In “Rambo,” Sylvester Stallone plays Vietnam War veteran John Rambo, who really just wants to visit an old comrade. But the last member of his former unit is also dead. On his way, he crosses the small town of Hope, whose name is deceptive. Sheriff Teasle (Brian Dennehy) thinks Rambo is a drifter – and he doesn’t want them in his country.
When Rambo ignores the reprimand, Teasle resorts to harsher means. He not only arrests him, but has the alleged drifter mistreated in prison. This evokes memories of wartime torture in Rambo. The trained elite warrior overpowers the policemen and, armed only with a knife, flees into the forest. Teasle and the police soon give chase. When someone dies, the situation finally escalates…
Rambo is a complex and torn character in the movie
Before “Rambo” was released to theaters in 1982, there was a long production history and several attempts to adapt David Morrell’s 1972 novel “First Blood”. Contrary to the producers’ and studio’s initial concerns, director Ted Kotcheff decided to bring Sylvester Stallone on board as the lead actor, even giving him the freedom to rewrite the script – which the star took full advantage of. And even if fans of book templates always cry when an adaptation doesn’t faithfully adapt the material to the film but rather makes it their own, “Rambo” is one of (many) instances where that was just right.
While John Rambo in the book is mainly the killing machine that we should also experience in the countless sequels, Stallone turned him into a complex character that we as audiences can look for. Rambo is clearly the victim here and, like a sadistic sheriff, is plagued by his war trauma. We’re on the side of Rambo, who doesn’t slaughter many of his pursuers himself, as in the original book, thus justifying their response. He’s innocent here. The only fatality is an accident, which can clearly be attributed to the young pursuer’s overzealousness. What Sheriff Teasle then provokes becomes an overreaction.
The sadistic pursuer, driven not by the law but by rage and vengeance, is clearly assigned the role of villain in Kotcheff and Stallone’s film adaptation. There is not a small remnant of understanding for his actions here. “Rambo” is one of the films where this clearer black and white drawing is an advantage as it sharpens the tension, heightens the intensity and brings out the message of the film more.
Unlike the sequels, “Rambo” is a delightfully complex action drama with plenty of subtext and clear criticism of America’s treatment of those men who were sent to a hated war and are now no longer wanted at home. You can simply enjoy “Rambo” as an exciting fight for survival or, moreover, deal with all the nuances. That makes the classic for the author of these lines not only a masterpiece and one of his personal favorite films, but above all a work that you can see again and again – and now there is even the possibility to do that on the big screen.
The series “Best of Cinema” – presented by FILMSTARTS
Because “rambo“ is back in German cinemas on January 3, 2023 – and also in pin-sharp 4K, ie better than you’ve ever seen the film on the big screen.
As part of the “Best of Cinema” event series, a great classic returns to cinemas every month and the successful series will continue in 2023 with “Rambo” at the start. As an official media partner, we at FILMSTARTS also keep you informed about upcoming cinema releases as part of “Best of Cinema”. You can find more on the website “Best of Cinema” and if you want to know what other highlights besides “Rambo” have been announced for the first half of 2023, we recommend the following article: