Here we go! This is my submission to the Manly Write-Off, held in honor of Joubert's third anniversary at Epinions, as well as mine. To check out the other fine entries in this little exercise, head over to the write-off site (maintained by the oh-so-kind Char.Mike) at http://www.angelfire.com/mb2/mypageontheweb/page9.html. If you want, you can find the direct link to the aforementioned Web site over at my profile page.


When I first dreamed up the Manly Write-Off, I just knew I would have to submit something about 1982's First Blood. And, now I see I was right in choosing that film as I'm now watching it while enjoying a fine bottle of Lone Star (the national beer of Texas!) Indeed, First Blood is one of the manliest of manly films, joining the ranks of such fine flicks as Spartacus, Braveheart or damn near anything from the Lethal Weapon series. Manly men will no doubt enjoy the themes of revenge, hatred for authority and the isolationism which haunts the main character, John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone). And, all the killings, explosions and balls-to-the-wall action are dandy, too.

We first encounter Rambo walking through the Oregon (I think it's Oregon, at least) countryside on the way to see an old friend. Rambo trudges along while that kind of "sad walking" music which was utilized so well in that Hulk television series. From the get-go, the viewer senses Rambo is a troubled man who is lonely as can be and out of place in the United States of the 1980s.

Indeed, that turns out to be the case. The old friend is an Army buddy from Vietnam. It seems Rambo was a Green Beret back in Vietnam, and the friend was in his unit. Rambo learns the friend died due to cancer which developed after exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam. And, the "sad walking" music starts up again.

Rambo wanders into a little hick town, and is immediately set upon by The Man, Sheriff Teasle (Brian Dennehy). The Man identifies Rambo as a drifter, and "offers" him a ride out of the quiet, little town. Teasle makes it quite clear that folks like Rambo aren't wanted in town, and even refuses to let the former Green Beret stop a get something to eat.

Indeed, if The Man would have let Rambo stop somewhere in town and get a sandwich -- just one sandwich -- he would have saved himself a lot of trouble.

The Man drops Rambo off outside of town. Rambo starts to walk back toward town. The Man arrests Rambo and jails him. And, that's where the trouble starts.

Rambo, see, is nuts. While in jail, he has flashbacks of being tortured while a prisoner of war in Vietnam. The sheriff's deputies brought on those flashbacks by treated Rambo horribly and the poor man snaps when the Vietnam images just become too strong. So, Rambo whips up on a pile of deputies, steals a motorcycle and heads for the hills.

Now, at this point, one can't help but root for Rambo. After all, he was treated unfairly by the authorities and, therefore, was entitled to a bit of revenge, right? Now, if you want to talk about revenge, let's flash back to the movie...

After the escape, The Man rounds up some deputies and chases after Rambo. A particularly abusive cop spots Rambo climbing down a cliff, and then shoots at our here from a helicopter. Rambo escalates the conflict by throwing a rock at the helicopter, hitting the pilot and causing said abusive cop to fall to the ground and die on impact. Rambo's actions anger The Man.

So, you've got an angry The Man up against Rambo, who just grabbed a gun from the fallen deputy. Want to guess who wins?

Yes, Rambo kills several more law enforcement officials and eludes the National Guard. So, does he run off and hide? No! Rambo heads back to the hick town, blows up a gas station, shoots up the little village and blows up a sporting goods store.

When it appears all is lost for Rambo, in steps Col. Trautman (the late, great Richard Crenna). While Trautman had been in town for a while, he put a stop to the situation at the end by convincing Rambo to surrender. Trautman, of course, was Rambo's commander in Vietnam and had the one thing that no one else in the world had -- Rambo's trust.

So, why is this particular film a masterpiece when compared with other action flicks? Well, you've got plenty of action, naturally. But, there's more to the movie than just explosions and lots of killings. Rambo is a fairly fascinating character in that he obviously never quite got over Vietnam and never fit in when he came back to the U.S. -- the nation he believed he fought to protect. Also, Rambo was treated horribly by the police, thus causing the viewer to be sympathetic to him, even while he's beating up on cops or shooting at them. Or, even blowing up a town. The anti-government theme (which extends from local hick sheriff's all the way up to the federal government which prevented Rambo and his kind from winning the Vietnam War).

And, what's more, Stallone doesn't talk much. Films featuring a lot of dialogue from Stallone tend to be horrible. This one is pure action, all the way from Rambo's escape after his unfair arrest to the final scenes when he's blowing up the sheriff's office and coming after The Man.

Are there any downsides to the movie? Of course! You've got the questionable morality issue, which is a problem in all the Rambo films. Speaking of those other Rambo films, they present another problem -- while entertaining, they just never lived up to the original and didn't convey the complexity of Rambo's character.

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Thanks to everyone who participated in the Manly Write-Off. Hopefully, Joubert will want to do it again next year!

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for Groups
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age