Somebody Up There Likes Me | Director: Robert Wise | 1956

‘This is the way I remember it – definitely.’

Rocky Graziano

Boxing movies are nearly always triumph of the underdog. They might depict the gradual rise from the slums of the main protagonist (Rocky), or pitch the determined loser against the odds in making take a fall (Body & Soul, Pulp Fiction). This is the original Rocky and is being currently being shown at the National Film Theatre as part of the Paul Newman retrospective.

Somebody Up There Likes Me follows this tradition – but does so whilst making a borne bruiser look incredible appealing and handsome. Not even round after round in the ring can make him look downbeat. Rocky is from a dysfunctional family in the slums. The opening sequence finds him sparring against his Dad – the older man bloodies the boy’s nose –

“I don’t like cry babies,” the hard nosed man tells his bleeding child and the defiant boy rushes off into the night ‘to be somethin.’

This film follows a classic three act structure – with this short clipped intro being the first before we see Rocky’s inevitable rise in the world of the petty criminal. His journey is torture for his long suffering mother who comes to see him after a teenage career as a hoodlum. It is in prison though where Rocky is discovered – unlike other boxers, Rocky is full of hate.

Unlike the La Motta character though in Raging Bull – Rocky is not self loathing just dumb, which puts him closer to Rocky Balboa. Graziano (he took the name of an Italian wine – his real last name never mentioned), “I tried to turn a new leaf – but I can’t make it – somethin’ inside.”

Escaping form the army is inevitable for this fighting man and spirit but comes across one of the best deliverers of one liners as his manager and trainer (Everett Sloane as Irving Cohen). Rocky gives this man such grief as to make him say “sometimes I wish I’d never given up the lingerie business – I was the happiest man in ladies underwear.” In one hilarious sequence Rocky K/O’s his opponent in record time due to the fact that there are a ton of army guys in the front seats and he is still technically AWOL.

The ongoing romance follows the usual girl hates he boy fighting cliché typical of Hollywood boxing movies (“you can’t fight Rocky – you’ll go blind,” Adrianne Balboa ), but we are thankfully spared the mandatory full gusto training mid section when woman knows a man’s just gotta fight and caves in.

The subtle back-story of his mother and father’s past is important but not too heavily laid on. Neither is the fix either that has have its place in all boxing films as this is the crucial test of a man’s spirit and dignity. This is the turning point when he becomes what he has been all along – a champ. To help in this journey, the candy store owner who as a Jiminy Cricket to Rocky’s Pinocchio, lets him have it:

“You wanna buy a soda – you have to pay for it.” “You do somethin’ wrong – you have to pay for it.”

This is a reference to Graziano’s decision to run from the army, to be cruel to his beaten and demoralised father. To make his mother worry that he would turn out to be a bum, though she always does defend him. The final match is as satisfying as is any wonderful film of this ilk – more so for the truly humorous, honest and authentic performance Newman puts in as Graziano. We always associate method acting with Brando, De Niro and Hoffman – but here is another in the same league who had evidently trained hard for the role. Brando, according to Hollywood rumour was first choice. The film is better for it – Brandon was too surly for this ultimately positive and funny man who ultimately felt lucky in spite of his obvious disadvantages.

Look for Steve McQueen in an early uncredited role as a fellow hoodlum as well as for Russ Conway as Captain Grifton. A film of many gentle surprises and a deeply uplifting experience.

Gail Spencer