First Blood (1982)

Director:

Ted Kotcheff

Writers:

David Morrell (novel)
Michael Kozoll (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

22 October 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Thriller

Tagline:

One war against one man.

Plot:

A mentally unstable Vietnam war vet, when abused with a small town's police force, begins a one man war with it.

Plot Keywords:

Rambo | Sheriff | Colonel | Escape | Small Town

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Sylvester Stallone	...	John J. Rambo
Richard Crenna	...	Col. Samuel Trautman
Brian Dennehy	...	Hope Sheriff Will Teasle
Bill McKinney	...	State Police Capt. Dave Kern
Jack Starrett	...	Deputy Sgt. Arthur Galt
Michael Talbott	...	Deputy Balford
Chris Mulkey	...	Deputy Ward
John McLiam	...	Orval the Dog Man
Alf Humphreys	...	Deputy Lester
David Caruso	...	Deputy Mitch
David L. Crowley	...	Deputy Shingleton (as David Crowley)
Don MacKay	...	Preston (as Don Mackay)
Charles A. Tamburro	...	Pilot (as Chuck Tamburro)
David Petersen	...	Trooper
Craig Huston	...	Radio operator (as Craig Wright Huston)

Also Known As:

Rambo (USA) (TV title)
Rambo: First Blood
Rambo (Austria) (West Germany) [de]
Rambo (Argentina) (Venezuela) [es]
A Fúria do Herói (Portugal) [pt]
Acorralado (Spain) [es]
First Blood (Denmark) [da]
Ilk kan (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Krigaren (Finland: Swedish title) [sv]
Pirveli siskhli (Georgia) [ka]
Rambo (Japan: English title) [en]
Rambo (Portugal) [pt]
Rambo (France) [fr]
Rambo (Hungary) [hu]
Rambo (Italy) [it]
Rambo - Programado Para Matar (Brazil) [pt]
Rambo - To proto aima (Greece) [el]
Rambo I (France) [fr]
Rambo-Prva Krv (Serbia) [sr]
Rambo: Le dévastateur (Canada: French title) [fr]
Rambo: Pierwsza krew (Poland) [pl]
Taistelija (Finland) [fi]

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | South Korea:15 | Finland:K-16 (video release) (1998) | Finland:K-18 (original rating) (1983) | Malaysia:18SG | Brazil:14 | Canada:14A (re-rating) | USA:R (certificate #26816) | Netherlands:12 | Argentina:18 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:18A | Chile:18 | France:-12 | New Zealand:M (DVD rating) | New Zealand:R16 (VHS rating) | Norway:18 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Golden Ears Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Anabasis N.V.

Trivia:

Al Pacino was considered for the role of John Rambo, but turned it down when his request that Rambo be more of a madman was rejected.

Goofs:

Continuity: Teasle eventaully allows Trautman to try to talk Rambo into coming out of the mountains. This takes place in late afternoon, but it is night before Trautman actually talks to Rambo.

Quotes:

Rambo: I could have killed 'em all, I could kill you. In town you're the law, out here it's me. Don't push it. Don't push it or I'll give you a war you won't believe. Let it go. Let it go.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Boondock Saints (1999)

Soundtrack:

IT'S A LONG ROAD

Total classic

Everything about this movie rocks. From Goldsmith's rousing score to Stallone's perfect performance. Yes, you heard me. Stallone does act in this movie. I feel so sorry for Rambo. People are real nasty to him. Especially the deputy with the moustache. He was a real jerk. The scene in which Rambo finally explodes in the jail cell is way cool. The music that goes with this scene is SO intense.

I highly recommend this movie and the soundtrack. This is a proper movie by the way. I know that the character of Rambo became a 'little' exaggerated and silly in the sequels but do not let that alter your opinion of this movie.

The Pacific Northwest scenery is also very beautiful and atmospheric. The sound design seems to be crafted so that dialogue sound natural like it would in a mountain forest or in dead cold environments where the air cannot carry sound so well.

See this movie in widescreen to appreciate how cool it really is.