adam_f
09-02-2009, 01:38 PM
My buddy were talking about this over lunch and his theory revolved around this fight being the catalyst that ended the Cold War because at the end of the film, Rocky wins over the Soviet fans by defeating their national hero and showing respect to Drago, despite the fact that Drago killed Rocky's best friend and boxing legend Apollo Creed. He says that the Soviet premiere saw this as an opportunity to save face after his super-boxer lost the biggest fight in the history of the world in his country, and decided to attempt to patch things up with the U.S. and Rocky and Drago were the most instrumental people in this union. He thinks Drago went on to become a figurehead in the Russian Parliament, doing speaking engagements and further expanding on how the fight brought the two nations together, before passing away around age 55 due to irreversible damage he did to his body earlier in life with steroids and the physical wear and tear of being a professional boxer.
Personally, I think that theory is a bit unpractical. The film was released in 1985, six years before the Cold War officially ended, in a time when film and television (including this film) saw the Soviets as the ultimate enemy and threat to America. I always had a problem with the respect Rocky showed Drago at the end of the film, because Drago killed his best friend in what was to be an exhibition match, sending Rocky into a depression until he decided to seek his timely vengeance in a match of his own. I think because of the high tensions and influence by the Soviet Premiere over Drago to win this match, I think Drago was covertly killed by the Soviet government and his death was covered up as an accidental overdose of steroids and other drugs (Brigiette Nielsen was also killed, I can't remember her name in the movie but she was tossed around a bit too before she was killed). I think the history books reflect on Drago as a bit of a martyr, a man who saw the error of his ways in a time when his opinion was told to him by the Premiere because he represented the Union in a way that no other non-politician could. So therefore, even though he was involved in what would become a significant event in the Cold War, he met his untimely demise because he showed sympathy towards the American pigs.
What do you think happened? I like my buddy's theory but I just think tensions were so high that it's a bit optimistic to think he would actually be celebrated as a leader in stopping the Cold War six years before it officially ended.
Personally, I think that theory is a bit unpractical. The film was released in 1985, six years before the Cold War officially ended, in a time when film and television (including this film) saw the Soviets as the ultimate enemy and threat to America. I always had a problem with the respect Rocky showed Drago at the end of the film, because Drago killed his best friend in what was to be an exhibition match, sending Rocky into a depression until he decided to seek his timely vengeance in a match of his own. I think because of the high tensions and influence by the Soviet Premiere over Drago to win this match, I think Drago was covertly killed by the Soviet government and his death was covered up as an accidental overdose of steroids and other drugs (Brigiette Nielsen was also killed, I can't remember her name in the movie but she was tossed around a bit too before she was killed). I think the history books reflect on Drago as a bit of a martyr, a man who saw the error of his ways in a time when his opinion was told to him by the Premiere because he represented the Union in a way that no other non-politician could. So therefore, even though he was involved in what would become a significant event in the Cold War, he met his untimely demise because he showed sympathy towards the American pigs.
What do you think happened? I like my buddy's theory but I just think tensions were so high that it's a bit optimistic to think he would actually be celebrated as a leader in stopping the Cold War six years before it officially ended.