First Blood

First Blood
Company type	Film
Industry	Film industry
Founded	1982
Founder	Ted Kotcheff (director), Michael Kozoll (co-writer), William Sackheim (co-writer), Sylvester Stallone (co-writer and star)
Products	Motion picture

First Blood is a 1982 American action movie featuring Sylvester Stallone in the role of John Rambo, a veteran of the Vietnam War. Directed by Ted Kotcheff and co-written by Michael Kozoll, William Sackheim, and Stallone himself, the film adapts the 1972 novel First Blood by David Morrell. This film initiated the Rambo franchise, which was followed by Rambo: First Blood Part II. The storyline follows Rambo's confrontation with local law enforcement and his survival tactics during an intense manhunt. The main cast also includes Richard Crenna portraying Colonel Sam Trautman and Brian Dennehy as Sheriff Will Teasle.

Premiering in the United States on October 22, 1982, First Blood initially garnered mixed critical responses but achieved considerable commercial success, earning $125.2 million against a $15 million budget. It was the 13th top-grossing film domestically and ranked seventh worldwide in 1982. Significantly, it was the first major Hollywood blockbuster to be released in China in 1985, where it held the record for highest ticket sales for an American film until 2018. Over time, critics have revisited its impact on the action genre and have lauded the performances delivered by Stallone, Dennehy, and Crenna.

The financial triumph of the film spawned a franchise comprising four sequels (all co-written by and starring Stallone), an animated television series, comic books, novels, and video games.

Plot

In December 1981, United States Army Vietnam War veteran John Rambo discovers that he is the sole survivor of his unit following the death of a former comrade due to complications from Agent Orange. Feeling directionless, Rambo arrives in Hope, Washington, where Sheriff Will Teasle regards him as a vagrant and orders him to leave town. When Rambo attempts to come back, Teasle has him arrested. While in custody under deputy Art Galt’s watch, Rambo suffers mistreatment. Haunted by memories of torture endured during Vietnam, he breaks free and flees into nearby wilderness.

Teasle mobilizes a search party consisting of deputies, aerial support, and tracking dogs. Defying orders, Galt tries to shoot Rambo from a helicopter but crashes and dies. Upon learning that Rambo is a distinguished Special Forces operative and Medal of Honor recipient, Teasle persists with the pursuit. After deputies open fire when Rambo attempts to surrender, he employs survival skills to set traps that force Teasle’s forces to withdraw temporarily.

The manhunt escalates with involvement from state patrol officers, Washington National Guard troops, and Rambo’s former commanding officer, Colonel Samuel Trautman. Trautman advises Teasle to cease his efforts, but Teasle refuses. Over radio communication, Rambo condemns the deputies for provoking violence.

Rambo takes refuge in an abandoned mine where National Guard units use an M72 LAW rocket launcher to collapse the entrance; presumed dead by authorities, he escapes through a ventilation shaft. He then commandeers a military transport vehicle and returns to town to confront Teasle directly. Causing disruption by detonating a gas station and cutting off power supplies, Rambo wounds Teasle in the leg with an M60 machine gun. Trautman intervenes once again, appealing to Rambo’s combat trauma and difficulties adjusting to civilian life. Ultimately, Rambo surrenders and is placed under federal custody while Teasle receives medical care.

Development

In 1972, Lawrence Turman at Columbia Pictures secured the film rights to First Blood for $175,000. Richard Brooks intended to direct a movie exploring contrasting American perspectives on World War II and Vietnam veterans, featuring a more understanding Sheriff Teasle and an alternate conclusion where Rambo is killed by an unidentified attacker. Filming was planned for New Mexico in December of that year, but the project was delayed due to the ongoing Vietnam conflict and Brooks' eventual exit.

Subsequently, John Calley obtained the rights at Warner Bros. Pictures for $125,000, with Robert De Niro or Clint Eastwood considered for the role of Rambo. Walter Newman penned a screenplay in which Colonel Trautman served as the antagonist, concluding with both Rambo and Teasle dying. Directors such as Sydney Pollack and Martin Bregman became involved; Bregman commissioned David Rabe to write a script before Mike Nichols expressed interest in directing.

By 1977, William Sackheim and Michael Kozoll crafted a screenplay intended for John Badham to direct. Producer Carter DeHaven purchased this script from Warner Bros. for $375,000 and arranged funding through Cinema Group with John Frankenheimer attached as director in Georgia. This iteration depicted Rambo surviving but was shelved following Filmways’ acquisition by Orion Pictures.

After reading the novel, Mario Kassar and Andrew G. Vajna of Anabasis Investments aimed to adapt it as Carolco Pictures' inaugural production, financing it internally. They acquired the film rights and Sackheim and Kozoll's screenplay from Warner Bros. for $375,000 and $125,000 respectively in 1981. Ted Kotcheff was brought back to direct after securing financing from Kassar and Vajna, casting Sylvester Stallone as John Rambo; Stallone agreed after reviewing the script in one day.

Although numerous scripts had been proposed over time, Stallone’s involvement was pivotal in advancing production. His rising fame following Rocky allowed him to reshape John Rambo into a more empathetic character—contrasting with Morrell’s novel where Rambo kills many pursuers, the film refrains from showing him directly causing deaths among police or national guard personnel. Stallone also modified the ending so that Rambo survives; despite filming a suicide scene, Kotcheff and Stallone chose to conclude with Rambo surrendering on Trautman’s advice. Stallone completed roughly seven rewrites of the script, with further contributions from Larry Gross and David Giler at Kotcheff’s request.

Casting

Initially, Brooks sought Bette Davis for a psychiatrist role and either Burt Lancaster or Lee Marvin as Sheriff Teasle. After Warner Bros. acquired the project, Robert De Niro and Clint Eastwood were considered for Rambo. Director Mark Ritt aimed to cast Robert Mitchum as Teasle and Paul Newman as Rambo. Sydney Pollack contemplated Steve McQueen but dismissed him as too old to portray a Vietnam veteran from 1975. Other actors considered included James Caan, Burt Reynolds, and Robert Redford.

David Rabe wrote his script envisioning Al Pacino as Rambo, picturing the character as an unstoppable force inspired by Jaws. Pacino declined due to the story’s grim tone and producers rejecting his suggestion to portray Rambo as mentally unstable. When John Badham was considered to direct, he wanted John Travolta as Rambo, George C. Scott as Trautman, and either Gene Hackman or Charles Durning as Teasle. John Frankenheimer evaluated Powers Boothe, Michael Douglas, and Nick Nolte before casting Brad Davis. Dustin Hoffman was offered the role of Rambo but declined.

For Sheriff Teasle, Kassar and Vajna approached Oscar winners Gene Hackman and Robert Duvall; both turned down the part. Oscar-winning actor Lee Marvin declined the role of Colonel Trautman. Other names considered included James Mason and Richard Jaeckel. Kirk Douglas was eventually hired but left due to disagreements over changes to the ending that conflicted with his vision. Douglas believed his proposed conclusion—where Teasle kills Stallone’s character—would have been more impactful and commercially successful.

Rock Hudson was contacted to replace Douglas but had to refuse because of upcoming heart surgery. Richard Crenna was then cast as Trautman, delivering a performance that received critical acclaim and became one of his most memorable roles.

Filming

Production took place in British Columbia's Fraser Valley with a budget of $15 million, spanning from November 1981 through April 1982. Scenes set in the town were captured in Hope and the adjacent Coquihalla Canyon Provincial Park, which represented Chapman Gorge. Additional shooting locations encompassed Capilano Canyon, Golden Ears Provincial Park, and Pitt Lake located in Pitt Meadows. During filming, Buzz Feitshans stepped in as producer after Ed Carlin experienced a heart attack.

The crew initially faced difficulties due to unseasonably warm weather, which conflicted with their vision for a gloomy atmosphere; however, significant snowfall in January 1982 caused a two-month halt in production. Further setbacks occurred when cast members sustained injuries during stunt sequences, notably Sylvester Stallone who endured a severe back injury and multiple fractured ribs while performing his own stunts. As a result of these delays, Richard Crenna’s screen time was curtailed to prevent escalating costs under his contractual terms.

Due to Canadian laws, all firearms featured in the movie had to be imported. In January 1982, a theft on set resulted in the loss of over $50,000 worth of weapons—including fourteen M16 rifles, Remington shotguns, .44 Magnum revolvers, and Colt AR-15 rifles. Although altered to fire blanks, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police warned these could be readily converted back to live ammunition. Following this incident, the Canadian Army secured the location and assigned soldiers as extras.

Post-production

The film’s initial rough cut exceeded three hours and was met with such dissatisfaction by Sylvester Stallone and his agent that Stallone contemplated purchasing and destroying it out of concern for his career. After comprehensive editing efforts, the runtime was reduced to 93 minutes for theatrical distribution. The final scene was re-filmed in March 1982 after the original ending failed to meet expectations.

Producers Kassar and Vajna approached Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, and Paramount Pictures as potential distributors, initially presenting an 18-minute promotional reel. While international distribution deals were secured early on, domestic interest only materialized following a more extensive 55-minute reel shown at the American Film Market. Although Warner Bros. and Paramount expressed interest, Orion Pictures ultimately obtained domestic distribution rights.

Music

Jerry Goldsmith composed and conducted the film’s musical score, which included the theme "It's a Long Road." This piece enriched the protagonist’s portrayal and was later featured in sequels as well as an animated adaptation. The soundtrack debuted on LP via Regency Records and was subsequently reissued on CD by Intrada Records and Varèse Sarabande with bonus tracks. In 2010, Intrada released a comprehensive two-CD edition containing remastered versions of the original album alongside related trailer music.

Home media

Author David Morrell contributed an audio commentary track for the 2002 Special Edition DVD release. Sylvester Stallone recorded his own commentary for the 2004 Ultimate Edition DVD, which also included a previously unreleased alternate ending where Rambo dies by suicide—aligning more closely with the novel’s conclusion—as well as a comedic ending. Lionsgate issued this version on Blu-ray featuring both commentary options.

In April 2007, Momentum Pictures released an HD DVD edition in the United Kingdom. Additionally, Lionsgate offered a double feature DVD on February 13, 2007, pairing First Blood with the 2004 film The Punisher.

A six-disc box set containing all four films from the series was launched on May 27, 2008; however, despite packaging claims, it did not include Morrell’s commentary track. To promote this collection, First Blood was screened in theaters for one night on May 15, 2008 via Fathom Events, showcasing the alternate ending.

On November 9, 2018, First Blood became available on 4K UHD Blu-ray.

Box office

First Blood dominated the U.S. box office for three straight weeks, opening with $6.6 million—a record-breaking October debut at that time. It amassed $64 million domestically, ranking as the highest-grossing film during the fall season and the 13th top earner of 1982. Globally, its revenue reached $160.3 million against a production budget of $15 million. Significantly, it was the first major Hollywood blockbuster released in China (1985), where it sold 76 million tickets, setting the record for the highest attendance of a foreign Hollywood film there until 2018.

Critical response

Reviews for the film ranged from mixed to favorable, with commendations focused on the performances of the three principal actors. Roger Ebert awarded it three stars out of four, acknowledging its brisk pacing and strong acting despite a somewhat improbable storyline. Janet Maslin from The New York Times described Rambo as a "tormented, misunderstood" Vietnam War veteran and praised the film's dynamic narrative. In contrast, Variety criticized the film’s unresolved conclusion, while Slash Film applauded Stallone’s emotionally charged portrayal in that final sequence.

Often categorized under the vetsploitation subgenre due to its emphasis on Vietnam veterans, First Blood was noted by BBC critic Almar Haflidason for Stallone’s survival training, which lent authenticity that resonated with viewers.

Film industry websites such as Film.com and Filmsite have ranked it among 1982’s best films; additionally, in 2008, Empire magazine placed it at number 253 on their list of greatest films ever made. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an 86% approval rating based on 49 critiques, with reviewers praising its darker tone and Stallone’s acting. Metacritic assigns it a score of 61 out of 100 from 15 critics, indicating generally favorable feedback.

James Berardinelli lauded its suspenseful direction and meaningful undertones, highlighting Stallone’s irreplaceable role. Conversely, Leonard Maltin rated it one-and-a-half stars out of four, noting a decline in credibility toward the film’s conclusion.

Legacy

Among the Rambo series entries, First Blood achieved the most positive critical reception; its four sequels received mixed or moderate reviews.

A 2011 article in Blade Magazine credited Morrell and the Rambo franchise with revitalizing the cutlery market during the 1980s through knives designed by Jimmy Lile and Gil Hibben featured in the movies. Morrell was honored with an industry achievement award in 2003 recognizing this influence.

An author from the Foundation for Economic Education observed that the film’s narrative reflects issues of police brutality, attributing fault to Teasle’s unreasonable treatment of Rambo and drawing parallels to contemporary law enforcement incidents.

Sequel

The follow-up film, Rambo: First Blood Part II, premiered in 1985.

Video game

In 2014, Rambo: The Video Game, inspired by the first three films in the series, was released.

Statue

On August 14, 2020, a cedar wood statue commemorating Rambo was unveiled in Hope, British Columbia, marking 38 years since the original film’s debut. The dedication ceremony featured Mayor Peter Robb, MP Mark Strahl, and sculptor Ryan Villers.

In popular culture

The British comedy film Son of Rambow draws inspiration from First Blood.
The 2008 episode "Mac and Dennis: Manhunters" of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia features a manhunt modeled after the events of First Blood. Additionally, Frank reenacts flashback scenes reminiscent of the movie.
In 2017, the track "It's A Long Road" was included in the video game South Park: The Fractured but Whole, playing during game over sequences.
On 19 August 2022, The Mountain Goats released the song First Blood as part of their album Bleed Out, making reference to the film.

External links