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Ames, I was in high school at the end of the 1970's. The group I hung out with was young, dumb and irresponsible. What else do you expect from young guys aged around 20? In the summer someone would get the idea to drive to Vancouver for coffee (we lived in Lethbridge). We'd take turns driving and when we got to Hope we'd know we were almost there. I think I remember the diner you were talking about. Did you grow up near there? What was it like to live in small town BC? PS: loved your reaction. As teenagers I don't think we really understood what it was like to be subject to the draft like Americans were. All I can say is that I'm thankful that I've never had to experience war, so far!!!
Thanks for liking my comment nice to know I got seen, I have a huge passion for films being quite a bit older I have seen hundreds if not thousands of films but watching your channel has made me see them in a totally different light, how you break the scenes down how you get emotionally attached to what you are watching is truly powerful, an it has allowed me to enjoy things I have seen all over again. So thank you for being such a great beacon of light. Oh so far I have loved your Band of Brothers series watch, your pacific one so far, cant wait for masters of the air. But last of us wow that is by far and away the best reaction I have watched on UA-cam you even made me cry. Not ashamed to say that either please keep doing what you are doing!! So so so so good.
Just watched your reaction. Loved it, and this movie. You wondered if Stallone wrote this. He was approached to appear in the film; coming off of the success that summer of 1982 with Rocky III. He wasn't sure at first if he wanted to do the film; but was allowed to write a draft based off of the original script. The more he wrote the draft, the more he saw himself playing the character of Rambo. Not sure if its up on YT, but check out "Drawing First Blood"; it is a making of featurette made for the 2002 DVD.
My father was a Vietnam Vet. When he was alive, he could watch all of this movie until the monologue. He would shake and I could see tears in his eyes as he got up and quietly walked away. I never understood I too was a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan. now, I see it. Rest in peace Pops.
My father was a Nam Vet too. He too would get very quiet during the last scene. He wouldn't shake or cry at all. What he got was very, VERY angry. But that anger paled in comparison to the anger he unleashed on me the day I told him I wanted to follow in his footsteps. I'm the first born son. I was essentially raised as if I were in basic training. So, I figured that he would be proud of me for wanting to be a Marine like him. That was a HUGE miscalculation on my part. But, I didn't have to go to war to understand the horrors and atrocities committed by him and to him. I was the only person that he EVER opened up to. I've heard some shit. I find it funny that you called your dad Pops. I called my dad Pops too.
My grandfather had a similar reaction when I took him to see "Saving Private Ryan." He turned to me during the Normandy beach scene in the beginning and said "I can't stay."
You and your father deserve more respect than the gov't will ever give you. Rest assured there are people that hold you and your dearly departed father in the highest respect and admiration possible. YOU AND YOUR FATHER are what makes this country great and you are always honored. God bless you and your family for protecting us and those who dont who are ignorant and still live, not knowing the sacrafices made. You are owed so much, you will unfortunately get very little. MY RESPECT.
My father took me to go watch this in theaters, he was a Vietnam vet. He watched this movie stoically like he usually would, but when Rambo gave his monologue he put his head down and wept silent tears. After the movie I asked if it was true, he just wept and nodded. That was the day I stopped asking him about his "adventures" in 'nam.
I cry at that spot too. It’s all too real. I probably shouldn’t watch this because I get triggered but its so beautifully done. I can’t believe they turned Rambo into a cartoon action hero in the next two when this is so deep.
@@stanzaloan3454 2 was ok. 3 was just stupid! They took a heart felt character & turned it into a farce & why none expects the powerful ending of First Blood.
I know what you mean. My uncle was a tunnel rat due to his 5’2 height. We lived above him in a duplex. He would sleep with the lights on. Would wake up screaming in terror. Had to sleep in a separate room from his wife, he attacker her in his sleep. He would sit staring at the blank tv and would wonder around the house at night crying. He died of liver failure, his war is over, I hope he is at peace.
@@Revetus915 The sleep deprivation that goes with it makes the PTSD worse. God bless your Uncle & he’s at peace. My buddy died last month from s brain hemorrhage & came back. He served 28 years, SF & was in the initial invasion of Afghanistan. He swears he went to the otherside & said all his pain & anguish was gone but it wasn’t his time. I believe him! He has drawings he made of the beings he encountered. It gave him me peace of mind knowing there’s peace in the end. Believe it or not, your Uncle was rewarded in the end.
You can't miss the cruel irony of a veteran being turned away from a town called Hope. As the son of a Vietnam veteran, this movie hits really hard for me. It explains to me all the things my dad would never talk about.
@@jacobkubacki2719 Sadly my dad passed a little over 4 years ago - the day after Veterans Day. If I've learned anything, we've come a long way in showing more respect to our veterans, but we still don't do enough to help readjust to civilian life (I can't even begin to fathom how). When my dad came home, we have not yet learned to "hate the war, but respect the warrior". I never knew the boy that went to Vietnam, only the wounded & tormented man who came back. Thank you and all who have served for a greater good most of us don't understand.
@@Mister_Samsonite Its the politicians & oligarchs of the world that fight wars for profit. We’re on the verge of a really bog one. Trust me, I have friends still in and in high ranking places. But it’s those people that fan the flames of fear, hatred & division. I saw first hand what we went to Iraq for & it wasn’t for freedom & democracy. I wish the people of our country would wake up & realize what they’re voting for & that goes for both sides of the isle. How many generations of traumatized citizens are we going to produce? We live in the best most advanced time in this current history of mankind & yet we still haven’t figured out how to take care of each other. We should be living well, everyone. Yet the majority puts all if our lives in the hands of people who lie, cheat & steal their way to the top only to turn around & tell us they have the key to a fair & just society! It blows my mind & makes me & a lot of other vets feel like we fought & got hurt & killed for nothing. So yes, be kind to people. It goes a long way. You don’t know what they live with just as they don’t know how it is to walk in your shoes. Our whole world just came out of a 2-3 year pandemic(Ill hold my thoughts in that bullshit) so is it best for humanity to jump into WW3? Or to send billions of dollars to Ukraine while neglecting us broke people that are suffering from losing their livelihoods?! Thank you for the thanks & be an ambassador for peace. War is Hell & we don’t need one.
And he’s getting turned away by another veteran. You can see Teasle’s decorations in his office. Also, he seems to organize his men with Korean War-era tactics when he pursues Rambo into the woods.
A lot of people don't know that the Rambo movies started with a profound and deeply artful dower peice with a ton of really good social/political commentary. Glad you picked this one!
@@holddowna yayy thank you so much for reacting to this, I had recommended this a few days back actually. I'm glad you liked the movie. Please react to part 2 and 3
"I was in charge of million dollar equipment! Now I can't even get a job parking cars!" That line always stuck with through the years. To have sacrificed so much, and come back home to find not only are you not appreciated, you aren't valued at all. Great perspective.
@Rowlandi11 - You've stated the line wrong. Rambo said he couldn't even "hold" a job parking cars. There's a big difference between "get" and "hold". You can't "hold" a job that you never had. Rambo was hired to do it but there were things about him that prevented him from being successful, even at parking cars, so he lost that job, he couldn't "hold" it. We see these things about him in this movie. Even before that terrible, "Oh, woe as me," speech at the end of this movie, if you can't see why Rambo couldn't hold a job parking cars then I hope you don't have a job that relies on critical thinking skills that impacts the lives of others. Apparently the only thing Rambo was ever good at was killing people. Not a lot of jobs like that in the private sector. I can see why he struggled.
@@NeverGiddy okay. I stated the line wrong. Rambos problems holding a job and the message at the end of the movie are not mutually exclusive. Rambo can't work. We treat our veterans like inhuman pieces of shit. Both things can be true. "if you can't see why Rambo couldn't hold a job parking cars then I hope you don't have a job that relies on critical thinking skills that impacts the lives of others." What are you rambling about? I never said I couldn't see the difference, you ASSumed I can't see the difference and then went on some tangent about impacting peoples lives. Just a weird, projecting comment. "Apparently the only thing Rambo was ever good at was killing people" You can't make this claim of "ever" as we don't know Rambo before the war. It's also objectively untrue. Unless you're implying Green Berets have absolutely zero translatable skills to the private sector and are only killing machines. It's strangely dehumanizing and lacking in compassion. You're also now saying it's his lack of skills stopping him from holding a job and not his PTSD. "We see these things throughout the movie" See what things? His trauma flashbacks? His PTSD? So which is it? Is he too stupid to park cars or not? Is he a mindless killing machine or somebody capable with severe trauma? Make up your mind. I guess Rambo is kinda poignant even now, huh
@@NeverGiddywow! I take it you didn't like Rambo🤔. Every Veterans experience in Nam was different I'm sure, maybe, just maybe loud backfires of cars would have a post traumatic effect, or some tough guy like the cop who just wants to be a jerk! You have no idea why can't, won't couldn't hold a job! Point is the men of Vietnam weren't treated right
@@donnaralph4413 - Rambo, the movie, had some entertainment value, until the end. Rambo, the character, was a societal threat and needed to be killed at the end of the movie, either by his own hand, Trautman, or all of the law enforcement officers waiting outside. Though not perfect, Sheriff Will Teasle was the hero of this movie. He was hired/elected to protect the town by its people and he saw that as his duty. Let one person live and shit on your sidewalks and soon you'll have a hundred more just like them. You always get more of what you tolerate. He instantly saw Rambo as a threat to the good order of the town he served and as the film progressed Rambo proved him right. When I read comments posted, there seems to be way to much misdirected compassion towards Rambo in this movie. Rambo violently attacked police officers, pushed one through a glass window, pulled a kid off a moving motorcycle and stole it, created the circumstance that led to the death of Art Gault, shot an old man, killed his dogs, stabbed a young police officer, set a spiked booby trap for another, broke an officer's arm, fired at national guardsmen, threw a soldier from a moving truck, destroyed city property, seriously wounded, possibly fatally wounded the Sheriff, and Rambo's the guy we're supposed to feel sorry for. When you turn your trauma inward, we need to be helping you with those emotional difficulties. As soon as you turn your trauma outward, we need to punch your ticket. I'll start feeling sorry for Rambo right after I start feeling sorry for Charles Whitman.
Rambo was written by a Canuck, David Morrell, it was his first book published. The Sherriff Teasle was acted by Brian Dennehy. Dennehy was a Korean war veteran. he coached Stallone on PTSD and other things veterans feel. Dennehy and Stallone were good friends until Dennehy's death
@oldgeezer3324 - If you can believe the internet, Brian Dennehy was born in July of 1938. The Korean War started in 1950 when he was just twelve years old. When it ended in 1953 he was fifteen years old, so he's not a Korean War veteran. He served in the U.S., Japan, and Korea, just not during the Korean War. Dennehy enlisted in the United States Marine Corps serving from 1958 to 1963, including playing football on Okinawa. In several interviews, he described being wounded in combat and repeatedly claimed to have served in Vietnam. In 1999, he apologized for misrepresenting his military record, stating: "I lied about serving in Vietnam, and I'm sorry. I did not mean to take away from the actions and the sacrifices of the ones who did really serve there... I did steal valor. That was very wrong of me. There is no real excuse for that. He was coaching Stallone on PTSD during a time when he was still misrepresenting his stolen valor.
My uncle was a Green Beret. Did 3 tours until he died in Vietnam, Christmas Day of '68, 5 months before I was born. My mother, his sister-in-law, was a teacher. She mostly taught 3rd grade. She was a great patriot. Ray, my uncle, told her stories of how when he was on leave in California he would be spat at, have rocks thrown at him, & called terrible slurs, though he said it wasn't as much an issue here in the Mountain West. When First Blood came out she saw it. It so moved her that when it came out on VHS she bought a copy, & then asked the district office if she could show it to her students. They agreed, as long as she got the parents permission. This became a part of her history curriculum everafter. She did this, along with telling my uncle Ray's story, to teach children young the sacrifices paid by our veterens & the horrors of war. After the viewing the class would have a discussion why Rambo did what he did, why the Sheriff did what he did, & especially about Rambo's breakdown at the end. My sweet mother thought it was important that veterans were to be treated better all the way around, & never to be treated as the vets of Vietnam were.
I'm a member of the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association, and I know a couple of old Viet Nam vets. One was a grunt, the other a brown water (river) Navy man. Neither talks much about their experiences, but the Navy guy won't eat rice. He was a POW for a time, and that is all they were fed. Sometimes it had maggots in it. He won't touch the stuff now. I hug them both a little extra every time I see them. Do you want to make a Viet Nam Vet happy? Tell him "Welcome home!" That's something they never got when they came back from that place.
@@IHeartShenanigans When I was in South Africa about 15 years ago for a year, I met a Vietnam vet. Guy had a wife and kid when he got sent to Vietnam, he never returned to the US after his tour was over.
Great story Sunder. Speaking as a UK vet', I think times seemed to have changed in the US now, your vet's are appreciated more now. Possibly, in part, due to movies such as Rambo, Private Ryan, etc. I never got why the youth of the day, were so against the average GI Joe. It's not like they chose to go & fight.
Oh yeah, I liked Rambo II and III as action films, but I felt his character was more realistic and sympathetic here. He goes from doing everything possible to avoid hurting people even after they trigger his PTSD, and finally having an emotional breakdown and turning himself in to somebody dropped into warzones that has no problem with killing. Granted, he's still a broken man to a degree in the later films but because he seems less conflicted about using violence it's a pretty drastic shift in tone from the first film that seems more like a cinematic character study.
When this movie was released, nobody had ever heard of PTSD and Vietnam vets were still being treated like second class citizens. Other movies get a lot of credit for elevating the public image of vets but Stallone started it all. What a guy.
veterans are still being treated like second class citizens. while this shit run country sends money and support to other countries and brings in immigrants to support it forgets the people who fight these wars. and its not even americas wars, it hasnt been for decades. usa is not the greatest country anymore and hasnt been to its citizens in a long time. this corporation run country is selling OUR land to china, other countries are buying buildings to rent to u.s citizens while the money is going to probably fund terrorists or launder drug money. my apartment building was owned by a place in italy. its time for u.s citizens to stand up and get these relics that sit in congress and the white house out, stop worrying about trump and biden and all these money hungry corporations starving us and raising rents, mortgages, and property taxes to give our homes to foreign citizens and eventually it will happen. they are taking our rights to bare arms so we cant fight back and they can take as they will which is our right to fight off a tyrannical government. time to wake up before the second coming, at least we can say i fought back
People heard of PTSD or the other names it was called. Media and Government propaganda buried it. Spitting on soldiers, calling rap!st and baby killers was the thing which lead to everyone being given a reason to not help! This lead to drug and alcohol problem but who cared? This lead to broken homes and fathers who were absent because no one cared. Decades went by while these men suffered. My father is no longer here and I will never know him. Broken forgotten and left alone and a system that encouraged woman to do so which many did. Kids lost and confused cause a government, media and host of celebrities used political tools to justify themselves while standing on soldiers. Never say "nobody ever heard" They choose to ignorer.
It’s always interesting to see someone react to this film for the first time going into it with the notion that it’s a good time action flick, only to get the emotional gut punch at the end and realize you’ve just watched a moving piece on the effects of PTSD. That scene is certainly one of Stallone’s best performances, maybe the top. Great reaction, you definitely felt it!
In the book after Trautman gets John calmed down, he realizes that Rambo is too far gone and is going to have to pay hell for all that he had done. In the book Rambo killed all of the deputies and the young boy and his father that was hunting. So to "save" John from all that was to come and save him from his life, Trautman shoots Rambo in the head. Its a way grimmer ending but I think punctuates the theme of the book far better. We treated those Viet Nam vets disgracefully, and this story sent home the message very clearly.
I watched a documentary about Stallone and he said that he did NOT want Vietnam vets to get the impression that all hope is lost for them and he was adamant that it would be changed to something a bit more hopeful for them and ended the movie the way it did. I’d go as far as saying that the ending MADE the movie what it is (the original ending had trautman shoot Rambo dead like the book but Stallone like I said again hated it and didn’t want Vietnam vets to get the wrong idea) by making what would’ve been a typical action movie to a heartfelt character study of a veteran
Spoiler.... Just like the ending in, "Of Mice and Men"...poetic tragedy is a theme in art that is really misunderstood and incomprehensible to most people today. Most people who react to Return of the King always say, "why does Frodo have to go away?"
All of Trautmans scenes were re-shot with Richard Crenna, because Kirk Douglas was originally cast. He walked away from the film when he didn’t get to kill Rambo. The studio still wanted Rambo to die, and they actually shot the ending with Rambo killing himself and test audiences were extremely angry. Stallone knows his audience, he was right with Rocky, and he was right with this film.
I remember watching something on UA-cam with some veterans about Rambos final monologue and they all said that is the most realistic anyone has ever done to show how they feel they've been treated 😢😢 my heart breaks for anyone who's went to a war and came back and just can't get the support they deserve, financially,physically and emotionally ❤ Sly says as well he spoke to a bunch of them and poured his heart into that to ensure he captured everything for them. Great reaction ❤
When this film was released in 1982, many veterans went to see it. During the final scene, many of them had to leave the theater, because Sylvester Stallone's performance mirrored their own experiences so closely, they were unable to watch it. It is a testimony to Stallone's skill as an actor, as well as a validation of what many of those service people suffered, not only, the traumas of conflict, but also the neglect and isolation when they returned home. Many of the veterans of the Vietnam Conflict didn't receive the help and support they needed until decades after returning home, and many of the people who protested the war have since recognized and admitted that they were wrong in their treatment of these brave men and women. Thank you for recognizing this fact in your review. So many young people reviewing films like this on UA-cam go in without doing any research and completely miss the importance of what the film is truly presenting - which can be frustrating for people, like me, who know about the Vietnam Conflict.
What's so heart breaking, is the genuine joy in Rambo's voice and on his face when he reaches Delmar's place. That was his last tether to some semblance of sanity. After that he's completely left alone to fight his demons.
The M60 was the main automatic weapon for small units like squads, in Vietnam and the early 80's. It still saw use into the 90's, but it's iconic look has made it popular for many movies and video games.
I've never seen anyone get so emotionally invested in the characters of a movie. I wish I wasn't so much damn older than you, Ames, cause I'd love to binge watch a few movies with you. You have an amazing sense of honor and fair play and I truly admire you as a person. You're also cute as hell and have gorgeous hair. Rock on, homie...
I can watch this movie a thousand times and will always cry at the end! Sylvester Stallone's performance is perfect! He actually makes you believe that he's a Vietnam veteran and went through the war. Outstanding performance by him at the end!
Stallone has a reputation as the stereotypical muscle-bound 80s action star, but his breakout roles were some of the healthiest takes on masculinity. Both Rambo and Rocky show the value of being emotionally vulnerable.
One of the things I find interesting about this is, Sheriff Teasle is a Korean War Vet. But their mindsets are so completely different because of how each was treated so differently by society upon their return.
There’s a myth that the actor who portrayed Teasle was a Korean War Veteran. However, Brian Dennehy was born in July 1938; but the Korean War started in 1950, making Dennehy only 12 when it started. Dennehy enlisted in the USMC from 1958 to 1963. In multiple interviews he described being wounded in combat & repeatedly claimed he served in Vietnam. In 1999 he apologised for misrepresenting his military record, stating “I lied about serving in Vietnam & I am sorry. I didn’t mean to take it away from the actions & sacrifices of the ones who really did serve there….i did steal valour. That was very wrong of me. There was no real excuse for that”.
We watches this in our civics class in the late 1980s and the teacher pointed out all the times Rambo's civil rights were violated. Good movie and good lesson.
This is going to sound dumb, but this movie inspired me to join the Army. I was an idiot kid and paid no attention to what the movie was really about. I just wanted to do what Rambo could do, and I liked the idea of using those skills to defend my country. I was even an M60 gunner. Not until after I was in the Army did I truly finally realize what the movie was about. And it's right. You become the pawn of politicians. You can be put in places where your life is on the line and where you might have to take life when it's just not justifiable to do so. It was the greatest disillusionment I ever had. I couldn't wait to get out.
This was really the first depiction of PTSD. No one really understood the trauma of these guys returning to a country that protested and didn't support the troops in a war that was much more political than anything else. No real rally cry, no freeing people, just trying to prevent a different government philosophy from spreading. While I didn't serve, I have an uncle who did 3 tours in special ops there. He still won't talk about it, but I can see the look in his eyes when shit comes back to him. He's had a pretty successful life, but there's a bitterness and sadness that he can't quite shake. He's 76 yrs old and been carrying this burden fir 55 years. This is a very important movie that kick started a lot if programs fir returning vets that now are readily available to them. Hats off to the creators of this movie, they did a helluva lot of good for our guys.
For the Sherriff it's all about power tripping and ego does go with that. "I kick the deputy's ass! Me! The law!" What's seldom seen or talked about is the fact that if you look behind the sherriff when he's at his desk - he was in the Army too. From left to right: Army Distinguished Service Cross, Purple Heart and Silver Star. You're thee only one that I've seen that's at least noted it; back in 82 when I saw it - I saw those medals. My brother returned from Vietnam with severe PTSD; he wasn't the same, but at least he came home! It wasn't till about 77 when 'they' finally recognized PTSD! He past a few years ago - from cancer by Agent Orange as most if not all his company did. Thank you for sharing with us!
I saw the medals too. One would think that the Sheriff with those awards would empathize with Rambo's situation. Kinda hard to believe that he wasn't at least sympathetic.
@@stephentaylor9630 He was Korean war veteran. In Australia the Vietnam veterans were even frowned upon by some of the WW1 and WW2 and Korean war veterans, thanks to stigmas like baby killers and murderers from the media.
There’s a myth that the actor who played Teasle was a Korean War veteran. However actor Brian Dennehy wasn’t born until July 1938; with the Korean War starting in 1950, making Dennehy only 12 when it started. Dennehy enlisted in the USMC from 1958 to 1963. In multiple interviews he described being wounded in combat & repeatedly claimed he served in Vietnam. In 1999 he apologised for misrepresenting his military record, stating “I lied about serving in Vietnam & I am sorry. I didn’t mean to take it away from the actions & sacrifices of the ones who really did serve there….i did steal valour. That was very wrong of me. There was no real excuse for that”.
When Rambo jumped off the cliff, Stallone did the stunt and when lands in the trees and screams in pain it was legit because he actually broke some ribs.
I really love this movie! By the time I went to war, civilians looked at vets differently. We had feared that we'd be treated like John Rambo because there were some Vietnam vets in our company with many stories to tell, but that wasn't the case at all after Desert Storm. We were warned before we got off the plane that there were some people who wanted to see us. I pictured about a dozen people when actually I met two thousand flag-waving strangers. It was as if Sylvester Stallone's end monologue in this movie had actually hit home. I loved the end of this flick. He message was clear: Hate the game, not the player. War totally sucks. You will never find someone who is a bigger pacifist than a war vet or someone who has lost a loved one to war. Sure, I'm all for fighting for this country and am very pro-military, but I don't think it contradicts my being against warfare one bit. I'm really glad that you saw this movie and enjoyed it! Best to you! ❤
Couldn't see if anyone already mentioned this, but when Rambo attacked the town, he was using standard guerrilla warfare tactics; take out fuel, munitions, communications, supplies, and finally command.
I get chills when Rambo tells Teasle, "don't push it, or I'll give you a war you won't believe." It's the first time the audience sees genuine fear in Teasle's face. It's a real cinematic moment!
Trautman had all the great lines: - “I'm just amazed he allowed any of your posse to live… Strictly speaking, he slipped up. You're lucky to be breathing.” - “Don’t forget one thing… A good supply of body bags.” - “Here lies John Rambo, winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor, survivor of countless incursions behind enemy lines. Killed for vagrancy in Jerkwater, USA.” - “You're goddamn lucky he didn't kill all of you.”
Right? Richard Crenna is a national treasure. I've loved everything I've seen him in. He played a rather convincing Ronald Reagan in the movie they made about the assassination attempt on him.
After this movie, I did research on Sheriff Teasle’s character based on his comment “Do you think Rambo is the only one who had a difficult time during the war?” and the military shadow box on his desk with the Purple Heart. It’s crazy how much stuff on this character I found. What I found was there was a different Teasle in the book than in the movie. That Teasle served in the Korean War and that he didn’t like Rambo for specific reasons. When men came back from World War II, they were lauded as hero’s because they won. Korea was considered a stalemate and that’s why Korean vets were considered members of the “forgotten war.” Teasle did not like all of the press Vietnam Vets were getting and that he felt like his service was forgotten. Plus in the novel, Teasel’s wife just divorced him, hence his bad attitude. Teasel took pride in what he accomplished after the war and looked down on Rambo as a drifter, so it was a class thing. In the novel, Teasel considered Rambo his equal and this was a test to himself to see who was better. He was willing to use whatever power and resources he had to prove he was better than Rambo. Also you should research the movie. Stallone did his own stunts. Stallone actually broke his ribs on the tree branches performing the cliff jumping scene on the second take.
Thanks for this! I know they made it so easy to hate teasel but there is more to him! Especially after editing this u see more! Thanks for all the extra tidbits!
No problem. Also, because Teasel was told he wasn’t allowed to win the war in Korea by his superiors, this was why Colonel Trouts warning “Do you want a war you can’t win?” Teasel was finally in charge and nobody was going to tell him he couldn’t win this time. This also explains why he gets upset when they tell Teasel on the radio that Rambo is a war hero, it upsets him more. Because in his mind “where is my recognition?” I never got any and I’m not going to show him any.
Very true about Teasle and his Korean War service. But even in the book he definitely didn't consider Rambo his 'equal', especially in the beginning. In his mind, all the WWII or Korean War vets (like himself) who came home were 'clean cut', hard-working, law-abiding Americans. The image Teasle, and a lot of people had back then about Vietnam veterans was: Scruffy, hippie-like vagrants, drug-addicts, crazy, etc. which is definitely an unfair representation, but looking back it's definitely appalling how bad they were treated when coming home...
When I said he considered him his equal, I meant it as someone who served only, but he looked at him as lower class. He also had this mentality, that nobody cared about me after my war so I don’t care about you, especially a “drifter.” Because he was Sheriff he placed himself on a pedestal while looking down on Rambo as a street bum based on his appearance. He even said “we don’t want your type around here.”
There’s a myth that the actor who played Teasle was an actual Korean War Veteran. However, actor Brian Dennehy was only born in July 1938; with the Korean War started in 1950, making Dennehy only 12 when it started. Dennehy enlisted in the USMC from 1958 to 1963. In multiple interviews he described being wounded in combat & repeatedly claimed he served in Vietnam. In 1999 he apologised for misrepresenting his military record, stating “I lied about serving in Vietnam & I am sorry. I didn’t mean to take it away from the actions & sacrifices of the ones who really did serve there….i did steal valour. That was very wrong of me. There was no real excuse for that”.
Born in 1969, i wasn't old enough to understand or appreciate the men DRAFTED into this war. Hanoi Jane and all her ilk caused trauma on top of the PTSD. For all the Hippies spouting peace and love, they sure didn't show it.
I'm from Vancouver BC. Every time we would drive past Hope, my dad would make the same comment asking us if we were aware that First Blood was filmed in hope. This went on for about 10 years until we had to ask him to stop 😆
My stepdad is a Vietnam vet. I've never once asked him about his experiences, but one time we were watching the news together and, unprompted, he told me a story about his time in the war and it was enough to give me recurring nightmares. The scariest thing is that First Blood is actually LESS dark than the novel it's based on.
As a vet, this stood out to me - At the end of the movie, you’ll notice John walking to the right of his colonel. Normally, that is a breach of military courtesy. According to rank, your superior always walks to your right. But this was a display of respect from the colonel.
This was honestly one of the first films that explored whae Vietnam vets went through and the effect the war had on them. It also showed how vets were treated when they came home.
@@holddowna Yep, some wonderful acting, easily matches his Rocky 1 acting, This was one of my late father's first laserdisc purchases and I grew up to see why. Thanks again for a wonderful reaction!
You're so right about the stunning beauty of the Pacific Northwest, dear. I've been to North Cascades, Olypic, and Mount Ranier, several times. I rode my bike from Ohio to Washington state to visit the national parks out west. While I enjoyed my visits to Washington, I fell in love with Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana. You've not truly lived until you've driven Going-To-The-Sun-Road in Glacier National Park. It's 50 miles of what I assume heaven will look like it I'm lucky enough to make it there.
This is my favorite movie of the franchise, such a powerful message and amazing performance by Sylvester Stallone. My father was a Marine in Vietnam during Tet, I've had many talks with him trying to support him exorcise some demons, every November 10th and every Memorial Day. Numbers 2 and 3 are okay, straight up Cold War action movies, it was strange time in American cinema during the early to mid 80's because there was a lot of speculation that N. Vietnam still had American P.O.W.s 10 years after the war had ended so there were a lot of movies that came out about rescuing them. The fourth one is really good but incredibly violent, it takes place in modern times, definitely worth a watch. The fifth one is also especially brutal like four but not as good in my opinion, it's almost a direct copy of a movie called "Revenge" starring Kevin Costner and Madeline Stowe. The movie "The Green Berets" isn't bad but just remember it's a straight up propaganda flick trying to drum up support for an unpopular war, you'll get the idea when you see it. The song was super popular tho, I think it was a Top 40 hit! Thanks for your reactions, they're always fun to watch!
As someone with a friend who has PTSD from her time in the sandbox, we really really need to do better by our soldiers, even today, when it comes to mental health in combat zones. Most of the soldiers won't speak up about their problems for fear of being relieved of their positions, things they have trained hard for and are good at, things that allow them to "pull their weight'. For some being pulled back is the right thing, for others probably not. Regardless, the support they receive is just not enough. I can only look back on the post-vietnam era as a fan of history and wish that we had understood and done better back then as a country. Maybe those today would have a bit more of what they need. The message of this movie is powerful. One post I read before mentioned that the Sheriff was a Korean War vet, and the lack of win in that war was part of what made him so bitter towards Rambo and others whom he felt had genuinely lost. I really need to get the book this is based off of.
When I was young , Rambo was just a kick ass action movie. When I grew up and I learned about PTSD and how veterans got affected by the war, I saw a brilliant chef d'oeuvre in this movie.... especially at the end when Rambo explain everything.
For a lot of us, this was the eye opener about how Vietnam Vets were treated. I had some teachers that served in 'Nam and learned so much from them as well. I was 8 when this came out. My dad was a Marine who was in the Reserves and never got to Vietnam but he had a lot of friends who did. On a lighter note, this movie also launched a torrid love affair between boys my age and survival knives. We all had them. My dad bought it for me. My mother was not thrilled...
The novel by David Morell had written that Troutman (with Rambo's help) killed Rambo at the end, shortly after the monologue, but Stallone was hell bent on NOT killing Rambo. He basically said "If we kill Rambo, what kind of message are we sending out to Vets? That death is the only solution? No, we need to show the Vets that are suffering from PTSD that there is Hope."
This is definitely a great movie made me fall in love with Stallone as a kid and made me feel for my grandpa and great grandpa who served and fought and they never brought it up they always kept it inside and I wish I coulda watched this at a time when they were still here and talk to them about there time tell them thank you and that I loved them for all that they did, so now every time I watch this especially at the last scene I just start balling cause if you weren’t there you’ll never truly know the things these guys had to do or go through. To anybody out there who has served or is severing I just wanna say thank you 🙏🏻
I've watched this movie so many times. One of my favorites. It was an incredible experience to see you react to it and actually being familiar with the area it was filmed in. I really appreciated that. Made it hit even harder. Such a well made movie. Stallone's ending speech was so deep, vulnerable and emotional that i forget he's acting. It's heartbreaking to think that there are so many people that have dealt with this and felt this way.
One of the first movies to deal with soldiers reintegrating after war was 1946's picture of the year, "The Best Years of Our Lives". It's a favorite of Steven Spielberg's and is well worth a watch for anyone who has a serious interest in film.
Vietnam veterans were not treated kindly upon their return. My dad was in Vietnam and I served for 20 years later. I had to see his eyes over and over as people thanked me for my service. No one thanked him. He has since passed away.
I am a new fan and- may I say- watching movies with you is the perfect solution for my neurodivergent brain. We can get through a whole movie in the course of 1/2 an hour and your commentary is very similar to my thoughts already. It is the perfect way for me to sit and rest my mind for a short period of time, then I can get back to my day. Otherwise, I would never sit down and get through a whole film by myself. Appreciate your work!!!
I love this movie and all the ones that followed (not everyone likes the rest). I remember seeing the vets come back and people protesting them and not the ones who sent them. Great reaction and comments.
Absolutely love your channel Ames. Thanks for keeping all these classic movies relevant. That Sheriff we all hate is no other than the late great Canadian actor Brian Dennehy. He was such a TUFF looking guy, miss him. He was also in another classic movie called ''Walking Tall'' . If you get a chance, another masterpiece you should do a reaction to is ''Jacobs Ladder'' which also dwells in the horrors of the Vietnam war. You WILL NOT REGRET IT.
I never went to Vietnam, but I had several friends who did. They weren't treated badly in the small town we grew up in, but they also weren't held in the high esteem you see for veterans these days. Thank God that people have come to their senses where veterans are concerned. Back then the media seemed to go out of their way to make everything that happened seem horrible for the Vietnamese at the hands of our troops. They were called murderers, and baby killers, and monsters...booed in public, and even had people spit on them at times. It was really bad. PTSD wasn't treated back then the way it is now. There weren't large, organized groups for aid and treatment, like there are now. A lot of celebrities were making fun of our military, and belittling those who fought over there, not asking people to join groups to help veterans, like now. Things still aren't perfect for vets, but they're tons better than back during and after the Vietnam war. And in Vietnam our government had "rules of engagement" that were really ignorant. From what I was told, some of those rules made it seem like their own government was trying to get them killed. There was some really ridiculous stuff, almost as if we didn't even want to win the war. I think there were those in government who didn't. Thanks for a great reaction, and God bless you.
This is one of those films that wasn't initially seen for its message. Over the years, this film has found its proper place of importance. A great reaction to a film that is more than it's sum.
The whole Rambo SERIES is about John dealing with his undiagnosed PTSD. It’s just we only remember the goofy action and big explosions etc. But the character study goes throughout the entire series.
In heartfelt conversations with Vietnam veterans, they bravely shared the painful reality of being advised against wearing their uniforms in public out of fear of facing attacks, spitting, and being labeled as "baby killers." The haunting tales of their experiences in Vietnam have left deep scars. It is unjust for anyone to pass judgment on the actions of these young men who found themselves thrust into a harrowing and chaotic war zone, often against their will through the draft. The emotional turmoil and strain of such a hyper-stressful environment are a potent recipe for tragedy. This is why I hold a deep-seated disillusionment towards certain boomer democrats who, instead of showing gratitude, chose to add to the suffering of these brave veterans.
The end monologue is the thing that makes this movie the classic it is, recontextualizing everything you’ve seen up to this point, stripping it of the righteous revenge story and making Rambo almost an antivillain. And as a veteran, this last speech hits incredibly hard. Even though any trauma I had during GWOT was comparably minimal, I know tons of guys who struggle making friends now or relating to normal people or carrying on relationships. They estimate 30 vets a day (most popular theory is 22) kill themselves largely due to society’s inability to integrate these people back into society. Not because they’re violent maniacs who could snap and kill everyone at any moment, but because they can’t relate to the pettiness that most normal people place such high priority on in their daily lives.
When most people think of this movie, they think of the action hero John Rambo. I think of the John Rambo that we see at the end of the movie when he just breaks down. I'm a veteran, but I'm not a combat veteran, and I never had to experience those types of things. I'm grateful for that, but I empathize for those who had to endure such things. And it goes beyond military veterans--Police, Firefighters, Doctors, Nurses, and so many other related fields have to see some of the worst that life has to offer. We can't forget what all of them go through in an attempt to help.
one of my fav movies, i'm a people watcher, and this is one of my favorite reactions to this. And in it's time, it done a lot for PTSD and attention to these problems! Great reaction!!!
I love that line. In town you're the law, out her it's me. Rambo is just pure badass. That heartbreaking scene at the end, Stallone is an amazing actor.
The sheriff had to fall, Rambo had to destroy the town. The whole movie is a shocking indictment of a nation that abandoned its troops. That had lost its honor for the ones who suffered, whether they wanted to or not, in service to their country.
I watched this when I was about 7 & I think it's the first movie that made me cry, Stallone talking about the war at the end really stuck with me for a long time.
This was a great reaction. I also really want to give you props for 23:00 . I've seen multiple reactions to this movie, but you are the first I've seen who picked up on Rambo not being certain if Colonel Trautman's radio call was real or if he was just imagining it. Also: not sure if you noticed it, but when Rambo came back to Hope with the machine gun, the places he targeted were not random. He waged war on Hope the same way he was taught to attack settlements in the war: cutting off the town's power and destroying its fuel and weapons supply (in this case, the gas station and gun shop). At least he didn't target the town's food supply: in that case, the diner you like might have been added to his list!
29:35 - The colonel said it earlier: "He wins by attrition.". That means crippling the enemy's main resources first by blowing up: *fuel* (gas station), *power* (electric transformers) and *ammunition* (weapon store). That's what he was trained for during war; and in his mind he's still at war.
The moral of the film is to bring awareness, to see through the lens of the hardships that our veterans struggle with everyday. That transitioning back into civilian life isn't always easy. To show the audience that when they come home from duty, that they aren't welcomed back into society as the same person anymore. As someone who transitioned out of active duty, I know how that feels now that I come home to only find out that a lot has changed since I was away. To all my fellow vets out there, you aren't alone and I thank you for your service.
Try 13hrs in Benghazi that’s got a number of special operators in it including one green beret I believe anyway well worth a watch and a true story as well.
@@davidbennett1357 I made my best mate watch this film an she doesn’t normally find these films interesting, but she keeps telling me she needs to watch it again as she can’t get her head around it being something that really happened to these people.
One of my all time favorite films from my childhood. As a local to the area, I was used to passing thru Hope regularly and seeing the spots featured in the movie. Unfortunately, as far as I know all the businesses seen have either been remodeled or demolished, including the iconic bridge about 6 years ago. Fortunately, Rambo Days are still celebrated in Hope, as far as I know. Although, the original sights are long gone, I still feel nostalgic whenever I pass thru. Long live the memory of John J.
My parents bought me a Rambo knife for Christmas right after this movie was made.I still have that knife today.It's very cool, handles had a bunch of stuff in it for survival.Pretty nice knife a begged for that Knife lol
Moral of the story - good manners and a kind word cost you NOTHING! Traumatized people walk among us every day, and you don't want to trigger the wrong one. Yes sir, no sir, please, thank you - they all go a long way to helping a stranger have a better day. If you want respect, GIVE respect!
@@jacobkubacki2719 I know, such a simple concept, right? I sure don't expect human nature to change in my lifetime. On a Zen/Physics level, we're made of the same stuff and more alike than we're different. Will we ever learn to stop mocking and destroying what we don't understand? Let's start asking the awkward questions and having the conversations we need to.
@@Mister_Samsonite If it weren’t for politicians & the oligarchs, we wouldn’t be in half the mess this world’s in. That’s both sides. Im a Carlinist as in the comedian/philosopher & take no sides in the absurdity our government has become. They all stand to profit from hatred, division & most of all fear! Well, love is the only thing that conquers that. If voting actually works(lol) we need a do over. Article 5 of our Constitution would do that but they won’t let me explain it here. I have to speak in code. IDK? I served, got injured, got arrested years later as my mental health declined & now my life is shit. I wish I never enlisted. Im ashamed that I participated in that sham. I pray for death but I love my daughters so I keep sticking around for now. God bless & tell your representatives no to war.
@@jacobkubacki2719 Brother, I am so sorry that other people's choices have left you so battered and disillusioned. Much like you, my father saw no "patriotism" in his service, but as a pawn in a far more sinister endgame. I don't know what to say that would ease your pain, but I hope seeing your daughters thrive in this crazy world is enough. However you might feel now, pulling the curtain is a permanent solution to temporary problems. I always used to think our vote made a difference, but it's hardly worthwhile when different puppets have their strings pulled by the same masters. I will pray that this message gives you hope and helps you prevail. Every life has meaning and purpose!
@@jacobkubacki2719 I'd also like to make a book recommendation - Viktor E. Frankl's "Man's Search For Meaning". It brought me great peace during the darkest moments of my life. A great quote from this book - a man with a "why" to live for, can bear with almost any "how".
THE biggest stars of the day passed on this role! Now, 40 years of rocky and Rambo. And he wrote and directed most of them! And part 2, I don't know what came out first or what he wrote first, but Cameron cowrote 2 with Stallone!
As a kid i must have watched this movie about 30 times. But when i got older i understand the movie a lot more. I feel so much for american veterans. I cant even imagine something like this happening in the Netherlands. So close to home yet so far
They messed with the wrong war veteran in this action adventure thriller. Watching this film is very relevant on how Vietnam veterans were mistreated agter they came back home.
The scene with the sheriff sitting in his office after they think they got Rambo always throws me off. The medals are a Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, and Purple Heart. Not only should he have known what Rambo was going through, he should have known better as soon as he heard "Green Beret" than to try and go after Rambo in the wilderness with regular cops.
Its better explained in the book. It switches POV from Rambo to Teasle, back and forth. Teasle was dealing with personal issues and felt the kid was disrespectful, kid was tired of being pushed and made his stand against it.
This movie was very important in starting to open peoples eyes to PTSD. It's a strong performance from all the actors involved, and by the writer. Wonderful, heartfelt reaction! ❤❤
Hey Everyone! Thanks so much for watching! Can't wait to read all your comments!
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You are simply awesome.
Ames, I was in high school at the end of the 1970's. The group I hung out with was young, dumb and irresponsible. What else do you expect from young guys aged around 20? In the summer someone would get the idea to drive to Vancouver for coffee (we lived in Lethbridge). We'd take turns driving and when we got to Hope we'd know we were almost there.
I think I remember the diner you were talking about. Did you grow up near there? What was it like to live in small town BC?
PS: loved your reaction. As teenagers I don't think we really understood what it was like to be subject to the draft like Americans were. All I can say is that I'm thankful that I've never had to experience war, so far!!!
So, when are you going to react to ‘the English Patient?”
I think that it might be on your top 100 list somewhere 😉
Thanks for liking my comment nice to know I got seen, I have a huge passion for films being quite a bit older I have seen hundreds if not thousands of films but watching your channel has made me see them in a totally different light, how you break the scenes down how you get emotionally attached to what you are watching is truly powerful, an it has allowed me to enjoy things I have seen all over again. So thank you for being such a great beacon of light.
Oh so far I have loved your Band of Brothers series watch, your pacific one so far, cant wait for masters of the air.
But last of us wow that is by far and away the best reaction I have watched on UA-cam you even made me cry. Not ashamed to say that either please keep doing what you are doing!! So so so so good.
Just watched your reaction. Loved it, and this movie. You wondered if Stallone wrote this. He was approached to appear in the film; coming off of the success that summer of 1982 with Rocky III. He wasn't sure at first if he wanted to do the film; but was allowed to write a draft based off of the original script. The more he wrote the draft, the more he saw himself playing the character of Rambo. Not sure if its up on YT, but check out "Drawing First Blood"; it is a making of featurette made for the 2002 DVD.
My father was a Vietnam Vet. When he was alive, he could watch all of this movie until the monologue. He would shake and I could see tears in his eyes as he got up and quietly walked away. I never understood I too was a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan. now, I see it. Rest in peace Pops.
My father was a Nam Vet too. He too would get very quiet during the last scene. He wouldn't shake or cry at all. What he got was very, VERY angry. But that anger paled in comparison to the anger he unleashed on me the day I told him I wanted to follow in his footsteps. I'm the first born son. I was essentially raised as if I were in basic training. So, I figured that he would be proud of me for wanting to be a Marine like him. That was a HUGE miscalculation on my part. But, I didn't have to go to war to understand the horrors and atrocities committed by him and to him. I was the only person that he EVER opened up to. I've heard some shit. I find it funny that you called your dad Pops. I called my dad Pops too.
god bless your dad I,m sorry man! steve c. usn ret.
My grandfather had a similar reaction when I took him to see "Saving Private Ryan." He turned to me during the Normandy beach scene in the beginning and said "I can't stay."
god bless tell him thanks s usn ret.
You and your father deserve more respect than the gov't will ever give you. Rest assured there are people that hold you and your dearly departed father in the highest respect and admiration possible. YOU AND YOUR FATHER are what makes this country great and you are always honored. God bless you and your family for protecting us and those who dont who are ignorant and still live, not knowing the sacrafices made. You are owed so much, you will unfortunately get very little. MY RESPECT.
My father took me to go watch this in theaters, he was a Vietnam vet. He watched this movie stoically like he usually would, but when Rambo gave his monologue he put his head down and wept silent tears. After the movie I asked if it was true, he just wept and nodded. That was the day I stopped asking him about his "adventures" in 'nam.
I cry at that spot too. It’s all too real. I probably shouldn’t watch this because I get triggered but its so beautifully done. I can’t believe they turned Rambo into a cartoon action hero in the next two when this is so deep.
@@jacobkubacki27192 and 3 were kinda ridiculous and over the top, they cashed in for sure.
@@stanzaloan3454 2 was ok. 3 was just stupid! They took a heart felt character & turned it into a farce & why none expects the powerful ending of First Blood.
I know what you mean. My uncle was a tunnel rat due to his 5’2 height. We lived above him in a duplex. He would sleep with the lights on. Would wake up screaming in terror. Had to sleep in a separate room from his wife, he attacker her in his sleep. He would sit staring at the blank tv and would wonder around the house at night crying. He died of liver failure, his war is over, I hope he is at peace.
@@Revetus915 The sleep deprivation that goes with it makes the PTSD worse. God bless your Uncle & he’s at peace. My buddy died last month from s brain hemorrhage & came back. He served 28 years, SF & was in the initial invasion of Afghanistan. He swears he went to the otherside & said all his pain & anguish was gone but it wasn’t his time. I believe him! He has drawings he made of the beings he encountered. It gave him me peace of mind knowing there’s peace in the end. Believe it or not, your Uncle was rewarded in the end.
You can't miss the cruel irony of a veteran being turned away from a town called Hope. As the son of a Vietnam veteran, this movie hits really hard for me. It explains to me all the things my dad would never talk about.
Welcome home to your dad. I don’t know if he’s around still but that’s one thing this Iraq vet likes to tell them. They never got that.
@@jacobkubacki2719 Sadly my dad passed a little over 4 years ago - the day after Veterans Day. If I've learned anything, we've come a long way in showing more respect to our veterans, but we still don't do enough to help readjust to civilian life (I can't even begin to fathom how). When my dad came home, we have not yet learned to "hate the war, but respect the warrior". I never knew the boy that went to Vietnam, only the wounded & tormented man who came back. Thank you and all who have served for a greater good most of us don't understand.
@@Mister_Samsonite Its the politicians & oligarchs of the world that fight wars for profit. We’re on the verge of a really bog one. Trust me, I have friends still in and in high ranking places. But it’s those people that fan the flames of fear, hatred & division.
I saw first hand what we went to Iraq for & it wasn’t for freedom & democracy. I wish the people of our country would wake up & realize what they’re voting for & that goes for both sides of the isle.
How many generations of traumatized citizens are we going to produce? We live in the best most advanced time in this current history of mankind & yet we still haven’t figured out how to take care of each other. We should be living well, everyone.
Yet the majority puts all if our lives in the hands of people who lie, cheat & steal their way to the top only to turn around & tell us they have the key to a fair & just society! It blows my mind & makes me & a lot of other vets feel like we fought & got hurt & killed for nothing.
So yes, be kind to people. It goes a long way. You don’t know what they live with just as they don’t know how it is to walk in your shoes.
Our whole world just came out of a 2-3 year pandemic(Ill hold my thoughts in that bullshit) so is it best for humanity to jump into WW3? Or to send billions of dollars to Ukraine while neglecting us broke people that are suffering from losing their livelihoods?! Thank you for the thanks & be an ambassador for peace. War is Hell & we don’t need one.
And he’s getting turned away by another veteran. You can see Teasle’s decorations in his office. Also, he seems to organize his men with Korean War-era tactics when he pursues Rambo into the woods.
@@Enthymene Oh, using the National Guard was a GREAT idea!
A lot of people don't know that the Rambo movies started with a profound and deeply artful dower peice with a ton of really good social/political commentary. Glad you picked this one!
Had ZERO IDEA
@@holddowna yayy thank you so much for reacting to this, I had recommended this a few days back actually. I'm glad you liked the movie. Please react to part 2 and 3
I can’t think of a movie franchise that drifted further from its origin. Those later movies were just gore-p*rn.
I disliked that the anti-war message was lost on the sequels, at least until the final one.
@@gavinsheridan4680 probably Rocky
"I was in charge of million dollar equipment! Now I can't even get a job parking cars!" That line always stuck with through the years. To have sacrificed so much, and come back home to find not only are you not appreciated, you aren't valued at all. Great perspective.
That line hits deep
@Rowlandi11 - You've stated the line wrong. Rambo said he couldn't even "hold" a job parking cars. There's a big difference between "get" and "hold". You can't "hold" a job that you never had. Rambo was hired to do it but there were things about him that prevented him from being successful, even at parking cars, so he lost that job, he couldn't "hold" it. We see these things about him in this movie. Even before that terrible, "Oh, woe as me," speech at the end of this movie, if you can't see why Rambo couldn't hold a job parking cars then I hope you don't have a job that relies on critical thinking skills that impacts the lives of others. Apparently the only thing Rambo was ever good at was killing people. Not a lot of jobs like that in the private sector. I can see why he struggled.
@@NeverGiddy okay. I stated the line wrong.
Rambos problems holding a job and the message at the end of the movie are not mutually exclusive. Rambo can't work. We treat our veterans like inhuman pieces of shit. Both things can be true.
"if you can't see why Rambo couldn't hold a job parking cars then I hope you don't have a job that relies on critical thinking skills that impacts the lives of others."
What are you rambling about? I never said I couldn't see the difference, you ASSumed I can't see the difference and then went on some tangent about impacting peoples lives. Just a weird, projecting comment.
"Apparently the only thing Rambo was ever good at was killing people"
You can't make this claim of "ever" as we don't know Rambo before the war. It's also objectively untrue. Unless you're implying Green Berets have absolutely zero translatable skills to the private sector and are only killing machines. It's strangely dehumanizing and lacking in compassion. You're also now saying it's his lack of skills stopping him from holding a job and not his PTSD.
"We see these things throughout the movie" See what things? His trauma flashbacks? His PTSD?
So which is it? Is he too stupid to park cars or not? Is he a mindless killing machine or somebody capable with severe trauma? Make up your mind.
I guess Rambo is kinda poignant even now, huh
@@NeverGiddywow! I take it you didn't like Rambo🤔. Every Veterans experience in Nam was different I'm sure, maybe, just maybe loud backfires of cars would have a post traumatic effect, or some tough guy like the cop who just wants to be a jerk! You have no idea why can't, won't couldn't hold a job! Point is the men of Vietnam weren't treated right
@@donnaralph4413 - Rambo, the movie, had some entertainment value, until the end. Rambo, the character, was a societal threat and needed to be killed at the end of the movie, either by his own hand, Trautman, or all of the law enforcement officers waiting outside. Though not perfect, Sheriff Will Teasle was the hero of this movie. He was hired/elected to protect the town by its people and he saw that as his duty. Let one person live and shit on your sidewalks and soon you'll have a hundred more just like them. You always get more of what you tolerate. He instantly saw Rambo as a threat to the good order of the town he served and as the film progressed Rambo proved him right. When I read comments posted, there seems to be way to much misdirected compassion towards Rambo in this movie. Rambo violently attacked police officers, pushed one through a glass window, pulled a kid off a moving motorcycle and stole it, created the circumstance that led to the death of Art Gault, shot an old man, killed his dogs, stabbed a young police officer, set a spiked booby trap for another, broke an officer's arm, fired at national guardsmen, threw a soldier from a moving truck, destroyed city property, seriously wounded, possibly fatally wounded the Sheriff, and Rambo's the guy we're supposed to feel sorry for. When you turn your trauma inward, we need to be helping you with those emotional difficulties. As soon as you turn your trauma outward, we need to punch your ticket. I'll start feeling sorry for Rambo right after I start feeling sorry for Charles Whitman.
"Don't look at me, look at the road, that's how accidents happen." I love that line. Safety first for Rambo.
Soo good!!!!
The original G.I. Joe PSA
Rambo was written by a Canuck, David Morrell, it was his first book published. The Sherriff Teasle was acted by Brian Dennehy. Dennehy was a Korean war veteran. he coached Stallone on PTSD and other things veterans feel. Dennehy and Stallone were good friends until Dennehy's death
@oldgeezer3324 - If you can believe the internet, Brian Dennehy was born in July of 1938. The Korean War started in 1950 when he was just twelve years old. When it ended in 1953 he was fifteen years old, so he's not a Korean War veteran. He served in the U.S., Japan, and Korea, just not during the Korean War.
Dennehy enlisted in the United States Marine Corps serving from 1958 to 1963, including playing football on Okinawa. In several interviews, he described being wounded in combat and repeatedly claimed to have served in Vietnam.
In 1999, he apologized for misrepresenting his military record, stating: "I lied about serving in Vietnam, and I'm sorry. I did not mean to take away from the actions and the sacrifices of the ones who did really serve there... I did steal valor. That was very wrong of me. There is no real excuse for that.
He was coaching Stallone on PTSD during a time when he was still misrepresenting his stolen valor.
@@NeverGiddy Thank you.
@@NeverGiddyOk, What I read was wrong, thanks for the correction
Brian Dennehy was such a good actor. He was really great at playing a believable asshole.
@@NeverGiddy His character was a Korean war vet, that's what the medals behind his desk represent.
My uncle was a Green Beret. Did 3 tours until he died in Vietnam, Christmas Day of '68, 5 months before I was born. My mother, his sister-in-law, was a teacher. She mostly taught 3rd grade. She was a great patriot. Ray, my uncle, told her stories of how when he was on leave in California he would be spat at, have rocks thrown at him, & called terrible slurs, though he said it wasn't as much an issue here in the Mountain West. When First Blood came out she saw it. It so moved her that when it came out on VHS she bought a copy, & then asked the district office if she could show it to her students. They agreed, as long as she got the parents permission. This became a part of her history curriculum everafter. She did this, along with telling my uncle Ray's story, to teach children young the sacrifices paid by our veterens & the horrors of war. After the viewing the class would have a discussion why Rambo did what he did, why the Sheriff did what he did, & especially about Rambo's breakdown at the end. My sweet mother thought it was important that veterans were to be treated better all the way around, & never to be treated as the vets of Vietnam were.
I'm a member of the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association, and I know a couple of old Viet Nam vets. One was a grunt, the other a brown water (river) Navy man. Neither talks much about their experiences, but the Navy guy won't eat rice. He was a POW for a time, and that is all they were fed. Sometimes it had maggots in it. He won't touch the stuff now. I hug them both a little extra every time I see them. Do you want to make a Viet Nam Vet happy? Tell him "Welcome home!" That's something they never got when they came back from that place.
@@IHeartShenanigans
🙏🇺🇲👍
@@IHeartShenanigans When I was in South Africa about 15 years ago for a year, I met a Vietnam vet. Guy had a wife and kid when he got sent to Vietnam, he never returned to the US after his tour was over.
Great story Sunder. Speaking as a UK vet', I think times seemed to have changed in the US now, your vet's are appreciated more now. Possibly, in part, due to movies such as Rambo, Private Ryan, etc. I never got why the youth of the day, were so against the average GI Joe. It's not like they chose to go & fight.
"First Blood", is definitely the best Rambo film - by Far.
Oh yeah, I liked Rambo II and III as action films, but I felt his character was more realistic and sympathetic here. He goes from doing everything possible to avoid hurting people even after they trigger his PTSD, and finally having an emotional breakdown and turning himself in to somebody dropped into warzones that has no problem with killing. Granted, he's still a broken man to a degree in the later films but because he seems less conflicted about using violence it's a pretty drastic shift in tone from the first film that seems more like a cinematic character study.
When this movie was released, nobody had ever heard of PTSD and Vietnam vets were still being treated like second class citizens. Other movies get a lot of credit for elevating the public image of vets but Stallone started it all. What a guy.
True.
veterans are still being treated like second class citizens. while this shit run country sends money and support to other countries and brings in immigrants to support it forgets the people who fight these wars. and its not even americas wars, it hasnt been for decades. usa is not the greatest country anymore and hasnt been to its citizens in a long time. this corporation run country is selling OUR land to china, other countries are buying buildings to rent to u.s citizens while the money is going to probably fund terrorists or launder drug money. my apartment building was owned by a place in italy. its time for u.s citizens to stand up and get these relics that sit in congress and the white house out, stop worrying about trump and biden and all these money hungry corporations starving us and raising rents, mortgages, and property taxes to give our homes to foreign citizens and eventually it will happen. they are taking our rights to bare arms so we cant fight back and they can take as they will which is our right to fight off a tyrannical government. time to wake up before the second coming, at least we can say i fought back
People heard of PTSD or the other names it was called. Media and Government propaganda buried it. Spitting on soldiers, calling rap!st and baby killers was the thing which lead to everyone being given a reason to not help! This lead to drug and alcohol problem but who cared? This lead to broken homes and fathers who were absent because no one cared. Decades went by while these men suffered. My father is no longer here and I will never know him. Broken forgotten and left alone and a system that encouraged woman to do so which many did. Kids lost and confused cause a government, media and host of celebrities used political tools to justify themselves while standing on soldiers. Never say "nobody ever heard" They choose to ignorer.
PTSD is a bullcrap turnphrase. These men have shell-shock. PTSD is a social commentary for weaklings.
People knew about it but they called it “shell shocked” from the ww2 guys who exhibited similar experiences.
It’s always interesting to see someone react to this film for the first time going into it with the notion that it’s a good time action flick, only to get the emotional gut punch at the end and realize you’ve just watched a moving piece on the effects of PTSD. That scene is certainly one of Stallone’s best performances, maybe the top. Great reaction, you definitely felt it!
Totally! I was hyper always wanted to watch this because of the close home town reference and then gut punched
The wars change venues but the trauma stays the same.
"Not my favorite town, but it has a great diner" - exactly how Rambo felt!
I laughed at that too.
I know the exact diner she’s talking about. 👍🏼
It’s a must when you’re passing through.
@@jodynelson2055 I gotta go there dressed like Rambo, lol
What's the name of the diner that people talk so much about? The Old Home, fill 'er up, keep on trucking café. 😊
@@Groovy-z3x Gonna stop at this local choke n’ puke & throw some groceries down my throat. Lol Jerry Reed Smokey & the Bandit
In the book after Trautman gets John calmed down, he realizes that Rambo is too far gone and is going to have to pay hell for all that he had done. In the book Rambo killed all of the deputies and the young boy and his father that was hunting. So to "save" John from all that was to come and save him from his life, Trautman shoots Rambo in the head. Its a way grimmer ending but I think punctuates the theme of the book far better. We treated those Viet Nam vets disgracefully, and this story sent home the message very clearly.
Yeah the Rambo in the book bears more resemblance to Jason Vorhees, by the time he gets back to town he's killed 18 people already.
I watched a documentary about Stallone and he said that he did NOT want Vietnam vets to get the impression that all hope is lost for them and he was adamant that it would be changed to something a bit more hopeful for them and ended the movie the way it did. I’d go as far as saying that the ending MADE the movie what it is (the original ending had trautman shoot Rambo dead like the book but Stallone like I said again hated it and didn’t want Vietnam vets to get the wrong idea) by making what would’ve been a typical action movie to a heartfelt character study of a veteran
Spoiler....
Just like the ending in, "Of Mice and Men"...poetic tragedy is a theme in art that is really misunderstood and incomprehensible to most people today. Most people who react to Return of the King always say, "why does Frodo have to go away?"
All of Trautmans scenes were re-shot with Richard Crenna, because Kirk Douglas was originally cast. He walked away from the film when he didn’t get to kill Rambo. The studio still wanted Rambo to die, and they actually shot the ending with Rambo killing himself and test audiences were extremely angry.
Stallone knows his audience, he was right with Rocky, and he was right with this film.
And sheriff was a Korean vet, sad they didn't put this on the movie.
I remember watching something on UA-cam with some veterans about Rambos final monologue and they all said that is the most realistic anyone has ever done to show how they feel they've been treated 😢😢 my heart breaks for anyone who's went to a war and came back and just can't get the support they deserve, financially,physically and emotionally ❤ Sly says as well he spoke to a bunch of them and poured his heart into that to ensure he captured everything for them. Great reaction ❤
Wow!! I would love to watch that
Thanks for watching this with us old veterans. These movies follow one veterans life as he tries to put his life back together
Thank u for ur service❤️
That ending monologue with Rambo always gets me.
When this film was released in 1982, many veterans went to see it. During the final scene, many of them had to leave the theater, because Sylvester Stallone's performance mirrored their own experiences so closely, they were unable to watch it. It is a testimony to Stallone's skill as an actor, as well as a validation of what many of those service people suffered, not only, the traumas of conflict, but also the neglect and isolation when they returned home.
Many of the veterans of the Vietnam Conflict didn't receive the help and support they needed until decades after returning home, and many of the people who protested the war have since recognized and admitted that they were wrong in their treatment of these brave men and women.
Thank you for recognizing this fact in your review. So many young people reviewing films like this on UA-cam go in without doing any research and completely miss the importance of what the film is truly presenting - which can be frustrating for people, like me, who know about the Vietnam Conflict.
What's so heart breaking, is the genuine joy in Rambo's voice and on his face when he reaches Delmar's place. That was his last tether to some semblance of sanity. After that he's completely left alone to fight his demons.
Right!!! He was so excited to see his friend!
The M60 was the main automatic weapon for small units like squads, in Vietnam and the early 80's. It still saw use into the 90's, but it's iconic look has made it popular for many movies and video games.
One of those rare movies where Sly actually acted, rather than just being an action hero. Superb performance.
He was amazing!
I've never seen anyone get so emotionally invested in the characters of a movie. I wish I wasn't so much damn older than you, Ames, cause I'd love to binge watch a few movies with you. You have an amazing sense of honor and fair play and I truly admire you as a person. You're also cute as hell and have gorgeous hair. Rock on, homie...
I can watch this movie a thousand times and will always cry at the end! Sylvester Stallone's performance is perfect! He actually makes you believe that he's a Vietnam veteran and went through the war. Outstanding performance by him at the end!
Stallone has a reputation as the stereotypical muscle-bound 80s action star, but his breakout roles were some of the healthiest takes on masculinity. Both Rambo and Rocky show the value of being emotionally vulnerable.
First thing I remember him in was a guest role in Kojak.
Real men have only one emotion: Bacon.
One of the things I find interesting about this is, Sheriff Teasle is a Korean War Vet. But their mindsets are so completely different because of how each was treated so differently by society upon their return.
There’s a myth that the actor who portrayed Teasle was a Korean War Veteran.
However, Brian Dennehy was born in July 1938; but the Korean War started in 1950, making Dennehy only 12 when it started.
Dennehy enlisted in the USMC from 1958 to 1963. In multiple interviews he described being wounded in combat & repeatedly claimed he served in Vietnam.
In 1999 he apologised for misrepresenting his military record, stating “I lied about serving in Vietnam & I am sorry. I didn’t mean to take it away from the actions & sacrifices of the ones who really did serve there….i did steal valour. That was very wrong of me. There was no real excuse for that”.
I think OP meant the character was a Korean Vet. Not the actor.
We watches this in our civics class in the late 1980s and the teacher pointed out all the times Rambo's civil rights were violated. Good movie and good lesson.
This is going to sound dumb, but this movie inspired me to join the Army. I was an idiot kid and paid no attention to what the movie was really about. I just wanted to do what Rambo could do, and I liked the idea of using those skills to defend my country. I was even an M60 gunner. Not until after I was in the Army did I truly finally realize what the movie was about. And it's right. You become the pawn of politicians. You can be put in places where your life is on the line and where you might have to take life when it's just not justifiable to do so. It was the greatest disillusionment I ever had. I couldn't wait to get out.
"Not the hunting shop it's probably family owned" omg I love you!
🤣🤣❤️❤️❤️
This was really the first depiction of PTSD. No one really understood the trauma of these guys returning to a country that protested and didn't support the troops in a war that was much more political than anything else. No real rally cry, no freeing people, just trying to prevent a different government philosophy from spreading. While I didn't serve, I have an uncle who did 3 tours in special ops there. He still won't talk about it, but I can see the look in his eyes when shit comes back to him. He's had a pretty successful life, but there's a bitterness and sadness that he can't quite shake. He's 76 yrs old and been carrying this burden fir 55 years. This is a very important movie that kick started a lot if programs fir returning vets that now are readily available to them. Hats off to the creators of this movie, they did a helluva lot of good for our guys.
For the Sherriff it's all about power tripping and ego does go with that. "I kick the deputy's ass! Me! The law!" What's seldom seen or talked about is the fact that if you look behind the sherriff when he's at his desk - he was in the Army too. From left to right: Army Distinguished Service Cross, Purple Heart and Silver Star. You're thee only one that I've seen that's at least noted it; back in 82 when I saw it - I saw those medals. My brother returned from Vietnam with severe PTSD; he wasn't the same, but at least he came home! It wasn't till about 77 when 'they' finally recognized PTSD! He past a few years ago - from cancer by Agent Orange as most if not all his company did. Thank you for sharing with us!
I saw the medals too. One would think that the Sheriff with those awards would empathize with Rambo's situation. Kinda hard to believe that he wasn't at least sympathetic.
@@stephentaylor9630 He was Korean war veteran. In Australia the Vietnam veterans were even frowned upon by some of the WW1 and WW2 and Korean war veterans, thanks to stigmas like baby killers and murderers from the media.
There’s a myth that the actor who played Teasle was a Korean War veteran.
However actor Brian Dennehy wasn’t born until July 1938; with the Korean War starting in 1950, making Dennehy only 12 when it started.
Dennehy enlisted in the USMC from 1958 to 1963. In multiple interviews he described being wounded in combat & repeatedly claimed he served in Vietnam.
In 1999 he apologised for misrepresenting his military record, stating “I lied about serving in Vietnam & I am sorry. I didn’t mean to take it away from the actions & sacrifices of the ones who really did serve there….i did steal valour. That was very wrong of me. There was no real excuse for that”.
@@davidanderson1639 Yeah I knew that about Brian, but the character Teasle is a Korean war veteran.
Still one of the best movies ever.
When Rambo jumped off the cliff, Stallone did the stunt and when lands in the trees and screams in pain it was legit because he actually broke some ribs.
That single stunt cemented Stallone and Rambo as Rock Hard Epic Men forever
Sly's monolog at the end is one of his best acting moments IMO.
Unreal!
@holddowna better than the monolog he has with his son in Rocky Balboa. But that one was pretty good too
I really love this movie!
By the time I went to war, civilians looked at vets differently. We had feared that we'd be treated like John Rambo because there were some Vietnam vets in our company with many stories to tell, but that wasn't the case at all after Desert Storm.
We were warned before we got off the plane that there were some people who wanted to see us. I pictured about a dozen people when actually I met two thousand flag-waving strangers.
It was as if Sylvester Stallone's end monologue in this movie had actually hit home. I loved the end of this flick. He message was clear: Hate the game, not the player.
War totally sucks. You will never find someone who is a bigger pacifist than a war vet or someone who has lost a loved one to war.
Sure, I'm all for fighting for this country and am very pro-military, but I don't think it contradicts my being against warfare one bit.
I'm really glad that you saw this movie and enjoyed it!
Best to you! ❤
No one is ever ready for Stallone’s heartbreaking and masterful performance at the end.
Couldn't see if anyone already mentioned this, but when Rambo attacked the town, he was using standard guerrilla warfare tactics; take out fuel, munitions, communications, supplies, and finally command.
I get chills when Rambo tells Teasle, "don't push it, or I'll give you a war you won't believe." It's the first time the audience sees genuine fear in Teasle's face. It's a real cinematic moment!
Trautman had all the great lines:
- “I'm just amazed he allowed any of your posse to live… Strictly speaking, he slipped up. You're lucky to be breathing.”
- “Don’t forget one thing… A good supply of body bags.”
- “Here lies John Rambo, winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor, survivor of countless incursions behind enemy lines. Killed for vagrancy in Jerkwater, USA.”
- “You're goddamn lucky he didn't kill all of you.”
Right? Richard Crenna is a national treasure. I've loved everything I've seen him in. He played a rather convincing Ronald Reagan in the movie they made about the assassination attempt on him.
One of my all time favourite film. Stallone”s acting when he breaks down was unbelievable. It brings a tear to my eyes every single time.
After this movie, I did research on Sheriff Teasle’s character based on his comment “Do you think Rambo is the only one who had a difficult time during the war?” and the military shadow box on his desk with the Purple Heart. It’s crazy how much stuff on this character I found. What I found was there was a different Teasle in the book than in the movie. That Teasle served in the Korean War and that he didn’t like Rambo for specific reasons. When men came back from World War II, they were lauded as hero’s because they won. Korea was considered a stalemate and that’s why Korean vets were considered members of the “forgotten war.” Teasle did not like all of the press Vietnam Vets were getting and that he felt like his service was forgotten. Plus in the novel, Teasel’s wife just divorced him, hence his bad attitude. Teasel took pride in what he accomplished after the war and looked down on Rambo as a drifter, so it was a class thing. In the novel, Teasel considered Rambo his equal and this was a test to himself to see who was better. He was willing to use whatever power and resources he had to prove he was better than Rambo. Also you should research the movie. Stallone did his own stunts. Stallone actually broke his ribs on the tree branches performing the cliff jumping scene on the second take.
Thanks for this! I know they made it so easy to hate teasel but there is more to him! Especially after editing this u see more! Thanks for all the extra tidbits!
No problem. Also, because Teasel was told he wasn’t allowed to win the war in Korea by his superiors, this was why Colonel Trouts warning “Do you want a war you can’t win?” Teasel was finally in charge and nobody was going to tell him he couldn’t win this time. This also explains why he gets upset when they tell Teasel on the radio that Rambo is a war hero, it upsets him more. Because in his mind “where is my recognition?” I never got any and I’m not going to show him any.
Very true about Teasle and his Korean War service. But even in the book he definitely didn't consider Rambo his 'equal', especially in the beginning. In his mind, all the WWII or Korean War vets (like himself) who came home were 'clean cut', hard-working, law-abiding Americans.
The image Teasle, and a lot of people had back then about Vietnam veterans was: Scruffy, hippie-like vagrants, drug-addicts, crazy, etc. which is definitely an unfair representation, but looking back it's definitely appalling how bad they were treated when coming home...
When I said he considered him his equal, I meant it as someone who served only, but he looked at him as lower class. He also had this mentality, that nobody cared about me after my war so I don’t care about you, especially a “drifter.” Because he was Sheriff he placed himself on a pedestal while looking down on Rambo as a street bum based on his appearance. He even said “we don’t want your type around here.”
There’s a myth that the actor who played Teasle was an actual Korean War Veteran.
However, actor Brian Dennehy was only born in July 1938; with the Korean War started in 1950, making Dennehy only 12 when it started.
Dennehy enlisted in the USMC from 1958 to 1963. In multiple interviews he described being wounded in combat & repeatedly claimed he served in Vietnam.
In 1999 he apologised for misrepresenting his military record, stating “I lied about serving in Vietnam & I am sorry. I didn’t mean to take it away from the actions & sacrifices of the ones who really did serve there….i did steal valour. That was very wrong of me. There was no real excuse for that”.
Born in 1969, i wasn't old enough to understand or appreciate the men DRAFTED into this war. Hanoi Jane and all her ilk caused trauma on top of the PTSD. For all the Hippies spouting peace and love, they sure didn't show it.
As someone who used to suffer from PTSD, I'll give this film props, they portray it pretty accurately.
Oh definitely.
I'm from Vancouver BC. Every time we would drive past Hope, my dad would make the same comment asking us if we were aware that First Blood was filmed in hope. This went on for about 10 years until we had to ask him to stop 😆
My stepdad is a Vietnam vet. I've never once asked him about his experiences, but one time we were watching the news together and, unprompted, he told me a story about his time in the war and it was enough to give me recurring nightmares.
The scariest thing is that First Blood is actually LESS dark than the novel it's based on.
All the Rambo movies are very good.
As a vet, this stood out to me - At the end of the movie, you’ll notice John walking to the right of his colonel. Normally, that is a breach of military courtesy. According to rank, your superior always walks to your right. But this was a display of respect from the colonel.
Maybe because Rambo has the MoH?
@@gill5453 Exactly. The MoH is another reason. But I think he would have allowed that even if he didn’t have the MoH.
This was honestly one of the first films that explored whae Vietnam vets went through and the effect the war had on them. It also showed how vets were treated when they came home.
Don't look at me.
Look at the road.
That's how accidents happen.
Brilliant, thank you, it's always great to see reactions to this (esp at the end)
Totally 180 had no idea what was gunna happen in this movie
@@holddowna Yep, some wonderful acting, easily matches his Rocky 1 acting,
This was one of my late father's first laserdisc purchases and I grew up to see why. Thanks again for a wonderful reaction!
You're so right about the stunning beauty of the Pacific Northwest, dear. I've been to North Cascades, Olypic, and Mount Ranier, several times. I rode my bike from Ohio to Washington state to visit the national parks out west. While I enjoyed my visits to Washington, I fell in love with Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana. You've not truly lived until you've driven Going-To-The-Sun-Road in Glacier National Park. It's 50 miles of what I assume heaven will look like it I'm lucky enough to make it there.
This is my favorite movie of the franchise, such a powerful message and amazing performance by Sylvester Stallone. My father was a Marine in Vietnam during Tet, I've had many talks with him trying to support him exorcise some demons, every November 10th and every Memorial Day.
Numbers 2 and 3 are okay, straight up Cold War action movies, it was strange time in American cinema during the early to mid 80's because there was a lot of speculation that N. Vietnam still had American P.O.W.s 10 years after the war had ended so there were a lot of movies that came out about rescuing them.
The fourth one is really good but incredibly violent, it takes place in modern times, definitely worth a watch.
The fifth one is also especially brutal like four but not as good in my opinion, it's almost a direct copy of a movie called "Revenge" starring Kevin Costner and Madeline Stowe.
The movie "The Green Berets" isn't bad but just remember it's a straight up propaganda flick trying to drum up support for an unpopular war, you'll get the idea when you see it. The song was super popular tho, I think it was a Top 40 hit!
Thanks for your reactions, they're always fun to watch!
As someone with a friend who has PTSD from her time in the sandbox, we really really need to do better by our soldiers, even today, when it comes to mental health in combat zones. Most of the soldiers won't speak up about their problems for fear of being relieved of their positions, things they have trained hard for and are good at, things that allow them to "pull their weight'. For some being pulled back is the right thing, for others probably not. Regardless, the support they receive is just not enough. I can only look back on the post-vietnam era as a fan of history and wish that we had understood and done better back then as a country. Maybe those today would have a bit more of what they need.
The message of this movie is powerful. One post I read before mentioned that the Sheriff was a Korean War vet, and the lack of win in that war was part of what made him so bitter towards Rambo and others whom he felt had genuinely lost. I really need to get the book this is based off of.
When I was young , Rambo was just a kick ass action movie. When I grew up and I learned about PTSD and how veterans got affected by the war, I saw a brilliant chef d'oeuvre in this movie.... especially at the end when Rambo explain everything.
NOTHING IS OVER!!
For a lot of us, this was the eye opener about how Vietnam Vets were treated. I had some teachers that served in 'Nam and learned so much from them as well. I was 8 when this came out. My dad was a Marine who was in the Reserves and never got to Vietnam but he had a lot of friends who did. On a lighter note, this movie also launched a torrid love affair between boys my age and survival knives. We all had them. My dad bought it for me. My mother was not thrilled...
The novel by David Morell had written that Troutman (with Rambo's help) killed Rambo at the end, shortly after the monologue, but Stallone was hell bent on NOT killing Rambo. He basically said "If we kill Rambo, what kind of message are we sending out to Vets? That death is the only solution? No, we need to show the Vets that are suffering from PTSD that there is Hope."
This is definitely a great movie made me fall in love with Stallone as a kid and made me feel for my grandpa and great grandpa who served and fought and they never brought it up they always kept it inside and I wish I coulda watched this at a time when they were still here and talk to them about there time tell them thank you and that I loved them for all that they did, so now every time I watch this especially at the last scene I just start balling cause if you weren’t there you’ll never truly know the things these guys had to do or go through.
To anybody out there who has served or is severing I just wanna say thank you 🙏🏻
Thanks for sharing!
There was a movie that came out in 1968 called The Green Berets. John Wayne starred in it. You might like it. 😁
Ya heard about it will watch for sure
I've watched this movie so many times. One of my favorites. It was an incredible experience to see you react to it and actually being familiar with the area it was filmed in. I really appreciated that. Made it hit even harder. Such a well made movie. Stallone's ending speech was so deep, vulnerable and emotional that i forget he's acting. It's heartbreaking to think that there are so many people that have dealt with this and felt this way.
One of the first movies to deal with soldiers reintegrating after war was 1946's picture of the year, "The Best Years of Our Lives". It's a favorite of Steven Spielberg's and is well worth a watch for anyone who has a serious interest in film.
My favorite Rambo film, i was shocked how good it was when i saw it the first time.
Vietnam veterans were not treated kindly upon their return. My dad was in Vietnam and I served for 20 years later. I had to see his eyes over and over as people thanked me for my service. No one thanked him. He has since passed away.
💔
Did you tell him that people are thinking you?
I hope you continue on with rest of Rambo's. You will love them
I am a new fan and- may I say- watching movies with you is the perfect solution for my neurodivergent brain. We can get through a whole movie in the course of 1/2 an hour and your commentary is very similar to my thoughts already. It is the perfect way for me to sit and rest my mind for a short period of time, then I can get back to my day. Otherwise, I would never sit down and get through a whole film by myself. Appreciate your work!!!
Rambo: Last Blood was a great finale to this series as well. Worth a watch
The fact that your first reference was the diner in town was darkly funny. "Oh they've got a great diner in that town!"
I love this movie and all the ones that followed (not everyone likes the rest). I remember seeing the vets come back and people protesting them and not the ones who sent them. Great reaction and comments.
It makes it so much better that you know Hope, the place really hasn't changed much at all and it's hilarious. Gorgeous area for the scenery though.
Absolutely love your channel Ames. Thanks for keeping all these classic movies relevant. That Sheriff we all hate is no other than the late great Canadian actor Brian Dennehy. He was such a TUFF looking guy, miss him. He was also in another classic movie called ''Walking Tall'' . If you get a chance, another masterpiece you should do a reaction to is ''Jacobs Ladder'' which also dwells in the horrors of the Vietnam war. You WILL NOT REGRET IT.
I never went to Vietnam, but I had several friends who did. They weren't treated badly in the small town we grew up in, but they also weren't held in the high esteem you see for veterans these days. Thank God that people have come to their senses where veterans are concerned. Back then the media seemed to go out of their way to make everything that happened seem horrible for the Vietnamese at the hands of our troops. They were called murderers, and baby killers, and monsters...booed in public, and even had people spit on them at times. It was really bad. PTSD wasn't treated back then the way it is now. There weren't large, organized groups for aid and treatment, like there are now. A lot of celebrities were making fun of our military, and belittling those who fought over there, not asking people to join groups to help veterans, like now. Things still aren't perfect for vets, but they're tons better than back during and after the Vietnam war.
And in Vietnam our government had "rules of engagement" that were really ignorant. From what I was told, some of those rules made it seem like their own government was trying to get them killed. There was some really ridiculous stuff, almost as if we didn't even want to win the war. I think there were those in government who didn't. Thanks for a great reaction, and God bless you.
Every Rambo movie deals with an issue of the time. All worth watching. Vietnam vets were treated far worse that other vets in our history.
This is one of those films that wasn't initially seen for its message. Over the years, this film has found its proper place of importance.
A great reaction to a film that is more than it's sum.
I first saw this on TV in like 1990 as a teenager, and I cry at Rambo breaking down every time.
The whole Rambo SERIES is about John dealing with his undiagnosed PTSD. It’s just we only remember the goofy action and big explosions etc. But the character study goes throughout the entire series.
In heartfelt conversations with Vietnam veterans, they bravely shared the painful reality of being advised against wearing their uniforms in public out of fear of facing attacks, spitting, and being labeled as "baby killers." The haunting tales of their experiences in Vietnam have left deep scars. It is unjust for anyone to pass judgment on the actions of these young men who found themselves thrust into a harrowing and chaotic war zone, often against their will through the draft. The emotional turmoil and strain of such a hyper-stressful environment are a potent recipe for tragedy. This is why I hold a deep-seated disillusionment towards certain boomer democrats who, instead of showing gratitude, chose to add to the suffering of these brave veterans.
The end monologue is the thing that makes this movie the classic it is, recontextualizing everything you’ve seen up to this point, stripping it of the righteous revenge story and making Rambo almost an antivillain.
And as a veteran, this last speech hits incredibly hard. Even though any trauma I had during GWOT was comparably minimal, I know tons of guys who struggle making friends now or relating to normal people or carrying on relationships.
They estimate 30 vets a day (most popular theory is 22) kill themselves largely due to society’s inability to integrate these people back into society. Not because they’re violent maniacs who could snap and kill everyone at any moment, but because they can’t relate to the pettiness that most normal people place such high priority on in their daily lives.
The comic book feel of the sequels makes people forget how grounded this franchise started. Was always my favorite Rambo film by far.
I went to Hope back in 2011. Our tour bus stopped there briefly. I had a grilled cheese sandwich with that weird orange cheese. Lovely place.
When most people think of this movie, they think of the action hero John Rambo. I think of the John Rambo that we see at the end of the movie when he just breaks down. I'm a veteran, but I'm not a combat veteran, and I never had to experience those types of things. I'm grateful for that, but I empathize for those who had to endure such things. And it goes beyond military veterans--Police, Firefighters, Doctors, Nurses, and so many other related fields have to see some of the worst that life has to offer. We can't forget what all of them go through in an attempt to help.
one of my fav movies, i'm a people watcher, and this is one of my favorite reactions to this. And in it's time, it done a lot for PTSD and attention to these problems! Great reaction!!!
I love that line. In town you're the law, out her it's me. Rambo is just pure badass. That heartbreaking scene at the end, Stallone is an amazing actor.
The sheriff had to fall, Rambo had to destroy the town. The whole movie is a shocking indictment of a nation that abandoned its troops. That had lost its honor for the ones who suffered, whether they wanted to or not, in service to their country.
I watched this when I was about 7 & I think it's the first movie that made me cry, Stallone talking about the war at the end really stuck with me for a long time.
This was a great reaction. I also really want to give you props for 23:00 . I've seen multiple reactions to this movie, but you are the first I've seen who picked up on Rambo not being certain if Colonel Trautman's radio call was real or if he was just imagining it.
Also: not sure if you noticed it, but when Rambo came back to Hope with the machine gun, the places he targeted were not random. He waged war on Hope the same way he was taught to attack settlements in the war: cutting off the town's power and destroying its fuel and weapons supply (in this case, the gas station and gun shop).
At least he didn't target the town's food supply: in that case, the diner you like might have been added to his list!
"...has a great diner I love to go to..." John never got to see this diner, is literally the reason the whole franchise exists :) Loved it.
“I eat Green Berets for breakfast.” - John Matrix, a Green Beret (Commando, 1985)
A great film. Stallones performance outstanding.
29:35 - The colonel said it earlier: "He wins by attrition.". That means crippling the enemy's main resources first by blowing up: *fuel* (gas station), *power* (electric transformers) and *ammunition* (weapon store). That's what he was trained for during war; and in his mind he's still at war.
Now I understand why he did what he did when going back to town instead of just escaping.
The moral of the film is to bring awareness, to see through the lens of the hardships that our veterans struggle with everyday. That transitioning back into civilian life isn't always easy. To show the audience that when they come home from duty, that they aren't welcomed back into society as the same person anymore. As someone who transitioned out of active duty, I know how that feels now that I come home to only find out that a lot has changed since I was away. To all my fellow vets out there, you aren't alone and I thank you for your service.
Try 13hrs in Benghazi that’s got a number of special operators in it including one green beret I believe anyway well worth a watch and a true story as well.
I would like to add MY voice to this request. It is a very good movie that I think you will appreciate, Ames.
@@davidbennett1357 I made my best mate watch this film an she doesn’t normally find these films interesting, but she keeps telling me she needs to watch it again as she can’t get her head around it being something that really happened to these people.
One of my all time favorite films from my childhood. As a local to the area, I was used to passing thru Hope regularly and seeing the spots featured in the movie. Unfortunately, as far as I know all the businesses seen have either been remodeled or demolished, including the iconic bridge about 6 years ago. Fortunately, Rambo Days are still celebrated in Hope, as far as I know. Although, the original sights are long gone, I still feel nostalgic whenever I pass thru. Long live the memory of John J.
My parents bought me a Rambo knife for Christmas right after this movie was made.I still have that knife today.It's very cool, handles had a bunch of stuff in it for survival.Pretty nice knife a begged for that Knife lol
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@@definitelynotanAIchatbot sorry. Lol I just saw that. I apologize. Thank you for letting me know.
The last ten minutes is such twist. Stalone's finest acting.
Unreal I was truly moved
@@holddowna He does a great job in "Copland" too, another great role for him.
Moral of the story - good manners and a kind word cost you NOTHING! Traumatized people walk among us every day, and you don't want to trigger the wrong one. Yes sir, no sir, please, thank you - they all go a long way to helping a stranger have a better day. If you want respect, GIVE respect!
If the majority of people followed the golden rule, this world would be wonderful.
@@jacobkubacki2719 I know, such a simple concept, right? I sure don't expect human nature to change in my lifetime. On a Zen/Physics level, we're made of the same stuff and more alike than we're different. Will we ever learn to stop mocking and destroying what we don't understand? Let's start asking the awkward questions and having the conversations we need to.
@@Mister_Samsonite If it weren’t for politicians & the oligarchs, we wouldn’t be in half the mess this world’s in. That’s both sides. Im a Carlinist as in the comedian/philosopher & take no sides in the absurdity our government has become. They all stand to profit from hatred, division & most of all fear! Well, love is the only thing that conquers that. If voting actually works(lol) we need a do over. Article 5 of our Constitution would do that but they won’t let me explain it here. I have to speak in code. IDK? I served, got injured, got arrested years later as my mental health declined & now my life is shit. I wish I never enlisted. Im ashamed that I participated in that sham. I pray for death but I love my daughters so I keep sticking around for now. God bless & tell your representatives no to war.
@@jacobkubacki2719 Brother, I am so sorry that other people's choices have left you so battered and disillusioned. Much like you, my father saw no "patriotism" in his service, but as a pawn in a far more sinister endgame. I don't know what to say that would ease your pain, but I hope seeing your daughters thrive in this crazy world is enough. However you might feel now, pulling the curtain is a permanent solution to temporary problems. I always used to think our vote made a difference, but it's hardly worthwhile when different puppets have their strings pulled by the same masters. I will pray that this message gives you hope and helps you prevail. Every life has meaning and purpose!
@@jacobkubacki2719 I'd also like to make a book recommendation - Viktor E. Frankl's "Man's Search For Meaning". It brought me great peace during the darkest moments of my life. A great quote from this book - a man with a "why" to live for, can bear with almost any "how".
All this movie is about that monologue at the end. The more I watch this movie the more I tear up on that monologue.
great reaction Ames.
THE biggest stars of the day passed on this role! Now, 40 years of rocky and Rambo. And he wrote and directed most of them! And part 2, I don't know what came out first or what he wrote first, but Cameron cowrote 2 with Stallone!
As a kid i must have watched this movie about 30 times. But when i got older i understand the movie a lot more. I feel so much for american veterans. I cant even imagine something like this happening in the Netherlands. So close to home yet so far
They messed with the wrong war veteran in this action adventure thriller.
Watching this film is very relevant on how Vietnam veterans were mistreated agter they came back home.
The scene with the sheriff sitting in his office after they think they got Rambo always throws me off. The medals are a Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, and Purple Heart. Not only should he have known what Rambo was going through, he should have known better as soon as he heard "Green Beret" than to try and go after Rambo in the wilderness with regular cops.
Its better explained in the book. It switches POV from Rambo to Teasle, back and forth. Teasle was dealing with personal issues and felt the kid was disrespectful, kid was tired of being pushed and made his stand against it.
You actually know the town wow!
Oh ya!
This movie was very important in starting to open peoples eyes to PTSD. It's a strong performance from all the actors involved, and by the writer. Wonderful, heartfelt reaction! ❤❤
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