Sylvester Stallone on Rocky's celebration: Freezing the moment of ecstacy

VIDEO: The Rocky Story by Sly Stallone (3 of 4)

SYLVESTER STALLONE: (4m 22s) Wouldn't it be interesting to catch a man's moment, a man's life at the quintessential, seminal moment... I thought wouldn't it be interesting, the first thing Rocky says when she [love interest, Adrian] comes into the ring is "Where's your hat?". I mean he's so into her and the way she looks that he doesn't care that he's eyes are swollen shut, he's hands are smashed and he's done the greatest thing in his life. He doesn't say "look at me"...

The visuals are working, the sound is working the body movement is coming together at this absolute peak and right there when I embrace her... we froze right at the single frame where he is looking elated and has her in his arms. There's this look of ecstasy and the next frame it just deflated. There it is from that moment on its all downhill, how we all hit this absolute maximum of elation and celebration and it can only be sustained for an infinitesimal moment in time. And if you can just imagine how great it would be to freeze that moment...

Sylvester Stallone is unfairly maligned as an oaf. Betrayed by his beefcake appearance and slurred speech, he's overlooked as the artist he truly is. Which only makes 'Rocky', the film he wrote and starred in, 'Rocky' (1976) all the more poetic as it mirrors his own underdog life.

'Rocky' (1979): Leading Actor and Writer, Sylvester Stallone. Directed by John G. Avildsen

In this talking heads special feature found in the Rocky Box set, Sly talks about the pinnacle of life, the moments of glory that forever define us and our future potential.

- When fireworks underwhelm: Returned Soldier Kyle Wilson and Comedian Pete Holmes "feel nothing"