Greatest Villains: Ivan Drago

The focus for the third part of my Greatest Villains series is Ivan Drago, the Russian powerhouse from Rocky IV. Drago transcends the level of normal villains, standing as a symbol for a much bigger conflict. He represents a whole ideology and his battles with Rocky Balboa resonate with the sound of an entire era.

Whatever he hits... He destroys!

Rocky has fought many things in his life. He started off as a struggling boxer with little to nothing to his name, trying to make a name for himself and earn a little recognition. He struggles to overcome his own disadvantages, eventually coming to triumph over the heavy-weight champion, Apollo Creed and establishing himself as a hero, an underdog who rose to the challenge and overcame all obstacles in his way.

In Rocky III, Balboa came up against brutal thug Clubber Lang.  He lost his title and lost his mentor, Mickey. At his lowest point, former enemy Apollo Creed stepped in to give Rocky his warrior's spirit back. He defeated Lang and he and Creed became close friends and all was well in the world of Rocky Balboa.

And then the Soviet Union got involved.

Rocky IV is, I think, the absoloute pinnacle of the series. Dolph Lundgren's Ivan Drago is a key element of this. His huge, imposing physique sends chills down the spine. Intimidation oozes off him and not just because of his big muscles, it's his crushing stare and his height. He looks like a machine, built exclusively to destroy things. He hardly ever speaks either, saving his few lines of speech for ultra threatening, highly quotable little nuggets of badassery.

When Apollo sets up an exhibition bout with the Russian, Rocky is worried. Even he can see the danger in taking on a man like Drago and that's a bad sign. The build up to the fight is a brilliant scene which highlights the ideological conflict of the whole film. Drago stands in the ring as it is raised to the Las Vegas crowd, expecting just a fight. However, Apollo has arranged a huge extravaganza, with fireworks, stage dancers and James Brown. It's a spectacular flag waving show and Drago is utterly bewildered by it. Apollo dazzles the crowd and the cultural difference between the USA and the Soviet Union is made so apparent it can't even be called sub-text.

Drago beats Apollo to death in the ring and Rocky is naturally devastated. He arranges a fight in Russia against Drago to regain Apollo's honour and this cues the greatest training montage in movie history. We see Rocky become master of the elements, conquering mountains and dragging sleds with his back through waist deep snow while Ivan Drago makes use of the most state-of-the-art technology to train in a highly controlled environment and taking steroids. Again, the difference between East and West is brought into focus, the Soviets using machines to train their athlete while Rocky embodies the fighting spirit of a true champion.

I cannot be defeated!

Drago comes to represent the entire Soviet Union in the climactic fight while Rocky represents the USA, right down to the red, white and blue boxing shorts. It's not even under the surface, the ideology of the film is painted the colours of the rival states and made to brawl in a ring in front of millions of spectators. It might as well be Reagan and Gorbachev throwing punches at each other.

The final fight is a representation of the entire Cold War and sums up the feeling of the entire United States at that peroid of history. Capitalism is better than Communism, West is better than East and America will triumph over the Soviet Union. Drago is a symbol of an entire political ideology, the conflicts with which dominated an entire century of history. He is built so perfectly to be a figure of anger and hatred for the audience that you are drawn in to the fight between him and Rocky on an almost personal level.

If he dies... He dies.

A nation's hatred of Communism is channelled into a hatred of one man. Ivan Drago is a villain in the truest sense. He is everything our hero is opposed to and the only thing you are supposed to feel for him is contempt. You want to see him fall, you want to see him hurt but he is solid, he is stone and that just makes it all the more satisfying to see Rocky wear him down and break him.

That's what Drago brings to the table, the emotional ride a classic villain gives us. You're intimidated by him, you hate him, you get angrier and angrier with him while he scares you but then he is defeated and the satisfaction of it is so good. Everything about him is designed to do this and he is framed by the whole Cold War, giving his character an air of epicness.

Rocky never faced a bigger threat, physically or ideologically.