First Blood (1982)

First Blood (1982)









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There are two major things that Sylvester Stallone has done that I like. First is Rocky (and the series that followed) and the second is his portrayal of John Rambo in First Blood.


If you are only familiar with the Rambo sequels, this film will be a surprise to you. Rambo II through IV were basically designed for those wishing to see Rambo against an army and winning against the odds. First Blood (known nowdays as Rambo I), while it contains that as well (Rambo against a small town police force) is actually about something deeper. The use and abuse of power. In this film there are three main characters guilty of abusing their power. The first, Teasle, (Brian Dennehy) the police chief of the small town of Hope. Teasle, spotting Rambo coming into town, and having a prejudice against "drifters" does his best to push Rambo out and away from his town, in an attempt to keep his town clean. To Rambo's innocent question of wheter there is anywhere he can buy food, Teasle, in his prejudiced manner, suggests "a diner 30 miles up the road.". Teasle's manner is the reason why Rambo begins his defiant stance. Until encountering Teasle's attitude, Rambo is civil, not willing to hurt anyone, and basically is wanting to stop in town for a meal before moving on. But Teasle of course, books him for vagrancy, and does his best to overpower Rambo, because he sees Rambo as a simple drifter, and he of course is the big police chief, Mr Authority, and this is his town and his way. (Even before meeting Rambo, Teasle's attitude to his fellow townsfolk is shown, with his mumbled aside comment to one citizen, "You gonna take a bath this week?". Teasle is a guy who treats others with derision if he sees them as not his type of person. And it is Teasle's actions that sparked the events of the movie. The spark was fanned by power abuser number two though. Galt.


Galt is a friend of Teasle's and is also an abuser of his power given to him by his position in the police force. While Teasle uses mental power plays against Rambo, Galt is strictly physical. Violence against Rambo with a nightstick, a forced shower with a fire hose, repeated threats of breaking his face, fingers etc are Galt's methods. It is Galt's physical abuse that finally causes Rambo to snap and escape the police station, and run to the mountains, just as it is Galt's insistence on shooting an unarmed, cliff clinging Rambo that lead's to Galt's own death. Galt is the obvious face of abusing power in this film, and a thoroughly unlikeable character. Even up to Galt's death (and even beyond that point) Rambo is trying to both explain his innocence and defuse the situation. Galt is too obsessive in making himself "the bigger man" that he's turned a bad situation, created by Teasle into a catastrophe.


The third person in this film who is guilty of abusing their power is Rambo himself. After he is pushed too far through the actions of Teasle and Galt, Rambo starts to rely on the only power he posesses, his military training. Rambo abuses his own power against the police, by falling into the mindset that this is a war, and of course, in Rambo's mind, a war is the place, the only place, where he is in control, and where he has any power over the situation. It is shown that Rambo abuses this power, even defying a suggestion from his Commanding Officer and friend Col. Trautman (Richard Crenna) to give himself up. Talking to Trautman, he refers to the whole incident as a "war", in order to not only control his actions (in his own mind) but also antagonise Teasle. Rambo's "attack" on the town (though not on any innocent civilian) is designed to show Teasle, "now this is my situation, I control it", the very attitude that Teasle started with.


First Blood is a film I saw in the mid 80's and have enjoyed many times after. It is a deeply packed film, a great action film for those who like that genre, but also a dramatic thriller and commentary on, not only the abuse of power, but treatment of Vietnam vets by society, the role of person responsibility and social commentary. (as is the novel, which I heartily recommend).

A shame that First Blood was followed by three sequels that in no way matched the craftmanship of this film.


First Blood, four Darios