John J Visits Jerkwater USA

It's hard to believe that the larger than life American icon, one man army Rambo spawned from this modest thriller, but spawn it did, as the first of Sylvester Stallone's all-action Rambo thrillers, First Blood, is still the best of the series.

It's much more realistic in tone and look than it's sequels. Ted Kotcheff's direction is understated and serious, the photography subdued and textured (it's a far better looking film than I remembered it) and the dialogue minimised for all characters, not just Rambo, with an emphasis on telling story and character through action, not words.

It's a war movie. A war between Brian Dennehy's big headed lawman and Stallone's Rambo, a man whose repressed psychological issues about the Vietnam war and the problems he's faced upon his return to the U.S, have all reached boiling point by the time he drifts into "Jerkwater U.S.A." Each man is living in denial, hiding behind their own code of honor. For Sherrif Teasle, he's hiding behind the law, which he seems to think he embodies in his little neck of the woods. For Rambo, it's a code of combat..."They drew first blood, not me"...essentially saying 'I didn't start this fight, but I'm sure gonna finish it". But in the end, it boils down to two men obsessively going to war with each other until the other is dead.

It's only Colonel Trautman who's the voice of reason in the whole movie, trying to diffuse both men who have over-reacted; Rambo who has gone on the offensive outside of the law...and Teasle who has tactically misjudged the situation by bringing in the State Police and National Guard. Trautman is the real hero here, saving Teasle's life and talking 'Johnny' down before he literally goes head to head with an army. It's in this final scene, as Rambo disintegrates emotionally, with 10 years of repressed trauma spilling to the surface that showcases is probably Sly's best piece of acting.

This is still in my all time top 20 films. Why? Well, partly because it has this mythic quality about John Rambo, mostly generated from the hype coming from Trautman about his previous Nam exploits. In fact, the Vietnam War in First Blood is rather like The Hobbit is to Lord of the Rings or The Clone Wars is to Star Wars; it creates a mysterious back story which enriches the main yarn. It also reminds me a little of Die Hard, my favorite film, as it has a lone, but skilled man, trapped and outnumbered in a hostile environment. It has a simple, snowball effect plot which starts small and builds and builds in an entirely logical way. There's also the anti-authoritarian theme of standing up to those in charge, especially when the authorities have been corrupted, as is the case here. Finally it has one of Jerry Goldsmith's finest scores, which he used as the foundation for his astounding Rambo - First Blood Part II score, which is arguably his best work.

Over 25 years old, this still plays well today; it's North Western U.S. locations, steady handed direction and unassuming fashions making it timeless. Classic.