He overwhelms the policemen, fights his way out of the station and flees into the woods.

When they try to dry-shave him with a straight razor, Rambo snaps. Led by the sadistic chief deputy Art Galt, Teasle's officers pressure Rambo, triggering flashbacks of the torture he endured in Vietnam. Enraged, Teasle arrests Rambo on charges of vagrancy, resisting arrest, and possessing a concealed knife before bringing him to the police station. Despite the way he is treated by the sheriff, Rambo tries to return to Hope. John Rambo, a Vietnam War veteran, travels to the town of Hope, Washington, in search of an old comrade, only to learn that his friend had died of cancer, brought on by exposure to Agent Orange during the war.Īfter mocking him for his unkempt hair, army jacket, and messy appearance, sheriff Will Teasle drives Rambo to the outskirts out of the town and drops him off. Its success spawned a franchise, consisting of four sequels (co-written by and starring Stallone), an animated television series, a comic books series, a novel series, several video games, and Indian remakes. Since its release, it has been reappraised by critics, with many highlighting the roles of Stallone, Dennehy, and Crenna, and recognizing it as an influential film in the action genre. In 1985, it also became the first Hollywood blockbuster to be released in China, holding the record for the largest number of tickets sold for an American film until 2018. Initial reviews were mixed, but the film was a box office success, grossing $156 million at the box office.

In the film, Rambo is a troubled and misunderstood Vietnam veteran who must rely on his combat and survival skills when a series of brutal events results in him having to survive a massive manhunt by police and government troops near the fictional small town of Hope, Washington.įirst Blood was released in the United States on October 22, 1982.

The film is based on the 1972 novel First Blood by David Morrell, which many directors and studios had unsuccessfully attempted to adapt in the 1970s. It is the first installment in the Rambo franchise, followed by Rambo: First Blood Part II. It co-stars Richard Crenna as Rambo's mentor Sam Trautman and Brian Dennehy as Sheriff Will Teasle. First Blood (also known as Rambo: First Blood) is a 1982 American action film directed by Ted Kotcheff, and co-written by Sylvester Stallone, who also stars as Vietnam War veteran John Rambo.

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