In Rocky IV, Rocky uses a tape recorder to record messages for Adrian.
Rocky is separated from Adrian while training in the Soviet Union. Because she does not accompany him, he records spoken messages that communicate his thoughts and reassure her during the difficult preparation. The device reflects the communication technology of the 1980s.
The recordings also help reveal Rocky’s emotional isolation. He is training far from home, preparing for a dangerous fight, and coping with the death of Apollo Creed. Speaking to Adrian gives him a private connection to his family while he remains abroad.
The object is sometimes mistaken for a video camera or radio because the film includes several stylized training sequences. Rocky’s messages are audio recordings made on a tape recorder, not live communications.