John Rambo is one of the most iconic action heroes in history of cinema, but also one of the most controversial ones. He is not only one of the most explicit embodiments of machistic violence, but his films – at least those he is known for these days – had very clear and potentially dangerous political agenda, based on the idea that the simple and violent solutions could be applied to complex problems of the world. It is somewhat ironic that Rambo had its origin in something quite different. He first appeared as the character in First Blood, 1972 novel by David Morrell, a very dark tale inspired by still-ongoing Vietnam War which explored the ways that seemingly distant conflict could be replicated on American soil and the price society paid for turning some of its members into killing machines unable to function properly in civilian life. Some of the novel’s themes and general tone were kept in its 1982 screen adaptation directed by Ted Kotcheff, the first film in the series, considered the best and, for some, the only good film in the entire series.
The plot begins in Pacific Northwest where the protagonist, Vietnam War veteran John J. Rambo (played by Sylvester Stallone), came in order to visit the old friend and the last surviving member of his old unit. He receives the word that the friend died of cancer caused by wartime exposure to Agent Orange. Rambo, devastated, continues to wander the roads until he is stopped in small town of Hope, Washington where its sheriff William Teasle (played by Brian Dennehy) considers him a bum and warns him that he is unwelcome. When Rambo ignores that warning, he is quickly arrested and brought to station where Teasle’s men treat him brutally. In Rambo this sparks flashbacks to the abuse suffered as wartime prisoner of Viet Cong and he snaps, frees himself and runs to the woods. Teasle immediately organises manhunt only to learn much later that Rambo is highly decorated former member of elite Green Beret units, specifically trained in hand-to-hand combat, wilderness survival and evading the enemy. Those skills are used again, this time against Teasle’s men who suffer injuries. Teasle calls state police and National Guard for help, while Colonel Trautman (played by Richard Crenna), Rambo’s former commander and mentor, arrives and advises Teasle to simply let Rambo go because in the conflict between the two Teasle doesn’t have a chance. Teasle ignores this advice, leading to spectacular showdown.
When First Blood first arrived in cinemas, it had very good result at box-office, but less than enthusiastic welcome by critics, many of which complained of “excessive violence”. Those complaints sound somewhat silly in light that Rambo, the very same character that would slaughter battalions of men in sequels, actually never kills anyone in this film (with only death in film, although indirectly caused by Rambo, being purely accidental). The violence was significantly toned down in comparison with original script and the novel, at the behest of Stallone as co-writer, who correctly assumed that the audience would have trouble accepting Rambo as brutal killer like the one described in the original novel, nor would they like the downbeat ending in which both Rambo and Teasle died. Despite those interventions, First Blood is actually very realistic film. Rambo has impressive martial and survival skills, but he is hardly invincible or invulnerable superman. There are many scenes in which he acts more out of despair than some deep thinking and in many scenes he obviously suffers pain and major discomfort. But it is the scene at the very end, in which he breaks down and start tearful rants about loss of wartime friends and inability to adapt to peacetime life, that makes Rambo truly human and allows us to again see Stallone’s often underrated acting ability. Unlike most action film associated with Rambo and its knock-offs, this one allows audience to ponder on some serious issues, like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and the devastating effects wars, even those conveniently forgotten or seemingly distant like the US adventure in Vietnam, can have on individuals and society in general.
All this also works because First Blood is very good action film. Canadian director Ted Kotcheff puts locations of British Columbia to good use, making this visually attractive film. But the his best decision is emphasis on simplicity. While the original cut was almost three hours long, Kotcheff’s final version is much shorter, with minimal but effective exposition and plenty of spectacular yet realistic action. Kotcheff also tries to make things simple but reducing the major characters to three – Rambo, Teasle and Trautman. The latter two are played by excellent character actors. Dennehy very confidently plays local policeman who could be forgiven for starting conflict with Rambo while unaware of his almost inhuman martial abilities, but not when he continues it with disregard for well-being of his men and security of town he is supposed to protect. Although he plays clear villain, he plays that role realistically. Same can be said for Richard Crenna, who plays the only true voice of reason in the film and whose portrayal of Colonel Trautman will become the most iconic role in his rich career. Kotcheff’s efforts are complemented by yet another excellent and memorable music score by Jerry Goldsmith. Although First Blood slightly loses momentum at the end, when showdown scene sacrifices bits of realism for the sake of pyrotechnics, it is still a commendable example of something very rare in Hollywood – a thinking man’s action film.
RATING: 7/10 (+++)
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