First Blood (1982)
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A Vietnam War veteran must use his elite survival skills to survive a manhunt after a confrontation with local police.
The story
In December 1981, Vietnam War veteran John Rambo arrives in the town of Hope, Washington. After being confronted by local authorities and subjected to harsh treatment by deputies, Rambo's survival instincts are triggered. He escapes into the surrounding mountains, sparking a massive manhunt involving local police, the State Patrol, and the National Guard. As the search intensifies, Rambo utilizes his extensive knowledge of bushcraft and combat to evade capture and counter the efforts of the authorities. The situation escalates as Rambo's former mentor, Colonel Sam Trautman, is brought in to advise him, while the local sheriff remains determined to apprehend the elusive soldier.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After being mistreated by local deputies in Hope, Washington, Vietnam veteran John Rambo flees into the mountains. He utilizes his survival skills to set traps and evade a manhunt involving local police, the State Patrol, and the National Guard. During the pursuit, Rambo's former mentor, Colonel Sam Trautman, attempts to convince him to surrender, but Rambo refuses, claiming the police 'drew first blood.' Rambo eventually reaches an abandoned mine, survives a collapse, and hijacks a truck to reach the town. He causes explosions and creates chaos to create a path to confront Sheriff Will Teasle. After a violent confrontation where Rambo injures Teasle with a machine gun, Trautman arrives to demand Rambo stand down. Rambo breaks down while recounting the trauma of his time in Vietnam. The film ends with Rambo being comforted by Trautman while Teasle is taken to an ambulance.
- Runtime (minutes)
- 93
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Ted Kotcheff
- Writers
- Michael Kozoll · screenplay; William Sackheim · screenplay; Sylvester Stallone · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Sylvester Stallone · John Rambo; Richard Crenna · Colonel Sam Trautman; Brian Dennehy · Sheriff Will Teasle
- Genres
- action; thriller
- Themes
- survival; post-traumatic stress; military experience
- Tone and mood
- tense; somber
- Setting
- Hope, Washington (fictionalized as a rural area in the mountains)
- Premise and plot tags
- action; survival; manhunt
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1972 novel First Blood by David Morrell
- Franchise connections
- Rambo
- Content notes
- violence
- Reception
- The film was a box-office success and has been reappraised by critics as an influential film in the action genre, noted for its darker tone and the performances of its lead actors.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 86% · scale: percentage · review count: 49; Metacritic · score: 61 · scale: 100 · review count: 15
- Production trivia
- It was the first Hollywood blockbuster to be released in China.; The film's production was delayed by heavy snowfall in January 1982.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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