First Blood (1982)

A veteran Green Beret is forced by a cruel Sheriff and his deputies to flee into the mountains and wage an escalating one-man war against his pursuers.

Director:

Ted Kotcheff

Writers:

David Morrell (based on the novel by), Michael Kozoll (screenplay by)

Stars:

Sylvester Stallone, Brian Dennehy, Richard Crenna

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sylvester Stallone	...	Rambo
Richard Crenna	...	Trautman
Brian Dennehy	...	Teasle
Bill McKinney	...	Kern
Jack Starrett	...	Galt
Michael Talbott	...	Balford
Chris Mulkey	...	Ward
John McLiam	...	Orval
Alf Humphreys	...	Lester
David Caruso	...	Mitch
David L. Crowley	...	Shingleton (as David Crowley)
Don MacKay	...	Preston (as Don Mackay)
Charles A. Tamburro	...	Pilot (as Chuck Tamburro)
David Petersen	...	Trooper
Craig Huston	...	Radio Operator (as Craig Wright Huston)

Storyline

John J. Rambo is a former United States Special Forces soldier who fought in Vietnam and won the Congressional Medal of Honor, but his time in Vietnam still haunts him. As he came to Hope, Washington to visit a friend, he was guided out of town by the Sheriff William Teasel who insults Rambo, but what Teasel does not know that his insult angered Rambo to the point where Rambo became violent and was arrested. As he was at the county jail being cleaned, he escapes and goes on a rampage through the forest to try to escape from the sheriffs who want to kill him. Then, as Rambo's commanding officer, Colonel Samuel Trautman tries to save both the Sheriff's department and Rambo before the situation gets out of hand.

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Plot Keywords:

vietnam war veteran | rambo | green beret | abuse of power | bad cop | 

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Taglines:

A one man war.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure

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Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

Instagram

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 October 1982 (USA)

Also Known As:

Rambo: First Blood

Filming Locations:

Golden Ears Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,642,005, 24 October 1982

Gross USA:

$47,212,904

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$125,212,904

Company Credits

Production Co:

Anabasis N.V., Elcajo Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo (4 channels)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

There are two possible alternative endings thought of or considered by Michael Kozoll, William Sackheim and Sylvester Stallone. The first would had seen Colonel Trautman forced to shoot and kill Rambo, just as Rambo is about to shoot the injured Teasle and kill him. The other ending would had seen Rambo run out of the police station in slow-motion, opening fire at the police, but, the police shoot and kill Rambo.

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Goofs

During the manhunt for Rambo, Sheriff Teasle informs Mitch that he is going to personally pin the Medal of Honor to Rambo's liver. The Medal of Honor is the only medal worn around the neck.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Rambo: Can you tell me if Delmar Berry lives here?

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Alternate Versions

TV version omits Rambo's stitching of his arm wound. In its place a brief scene of him checking the ammunition on Galt's rifle is added.

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Connections

Referenced in Life Is Strange (2015)

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Soundtracks

It's a Long Road
Music by Jerry Goldsmith
Lyrics by Hal Shaper
Arranged by David Paich and Marty Paich
Produced by Bruce Botnick
Sung by Dan Hill

User Reviews

In war, a hero, in peace, forsaken.

This is a truly unique movie that quickly became obscured due to the later sequels. It tells the story of a man who survived one hell, only to return home despised and forsaken because of it. There was a time when America didn't quite know what to think of the lost war, and so it was forgotten - and the men who came out of it as well. Rambo finds he cannot survive this war, because it is still going on within him.

Finally, pushed too far by a small town sheriff, Rambo returns to the only thing he can relate to. War. Yet it is a war he almost mercifully wages on the macho egotistical deputies and week end warriors that pursue. To potentially misquote Rambo :

"I coulda killed them all, I could have killed you. In town you're the law, out here it's me. Let it go..."