Review: ‘Creed III’ is a Deeply Moving Film About Male Trauma
In the Rocky franchise’s latest entry, the trauma of the working class is centre-stage
I made a mistake in choosing not to talk about Creed III and how it impacted me when I first saw it in cinemas. I still remember, clearly, being moved almost to tears by its final scene. But I didn’t have the time or emotional space to review the film or to probe why it impacted me so much. After all, this is a film about two black men, both of whom become rich, boxing. For clarity, I’m built like a stick insect, live at home while trying to save for a deposit currently, and am as white as Robert Pattinson in Twilight.
The answer is obvious to those who have seen this film and who understand the characters. The Rocky franchise, since it began in the 1970s, has always been much more about its vibrant, brilliantly built-up characters than its actual boxing despite what its marketing and iconography would have you think. The fight is always a means to an end, really, a way for the characters to come to deeper understandings of themselves and those around them. And though Creed III is the first film in this lengthy franchise to not involve Sylvester Stallone, first-time director Michael B. Jordan evidently understands what makes these films work at their core. Creed III is one…
