First Blood (1982) (Movie Review)

  Before our modern wave of Superhero movies, the 1980’s and early 90’s had action movie heroes, who became house hold names without the advent on comic-book tie-in’s. Equally as big as the characters were the stars playing them, with Bruce Willis’s John Mcclane, and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Terminator being some of the big ones. One of the most well-known names of the decades action movie genera was John Rambo played by Sylvester Stallone. 

Over the course of five movies, Rambo had quickly developed a reputation as the awesome, shirt-less, Vietnam soldier who busts into camps, takes out enemy troops, and blows things up on a grand pop-corn movie scale. However, some may forget that his original 1982 picture “First Blood” was nothing like what his public perception would suggest. This was a darker, more sensitive survival film about an anti-hero fighting his own personal war … and in the process delivered a decade classic that’s still considered a film favorite all these years later. I for one first saw this movie when I was in high-school, and I went in expecting a great action movie … but what I got was a great movie that just happened to be an action movie.

  Retired Green Barade John Rambo has just returned from Vietnam, and is mentally processing the trauma and physical abuse he endured. Upon his arrival home, he discovers that his best friend and last surviving member of his team died due to a cancer brought on by exposure to Agent Orange during the war. 

Feeling that he has nothing left to live for, Rambo wanders into the fictional small-town of Hope Washington, where a local Sheriff gives him a hard time, expressing his disgust of drifters, and even refuses to let Rambo have a simple meal at one of their restaurants. This is the spark that sets-off a fuse in Rambo, as he refuses to leave, and is forced into police custody. His treatment at the station enrages him further, prompting him to retaliate, and escape into the woods … and from there, it becomes a tense cat and mouse game, with one man battling the police force, and the local national guard. Beyond staying alive, it also becomes a suspenseful character study of one man succumbing to his primal rage, and whether or not there’s any humanity left inside.  

  Where I’d describe something like 1988’s “Die Hard” as a perfect action movie that follows all the conventional genera movie beats, I’d call “First Blood” a perfect action movie that avoids all the conventional tropes of the genera. It’s not about a hero going against a villain, there’s no comforting love interest, nor is it a simplified, flashy popcorn flick … it’s all about suspense, tension, and two people acting on heightened emotions. In many respects, Rambo is kind of a villain seeking revenge, but we also cheer for him, sympathies with him, and want to see how he’ll pull himself through this situation. By contrast, Sheriff Teasle, played by Brain Dennehy, can certainly be viewed as the antagonist, who the audience doesn’t like … but he isn’t a villain with any sinister motivations, and can likewise be viewed as a man who was pushed to far. As a quick side note, this film apparently beat "Die Hard" at being an action thriller set around the Christmas season ... although, not highlighted nearly as much as it's successor. 

  Caught in the middle of our rouge anti-hero and the vengeful sheriff is Colonel Sam Trautman, who’s the officer that trained Rambo to be a killer, and has close feelings for his student, even though he acknowledges he’s gone too far. He’s able to connect with Rambo, while also meeting the Sherrif at eye level, and tries to be the mediator between the two. I like that the two can just sit down at a bar and have a level headed conversation. Colonel Trautman was also played by the late Richrd Crenna, who managed to deliver some admittedly quippy action movie lines in a manner that felt in place with the films grounded presentation ... “God didn’t make John Rambo … I did”. Some of the best exchanges in the film really are between the Colonel and the Sherrif ... “You saying two-hundred men against your boy is a no-win situation for us?” … “You send that many people, you’d better remember one thing … a good supply of body bags.”  

  The film also retains the right level of energy, without ever overstaying it’s welcome, and manages to thrill on Rambo’s stealth skills, as opposed to brut force. The film very wisely doesn’t glorify violence, as Rambo avoids lethal combat, and has to resort to tactics that can slow-down his pursuers without bumping them off. When someone dose die, it’s an accident, and not at all something that Rambo relishes. This again makes it easier to cheer for him while he’s at with war the local law enforcement. Also, unlike the flashy spectacles that are so common place today, this film has a real sense of tension, like I really feel the danger present in these encounters … not just for the characters, but also the filmmakers and stunt performers. It almost has the grimy feel of an independent-film, just with a higher budget, and it complements the tension. Still, the film has its reserved share of explosions, shoot-outs, and there are some stound-out set-pieces, including a riveting motorcycle chase up a mountain that sets everything in motion.    

  Of course, the movie probably wouldn’t be as strong had it not been for Sylvester Stallone’s effective screen presence in the lead role. Coming off the hit, Academy Award winning 1976 Drama “Rocky”, Stallone was one of the rare action stars to enter the genera with Oscar recognition, and his talent is in full display again with Rambo. 

In many respects, I find this a more challenging performance to pull-off, as he doesn’t convey any direct emotion on the surface, nor dose he even speak much during the film, yet Stallone conveys everything we need to connect with him on his adventure. You can tell he was once a decent man, who unfortunately had all his humanity beaten out of him, and now there’s barley anything left but a survivalist. Rambo’s restrained nature comes to a head in the climax, in which all his emotions are on full display. Once again, the finale subverts genera conventions, and isn’t a predictable final showdown between a hero and villain, but a man facing his personal demons, and just letting his feelings out. I’ll admit, Stallone’s closing monologue is a little hard to follow without subtitles, but it’s still a tour deforce for an action hero to breakdown and show his vulnerable side.

  When all’s said and done, I wouldn’t call “First Blood” one of my absolute favorite movies that I frequently re-watch … but I would label it as one of the decades best action movies, highly recommendable if you've never seen it, and I feel it's only gotten better with age. When people say “they don’t make them like they used to”, this is one of the first films that come to mind, as they really don’t make action movies like this anymore, with character and tension at the for front over the conventional excitement and spectacle. To be fair, I don’t know if you could make this movie today, as the films content was already sensitive for it’s time … I couldn’t even imagine how it would be received today. Thankfully, it came out in the right decade, and has been preserved as a classic sense. It’s a solid example of less-is-more, and a showcase of a straight forward survival thriller hitting all the right levels of excitement as any current-day action or superhero film … but with an extra touch of humanity and substance that places it just above the genera’s typical brand of pop-corn entertainment.

Thanks for reading my review of the 1982 action picture “First Blood” … and continue to enjoy the movies you Love!