STORY OF THE SHORT
Rocky
A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO STALLONE’S CROWD-PLEASING CLIMB
WORDS IAN FREER
Hands up who created one of the greatest cinematic sequences of all time.
Getty Images, Landmark, Sony
THE ORIGIN
Nearly 50 years on, Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa running up the 72 stone steps of the Philadelphia Museum Of Art remains one of cinema’s great punch-the-air moments. While some reports suggest the scene was inspired by Stallone’s teenage years spent in Philly or the location being spotted on a scouting recce, the received wisdom is the idea most likely began with cinematographer Garrett Brown, who used the steps for a proof of concept for his newfangled camera rig the Steadicam, a mount that creates a fluid, almost floating motion.