The 1982 action classic First Blood holds a unique place in cinematic history, even compared to other films in the franchise. While the Rambo sequels turned Sylvester Stallone’s title character into a patriotic, heroic action hero who fought to preserve the American way of life, the first installment in the series was a grounded character drama about trauma and loss. The film served as a representation of the post-traumatic stress disorder that a generation of soldiers faced after the Vietnam War. Despite being fictional, First Blood addressed serious, systemic issues surrounding the abuse of veterans.
While Stallone played a major role in shaping the direction and tone of both First Blood and its sequels, the first entry in the series was based on the novel of the same name by author David Morell. The differences between the film and novel are extensive; the novel features even more brutality, a much darker tone, and more time dedicated to examining Rambo’s past. The realism and sensitivity within Morrell’s writing is understandable, as First Blood was loosely inspired by the story of the World War II veteran Audie Murphy.
Who Is the World War Two Veteran That John Rambo Is Based On?
Born in 1925, Audie Murphy was an American soldier who received national recognition for his service in World War II. Like many young Americans, Murphy joined the fight against the Nazis after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941; although he was too young to officially enlist at the time, his sister helped him falsify records so that he could serve his country. Despite being rejected by both the Marine Corps and the Navy, Murphy was able to enlist in the United States Army. He served in many of the conflict’s most important campaigns, including the
invasion of Sicily in 1943, the Battle of Anzio in 1944, and the successful liberation of France. By the time Germany and Japan officially surrendered to the Allied Forces in 1945, Murphy had received every award for valor awarded by the U.S. Army, and additional honors from the Belgian and French services. Although the conflict was one of the bloodiest in world history, Murphy earned significant exposure to violence during his service; by the time the war ended, he was credited with over 250 kills.
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Like the John Rambo character, Murphy struggled with severe post-traumatic stress disorder in the years following the war. Often falling asleep with a gun by his side, Murphy suffered from bouts of severe depression, vomiting, and fatigue; while he took sleeping pills to cope with graphic nightmares, his addiction to prescription drugs created additional difficulties for him over the next decade. Murphy’s friends reported that his personality could change at any moment, and that he often resorted to violence due to an inability to communicate.
Audie Murphy’s Story Inspired ‘First Blood’
While Murphy’s struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder led him down a dark path, the decorated veteran was able to shed light on his experiences and become a cultural icon. Murphy wrote a memoir titled To Hell and Back in 1949, detailing his service in World War II and the hardships that followed. Murphy later became an accomplished actor known for playing heroic characters. After playing a version of himself in the 1955 adaptation of To Hell and Back, Murphy went on to star in several classic Westerns. By the time his film career ended in the late 1960s, Murphy was almost as famous for his film roles as he was for his military service.
Murphy’s films have had a significant impact on many viewers, as his story of trauma and resilience has been inspiring. Morrell recalled Murphy’s experiences when he began writing First Blood. At the time, Morrell was an English professor at the University of Iowa and had many students who had enlisted to serve in the Vietnam War. Seeing them struggling to express their feelings about the violence they had endured, Murphy thought of Murphy, who had been one of his favorite actors as a child. First Blood was written as a dire warning about the dangers of not providing these brave veterans with the resources and therapy they desperately needed.
The novel First Blood ends on a very dark note with Rambo’s death after a battle with Chief Wilfred Teasle. However, the film First Blood ends with a somewhat optimistic message about Rambo’s potential recovery. Finally given the chance to discuss why he is so traumatized, Rambo breaks down in tears and agrees to surrender to the authorities. It’s an intimate moment that features some of the best acting of Stallone’s career. While that doesn’t mean the road ahead will be easy for Rambo, it does mean he is taking appropriate steps forward.
The ‘Rambo’ Franchise Lost Its Way
First Blood was unique among 1980s action films in that it eschewed cliches in favor of a realistic depiction of post-war America. Unfortunately, the Rambo sequels turned the series into the type of jingoistic, nationalistic narrative that the first film deliberately undermined. In Rambo: First Blood Part II, the title character is hired by the United States government to eliminate enemy terrorists overseas. While this could have been a thoughtful way to analyze what returning to a war zone does to Rambo, the film loses any depth in favor of explosive action scenes. While the franchise eventually lost its way, First Blood continues to offer insight into the importance of rehabilitation and therapy. The context may be the Vietnam War, but Rambo’s conflict with authority is relevant to any era of war.
‘First Blood’ Is One of Stallone’s Best Performances
While the overwhelming success of the Rocky franchise had already made him a household name, Stallone’s performance in First Blood proved he was a far more depthful actor than many of his critics realized. The film weaponized his physicality to show how detached Rambo was from reality; despite the incredible strength he possesses, Rambo doesn’t know how to adapt to a reality where he’s no longer fighting for his life. It showed a remarkable level of sensitivity on Stallone’s part that is rarely seen in other action films of the 1980s. First Blood had become a classic as a result of his powerful work.
Although the novel’s dark ending was removed from the film adaptation, First Blood embraced the brutality that was essential to the original source material. Director Ted Kotcheff refrained from incorporating any superficial action sequences in favor of a more realistic depiction of combat. It’s notable that each conflict Rambo engages in is both a physical and emotional endurance test; returning to a world of violence serves as a frightening reminder of the horrors that he has already endured whilst serving in the Vietnam War.