The 80s was time for excess in every sense of the word, especially with movie making. Often times a music video approach was applied to videos, fusing them with over the top montage sequences set to toe tapping music.
The original cut of Rocky 4 epitomised this approach, a movie so full of music and montages that it bordered on turning into a music video. Sylvester Stallone was never a fan of the original cut of the movie. It was heavily jingoistic with cold war rhetoric of east vs west. Given access to recut the movie into a prefered “directors cut”, Stallone delivers a 93 minute run time which slows the pace down and dials back some of the music video aesthetics.
Opening more slowly and deliberately, Rocky 4 offers a more measured and sedate version of the movie. Gone is any hint of Paulie’s Robot maid and the emphasis on the wealth that Rocky has attained. Instead it is focussed on Apollo and his mid-life crisis. A former champion struggling to come to terms with his new life out of competition. Enter Ivan drago, a Russian amateur boxer looking to make waves, challanging Rocky to an exhibition match which he cheerfully declines. Apollo has other ideas and ropes Rocky into helping him beat the russian.
This, of course, does not go to plan as Apollo is brutally beaten in the ring. There is more of an emphasis on going ‘out on your sword’ in this cut of the movie. The boxing match attempting to be more brutal and ‘real’ but the over exagerated fight choeography not quite allowing that to stick.
Cut to Rocky agreeing to fight Drago to revenge the death of his friend. There is an interesting scene where the boxing commision wont sanction the fight go ahead on American soil for fear Rocky will be killed in the ring so it must take place in Russia without any belts on the line in a more amateur capacity.
Without being a different story per se, the film is tonally different and more serious. The montages are more selected and purposeful rather than just to transition time.
Thats not to say that its entirely succesful in this approach. The original for its flaws, had energy and urgency. The musical overlays speaking what the dialogue could not. Given the slower pace and the deliberate switching of musical cues this cut can either frustrate or intrigue. The nature of the fight choregraphy holding longer on boxing shots does emphasise the fact that they are not hitting for real and takes away from the brutality somewhat.
So in that sense its a mixed bag. You will either like it or you wont. Setting aside the politics which is still equally front and centre, it is marginally toned down. There is no east vs west boxing gloves exploding on screen.
Is this cut any better than the theatrical release? It’s hard to tell. It’s certainly a little different but wheter it improves it overall is up to interpretation. Some will prefer it while others will look at the original as superior. I’m on the fence. Some aspects I prefer in both cuts so it’s fair to say that this cut doesn’t necessarily make it better.