It’s been more than 40 years since Sylvester Stallone last filmed a death scene – And that death never even appeared in the movieSince 1982 first drop of bloodThe action star has been dedicated to being the last man standing, ensuring that iconic characters like Rocky Balboa, John Rambo and Marion “Cobra” Cobretti remain in fans’ memories. Stallone is still defying death in his fourth movie of the year. Consumables Movie, It seemed to kill his alter egoBarney Ross, it’s only revealed in the final scene that he’s still kicking ass and calling names.
Obviously, the director 1983 alive Already taking this nominal advice to heart. in the past, Yahoo Entertainment asked some of Stallone’s regular collaborators About the actor’s penchant for refusing to play death scenes.Now, Stallone answers that question himself in this revealing documentary cunningwhich is currently streaming on Netflix after premiering on Netflix Toronto International Film Festival September. In the film’s final moments, director Thom Zimny lets the famed defensive actor speak out about his desire for his character to… well, survive. This explanation can be summed up in one word: hope.
“That moment just happened naturally,” Zimni told Yahoo Entertainment. “It was based on my idea of chasing hope in the conversation, and then he explained what hope means to him as a person and as an artist. He talked about how he used the theme of hope in the process of describing these characters. He Thinks filmmakers have a responsibility to leave audiences with a desire to change and experience hope. Killing off a character ends that conversation.”
“When he said that, it suddenly dawned on me why Rocky and Rambo weren’t dead,” Zimny continued, adding that Stallone deliberately tweaked the 2019 film’s original ending. first blood: last blood Showing that the Vietnam veteran may have survived his final fatal battle.
“He realized that it would be more powerful if left to the audience’s imagination. Since the first Loki, he has been engaging in a dialogue with the audience in which the characters change and find hope and a sense of being loved. All of these themes were part of his writing and, as I discovered, all of them were nostalgia from his childhood. He created this cinematic journey that inspired people and inspired him as an artist. “
Over the course of the documentary, Zimny — who also directed nonfiction profiles of Bruce Springsteen and Willie Nelson — also came closest to Stallone, telling the story of the star’s very real death inside : His son, Sage Stallone, died in 2012The actor rarely spoke publicly about his son’s death throughout the decade, and he deliberately never mentioned Sage’s name in the film. But juxtaposing archival footage of the father and son with Stallone’s emotional words, Zimny makes it clear who his subject was thinking.
“I explored every detail of Sly’s life – whether it was the loss of his son or the success he had – in terms of how it affected his journey as an artist, rather than the sensational aspects of the details,” Zim said. Ni explained. , noted that he and Stallone laid out the “no boundaries” rule in extensive interviews.
“There’s a balance as I chase moments where he can honestly reflect. It’s more interesting to me to understand how he dealt with the loss, how he invested his time and thought, and how he changed.” and a father. The themes are more universal than getting bogged down in the minutiae of celebrities’ lives. “
Stallone’s action hero may not always be good with his words, but as cunning — as well as the Paramount+ reality series Stallone family — The actor himself can be quite talkative if given the chance. Zimny confirmed that his overall strategy as interviewer was to let Stallone set the pace while he tried to keep up.
“I use the word ‘jazz’ to describe our conversation,” the director laughs. “The first time I met Sly was in his office, and instead of sitting down, we walked around the room. I tried to sit down. Catch the Sylvester Stallone train. We never did a traditional talk-style interview: I would get into a room with him, and a cameraman, and let him Leave. The most important thing when you talk to Sly is to listen. The sessions last five or six hours, and he doesn’t take a break.”
Zimny’s approach to listening and learning yields one of the documentary’s most surprising moments: Stallone’s admission that he was ambivalent about James Mangold’s 1997 drama police landIn a series of disappointing mid-90s action films such as expert and sunlightThe actor gained 40 pounds for the film and went head-to-head with heavyweights including Robert De Niro and the late Ray Liotta.But as he mused cunningwhich didn’t seem to be the kind of performance fans wanted to see from him, at least not at the time.
“I got the sense from the interview that he was frustrated about it police land It didn’t connect with a wider audience,” Zimny said, noting that it was one of his favorite Stallone performances. “He’s not a real-world empowered Rambo or Ricky — he’s a broken character, and he shows that physically. What I know from talking to Sly is that he always took his acting seriously, and take on the challenge of whatever he wants to do, whether it’s action, comedy or police land”.
(Not for no reason, but police landThe film’s stature has grown in recent years; while it didn’t do well at the box office at the time, the film has attracted new fans on DVD, cable TV and streaming services in the long years since its release. )
Stallone, 77, has always considered prioritizing family over career. cunningBut Zimny said he can’t imagine a world in which Stallone never gave up on his many creative pursuits. “He was constantly working and thinking and developing projects, whether it was a painting, a movie script or a TV series. You walked into his world office and he would say, ‘I’m just writing a script late into the night.’ He was always busy.” Certain things, you get the feeling he’s grappling with for his next piece. He is an artist on a journey – he is actively pursuing his art. “
cunning Currently streaming on Netflix.
