First Blood **** (1982, Sylvester Stallone, Brian Dennehy, Richard Crenna) – Classic Movie Review 1599

Director Ted Kotcheff’s 1982 action thriller First Blood profitably started Sylvester Stallone off on a new career as his iconic character, Vietnam veteran John J Rambo, rivalling his Rocky character for popularity. Indeed its success was the first sign the public liked Stallone in a non-Rocky role.

An ex-US Special Forces soldier who fought in Vietnam and won the Congressional Medal of Honour, Rambo is still haunted by his experiences in Vietnam. When Rambo comes to the fictional, symbolic small town of Hope, Washington, to visit a friend, Sheriff William Teasle (Brian Dennehy) kicks him out of town and insults him. (Much of the movie was filmed in the real town of Hope, British Columbia, Canada.)

The noble hero Rambo understandably becomes violent at the provocation and is held at the county jail, whence he escapes on a rampage through the forest, using his combat skills while fleeing the killer lawmen hunting him down. But Rambo’s old commanding officer, Colonel Samuel Trautman (Richard Crenna), tries to save Rambo and the lawmen before it’s all too late.

Based on the novel by David Marrell, this is an improbable and exploitative gung-ho action movie that still remains essentially intelligent and thoughtful. Highly efficient and excitingly staged by Kotcheff, the movie’s not particularly subtle, but it is satisfyingly effective with credible action. The young Stallone proves an electrifying man of action and few words, while Dennehy and Crenna make strong impressions too, bringing character and vigour to their stereotypical roles.

First Blood is followed by Rambo: First Blood Part II in 1985, Rambo III in 1988 and Rambo (2008). Rambo V was planned for 2015 but finally appeared as Rambo: Last Blood in 2019. Son of Rambow appeared in 2007.

Stallone has compared Rambo to the Frankenstein monster and Colonel Trautman to Frankenstein, as Rambo is a war machine monster created by America to do its bidding, but then escapes and runs amuck, though still wants to fit into a society that shuns him.

Brian Dennehy (1938–2020).

RIP Brian Dennehy, who died on 15 April 2020, aged 81. He was a legend with a great, enviable life with a prolific career over films, TV and stage. He was busy in the Seventies but his effective performance as the sadistic small-town police chief Sheriff William Teasle put him on the map.

Sylvester Stallone mourned his co-star: ‘The world has lost a great artist’.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1599

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