is a descriptive background into the inspiration behind another titular character that continued to catapult Stallone’s film career, Rambo, which was introduced in First Blood (1982). It is story of the Vietnam veteran who returns home to the United States only to be received as an enemy. This ultimately triggers his trauma/PTSD from his war experiences and causes him to eventually lash out violently. First Blood went on to become of one the most popular 80s action films.
Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino insightfully remarked on how he felt inspired by Stallone’s success with Rocky and that the actor was also responsible for the way that he approached character development in his films. Tarantino also comments that he always considered Stallone as a “people’s champion”.
The actor’s main regrets in life come with a deep sense of guilt in depriving his children of a consistent father figure in the home due to his career of choice. In the end, ultimately, he always wanted to be able to provide for his children (like most parents wish to do) with a more comfortable lifestyle. However, Stallone does comment that all the money and stardom that he managed to amass over the years mean nothing to him if he doesn’t have his family to love and support.
Another huge regret was choosing to perform his own stunts in The Expendables (2010). Stallone was 62 years old when during the climactic fight scene with professional wrestler Steve Austin aka “Stone Cold” he suffered a serious injury which led to a metal plate being inserted into his neck and would go on to have several spinal fusion treatments. He commented that he was never physically the same afterward.
Although Netflix’s Sly dives deeply into the actor’s film career, it pays just as much attention to the trauma that he suffered throughout his childhood and youth and how Stallone was able to overcome this trauma by tapping into his hidden talent and skills as a writer/artist. Stallone’s underdog, trauma-riddled characters Rocky Balboa and John Rambo have always resonated with audiences who have had a tough upbringing. Both have experienced enough success to spawn their own franchises, which is something that is no easy feat to achieve.
Sylvester Stallone is definitely a Hollywood legend of his own making and is a living testament to the fact that the underdog can triumph by taking trauma and turning it on its head in order to provide audiences all over the world with characters that they can relate to.
Alice’s Score: 9 out of 10
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Dark Alice has an old soul and a curious mind. I believe that anyone can be a hero and that the good guys should always win! I dislike cruelty to animals and think that they have far superior qualities to humans. My motto is there is no future without the past. I also have a weird penchant for Paranormal TV shows even though the slightest sound makes me jump. I enjoy writing reviews and throwing in fun facts to pique the readers’ curiosity. My ultimate goal in life would be to become a published writer one day. Read More