First Blood Review

MPAA Rating: R
Released: 1982

Fresh off his success with Rocky and its sequel, Sylvester Stallone wisely accepted the starring role in another action film that would ultimately solidify his status as an action hero and spawn into a series of its own. This daring little film was First Blood, a powerful look at a Vietnam veteran pushed to the edge by a prejudiced small-town sheriff and his posse of redneck deputies.

The Vietnam War left the country with many scars during the 70's and early 80's. Many Americans believed we had no business fighting that war, and took their anger out on the innocent American soldiers that obeyed orders and fought for their country. First Blood is an action-packed drama that analyzes the unfair prejudice directed towards veterans, as well as the mental scars the war inflicted on these fine soldiers.

John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone), a Green Beret and Vietnam veteran, enters a small town to seek out the only surviving member of his old troop, only to find his friend had already died from cancer due to exposure to Agent Orange.

Departing his dead friend's home, the aimless veteran is picked up by a redneck sheriff, Will Teasle (Brian Dennehy), as he walks alongside a country road. Teasle shows an instant disdain for the scruffy veteran and attempts to run him out of town. When Rambo peacefully resists, he is unfairly arrested and brought to the station, at which point he is mocked and physically abused by corrupt deputies.

Their abuse causes Rambo to relive atrocities inflicted upon him at the hands of the Vietnamese and he snaps, making an escape into the nearby mountainside. The sheriff and his posse relentlessly pursue Rambo into the mountainside to capture him, but when a vile deputy attempts to gun down a helpless Rambo a violent battle erupts. One by one Rambo incapacitates each deputy, refusing to kill them even though they drew "first blood" against him. Rambo ambushes Teasle and warns him to just let it go.

This warning is reinforced by Colonel Trautman (Richard Crenna), Rambo's former trainer and commander during the war. Trautman cautions Teasle to let tempers simmer down, lest he order his men to their premature graves. Of course Teasle does no such thing, and as soon as he regroups his men he storms back into the mountains with the support of the state police and National Guard to capture or kill the Special Forces veteran.

Ultimately the veteran who only sought to escape the abuse of the prejudiced small town authorities is forced to fight back, taking the battle from the isolation of the mountainside into the heart of the town.

Critics in the 80's sometimes pointed towards Rambo and accused the series of glorifying violence. While there was no doubt the two sequels to First Blood possessed large body counts (of course they were communist Vietnamese and Russians at odds with us… so at the time they deserved it!), First Blood is less of a popcorn flick and more of a serious drama wrapped around a good quantity of exciting action.

The concept of Rambo pitting his skills against fellow Americans (no matter how much they may have provoked it) is certainly a shocking concept, but throughout the movie Rambo does everything in his power to avoid taking lives. In fact I believe the body count in this movie is a whopping one person. The movie depicts some of humanity at its worst, and it has its share of violence, but it is in no way gratuitous in nature.

Sylvester Stallone cannot be commended enough for his role as Rambo. Unlike the two future sequels that depended more on his athleticism and ability to appear unstoppable, First Blood required some serious acting ability. He lends his character an authenticity – we can almost feel the scars (both physical and mental) that plague this haunted veteran, and can sympathize with his righteous anger at those who not only disrespect his prior service to his country, but also actually wield it against him as a weapon.

Brian Dennehy is one of acting's best, and he bites into his role as the redneck Sheriff Will Teasle with aplomb. He reflects an ornery prejudice and tenacity that is all too believable, serving as a perfect adversary for Rambo. And finally Richard Crenna, although not the first choice for the role as Colonel Trautman (Kirk Douglas was the director's first choice), handled his character with respect and dignity. I won't deny Kirk Douglas is a gifted actor, but after seeing Crenna handle the role of Trautman I cannot envision anyone but him doing it justice in this movie.

The supporting actors are certainly no let down either; they capture the isolationist attitude of the town very well. You also get the chance to see a young David Caruso play the role of a conflicted deputy that almost realizes he and his peers are treating the veteran unfairly and making a big mistake. His acting is not on the same level as it was during his stint on the television series NYPD, but it's often interesting to see some of the first roles/movies in a solid actor's career.

First Blood is a movie that should appeal to fans of 80's action-dramas. Although its sequel Rambo: First Blood Part II was a heck of a popcorn flick and thoroughly entertaining on a superficial action level, First Blood was definitely the best entry of the series. The plentiful action in this film does not detract from the serious and absorbing themes that run prevalent throughout the movie.

Movie rating: 9 stars

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