Rocky 2 taught me the power of film. My dad got tickets for opening night from work. The auditorium was the biggest in the area, filled to capacity. Everyone loved Rocky and was pumped for the sequel. It was mind blowing that the story would continue. I had to sit far from my parents, which was fine.
The audience was pretty active, more than normal, from the sheer excitement. It didn’t matter. The film gripped the crowd and controlled when they were quiet, screaming, shadow boxing, crying. Emotion was a physical attachment joining the audience and the film.
The mayor was in attendance. He was behaving the same as everyone else. There were other local celebrities engaging with the movie. The gentleman next to me would jump to his feet and cheer. A fella two rows up kept turning around and asking if everyone saw that.
The final fight begins, everyone jumps to their feet and is absorbed by the film. The film ends and everyone is joyfully exhausted. People staggered out, trying to talk, pretend fighting, singing the theme. Everyone was suddenly friends.
I could not believe what I was experiencing. Adults were all cooperating to allow people to leave the auditorium. That never happened. I could see my parents s o I wasn’t worried.
Look at these people, I thought, they are in the grip of the film. This is more than a shared experience. The impression stayed. I was curious and began learning more about film and meaning.
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