I kept it hidden for a long time, but I'm a Combat Marine with PTSD and the ending scene, when he expresses the pain and nightmares from his experiences and loss, always hits me hard.
Well thank you for your service and thank you for your sacrifice and thank you for everything really you need to be putting on a pedestal with the rest of our warriors
I have helped some fellow USMC vets I served with (0311) when they have had their evil spirits weigh down on their life. Everyone has a different experience, but the anguish and the trauma is the same. Please seek help my friend, there are millions grateful for your service and selfless sacrifice. Help can be found in a lot of places, but I have seen that someone who was close to you in your experience can be the best therapy because they lived very similar experiences to yours. There is no shame and no loss of honor is getting help if you need it. Semper Fidelis my brother.
Thank you for remembering those who were lost. The US is always eager to have living heroes to worship that we forget about the heroes that sacrificed themselves for us.
Thank you for serving your country. All respects to you & I hope you get help with your PTSD. Even though I'm a foreigner I still salute you, sir, & every soldier willing to sacrifice & serve their countries. Take care & have a good day, sir.
Yep, Vietnam vets weren't treated nicely. Back then, on my first day of kindergarten, my mother instructed me that if anyone asked about my dad, I was to say, "He's overseas". Being 5, I thought "Overseas" was a country, so when I talked about it, the kids made fun of me for lying and teased me for being fatherless. Everything stopped the day he picked me up from school during class with his Marine Capt.'s khaki uniform on and sunglasses. He never talked about his two tours, though his back was riddled with scar from bullets. Later, my mother told me that he had to hold an 18-year-old soldier while he bled to death. Had to keep the boy calm and quiet so as to not give away their position.
My grandpa went to Vietnam, and my grandma took my dad and my aunt to another country for a few months because of all the bullying while my grandpa was deployed. There were a lot of violent protests in that part of the US, its definitely not a new thing. But ive heard the stories of him being spit on and having my grandpa called a baby killer, etc
Yeah, both Rocky and Rambo got turned into the action franchises he is known for, but both 1st movies are very nuanced character-driven movies that he performed superbly. It says more about the Hollywood machine that they got dumbed down in the sequels.
My dad was in Nam but he wasn’t drafted. His dad signed the paperwork to let him enlist at 17 and told him he hoped my dad died there. He almost did. He was 101st Airborne Ranger, demolitions expert, tunnel rat, and a sgt who led a small group through the jungles to terrorize the VC. He was shot up, spent 18 months in Japan and another 6 at The Presidio in San Francisco. For years he hid his ptsd, physical and mental pains, and dementia from everyone. I was around him a number of times though when he had flashbacks…it was not pretty. Once we discovered his dementia, I found all of his hand written field reports he had copied. He was reading them nightly. He passed away last year after battling his demons caused by Agent Orange and ptsd (not by his hand, his body just gave up). He was the strongest man I’ve ever known. When I was 18, I was in a near fatal car accident. My body was broken up pretty bad, but because I never saw my dad cry or complain about his pains, I never did. 30 years and 21 surgeries later (and more needed), I have zero regrets about how I’ve lived. I do caution others to at least care for their bodies if they ever have injuries. I’m in constant pain, but I’m still here. I wouldn’t be if I didn’t have the dad that I did.
My dad is a Special Forces Vietnam Veteran. I was born as the Vietnam War was ending. I remember him telling me how people didn't congratulate them as they came back home, because this was the first war televised in the news, and once people saw the uglier side of war brought into the homes of the people, it turned them against our soldiers. I'm not going to lie, I have always held the deepest and darkest contempt for those people. I saw First Blood, and it reinforced my beliefs, and to this day, as I am pushing 50, I still have nothing but sheer, undisguised contempt for those who were this way toward our soldiers.
I am 63 and I remember living near the beach in Southern California and young surfers who were heading off to Vietnam left their surfboards on my mom‘s covered porch. I don’t think everyone came back for their board. Vietnam was not a fool‘s errand and I have even known several South Vietnamese people who said they were heartbroken when the US left, because of anti-American contempt back home. And when they did the communists came down and slaughtered the south Vietnamese people. Despite all the political weirdness, your father fought in a noble cause for sure.
@@rescuetweak The worst irony is that Ho Chi Minh tried to talk to a couple of US Presidents to address the way the French were oppressing the peoples of Indochina. He was essentially blown off, never knowing whether his pleas had even been brought to the attention of them. Even in the post-war era no one wanted to deal with the French colonial issue through the UN. Finally Ho decided to get the help he needed through the communists who were more than happy to do so. Had someone in the US government listened and brought the French to task politically, the Vietnam war would likely have not happened.
I don't blame them, they were shellshocked too. The 'veil' was ripped away from them and they couldn't bear watching long enough to see the horrors done to the soldiers. unfortunately, what got burned into their minds was the images of soldiers doing horrible things, with them unable to keep watching to learn why. What they did to the soldiers is still wrong and should have never happened. They suffered wounds of all kinds, visible and invisible, thanks to that war. It just shows the utter irony of it all, that the most 'anti-war' people, who despised the cruelty inflicted on the citizens in Vietnam, only showed that they themselves could be cruel too. No wonder John felt like the war never truly ended. Even when he came back home, the citizens were against him. It's simply a miracle it never got to this point sooner. And doubly so that no one was killed when it finally happened. But yeah, my point was that, although I sure as hell don't agree with what was done, I can honestly understand why they felt the way they did. The war in Vietnam was just hell for all involved. At the very least though, it hopefully ripped down any lingering romanticism about war being 'heroic'.
I love it when people get around to watching this one and see their preconceptions melt away. The later Rambo movies go full on mindless action, almost to the point of self-parody, but First Blood is one of the greats.
To be fair, Rambo 4, while very action heavy, is based on true events happening in Burma and it put a spotlight on an otherwise mostly ignored conflict, despite the mutilation, noncon and child soldiers. Rambo 2,3 and 5 seem low on story.
@@bararobberbaron859 Actually 2 didn't get into it enough but America did abandon soldiers in Vietnam on the pull out. Our country unfortunately has a "tradition" of abandoning our own for political purposes.
In the original drafts he just went on a rampage and killed everyone, which is what many would expect from a dark action movie, but this screenplay delivered something far deeper, and made him even more human, than less. It's brilliant.
No in the original... Rambo tells Troutman to kill him. He puts a pistol in his hands and puts it up to his stomach, and pulls the trigger while Troutman is holding it. That ending was filmed, it's on RUclips, but they opted out because this movie was made not long after the war ended and they felt it sent the wrong message to Nam Vets who were suffering.
I've watched other "First Blood" reactions and mention this same thing about this movie as its almost hard to watch knowing how that ending scene goes, as what Rambo says is an accurate description of how Vietnam war veterans were treated during that time. I remember when my uncle came back from the war - I don't recall the protests, but found out about it later as I grew up ... I was little when my uncle came home from Vietnam. Its something I can't forget - as I came into my grandmother's house, he was sitting at the dining table. He looked liked he had come directly out of the jungle. He looked scary is what I remember. He never spoke about his time there that I can recall. However, years later ... much, much later ... he started to have flash backs of the war. He had delayed PTSD is what they called it. We also learned that the night he returned home, after getting off the plane, he and several of his army buddies had to sneak through the airport via a back corridor, as protestors were there shouting at them being murderers and baby killers. This movie ... the ending ... makes me think of my uncle, and how he was treated when he returned home. By the way, your reaction was great!
My dad was in Vietnam as well. He talked openly about a lot of stuff that happened. Holding and comforting guys while they died. Watching his sergeant and other guys being blown up on a chopper. Almost dying twice by friendly fire. Being pinned down in an ambush. He only ever talked about killing anyone once but he kind of referenced a time like in the movie platoon where their camp was completely overrun and shit was hand to hand and he was never wounded so you kind of figure he did that night as well. He had a lot of regrets as well it haunted him till he died. He said platoon was spot on for his year in the field and it haunted him terribly.
When the movie first came out on VHS, we had a friend of the family who worked as an ER nurse come over to watch "First Blood". She had us rewind the scene where Rambo stitched up his own arm after Galt fell out of the helicopter. She said it was the most realistic scene of blood gushing from an arm that she had ever seen.
As I understand it, Stallone suffered that wound for-real during the jump (not to mention the ribs he broke hitting the branch) and suggested that he stitch it up on-screen for added realism. The man was not afraid to "throw it in", as the TV Tropers say.
Tracecolburn, The wound was not real per Sly Stallone on a commentary of First Blood. I have the DVD set with the first four Rambo films. The "scar" was created by Mike Westmore with a pump under Stallone's arm that when he flexed his muscle it would "pump out" blood. The jump from the cliff was a three part jump. Buddy Joe Hooker is the person who jumped off the cliff into the first part of the tree, another stunt man the middle part of the tree, and Stallone the final part. On the third take, he actually did break a rib. All this info came from a commentary by Stallone on First Blood. The second and third movies have directors commentaries, four has none. Hope this helped. More comments below.
Also, for me, the Stallone movies have "cooled a bit." When Phil Hartman was shot by his wife, Stallone who was a friend of Phil Hartman, said, and I quote, Said, "They should go house to house and get ALL the guns." Sly has made a living from these movies, The Expendables and Rambo, now Tulsa King. If he truly believes this, why is he still doing movies with guns???? Everyone likes what they like, I get that. But to make a statement such as that and continue to do that. I don't think he really needs the money. IDK. Decide for yourself. Take care and all the best.
I really enjoy seeing reactions of people watching First Blood for the first time because they're genuinely surprised that it's more story driven than they perceived it to be!
They drafted KIDS to fight in that war ... a good reminder of that is Paul Hardcastle's song "19" ... because in WWII the average age of soldiers was 26, but in Vietnam it was 19 ... *_They died "for _**_-king-_**_ president and country" ... before being old enough to order a beer._*
One of the very few films that deals with what these Veterans had to go through when they came home from Vietnam. Soldiers follow orders, but politicians are the ones that decide if we go to war. The American public were booing, and spitting on the wrong people when they came home. Great Reaction! 👍
There a lot of films from this era that deal with the plight of veterans. Born on the Fourth of July, The Deer Hunter, Coming Home, In Country, and Taxi Driver all come to mind.
Johnson administration is to be blamed for sending troops into Vietnam for the war. Congress members that support or didn't do anything to stop the US military involvement are also to blame.
Really is a love letter to the disillusioned vets who come back from war (really, any war) with PTSD and the horrors they saw over there. Seeing his speech again, he should've gotten an Oscar nom. Stallone really seemed to feel personally the soldier's plight. Amazing speech.
In a commentary on First Blood, Sly said that "speech" at the end of the movie was a compilation of statements made to Stallone from actual veterans. After the scene, he talked to them. They stated to him, "You did us proud." Feeling that his scene stated their case.
Stallone actually broke one of his ribs doing the tree fall stunt. Excellent reaction. You were really into this, which is awesome because it's a fantastic movie.
This is one of the rare times the movie is better than the book. This was in the fictional town of Hope Washington but was filmed in Hope British Columbia. The town now has a Rambo statue.
In the ending sequence where he says" it wasn't my War!!.. you asked me I didn't ask you "it's because he was drafted he did not volunteer... so he did what he had to do for his country only to come home and be called a murdering baby killer and to be spit up on.. was one of the first movies to address PTSD thanks for watching
People often forgot how moving that last scene is. And how well it ties into the beginning. Great react. Geeze. This movie is about 40 years old. I remember seeing it in the theater. And Stallone is coming out with a new movie (the Samaritan) that looks good. Not many people could pull that off at his age.
The acting and writing were great. It's the delivery I have issue with. English is my secondary language, so for me Stallone sounded more like Taz from the Looney Tunes than a PTSD meltdown.
I am not American, I'm Chilean. My dad was a police officer here in Chile and I watched this movie when I was like 11 years old. I can tell you that outside America, this movie started a trend about survival knives that is still on. I still have a field knife that was my dad's, manufactured by the Chilean state arms company, FAMAE, for both the army and police, here frontiers are held by the uniformed police. The original knife maker is friends with Stallone and collaborated also with the Klingon weaponry of Star trek, he's Gill Hibbens. There are a number of famous survival knives inspired by this series, like the Spanish Jungle King series from Aitor. Although I was a kid, the ending of the movie really impressed me. I was born in 1971 and the consequences of the war were still recent and resonating. I remember that this movie was one of the big reasons people changed their opinion about veterans, understanding what PTSD was with a proper accepted medical definition for the first time. So this movie was not about action itself. It's about veterans. I remember that before this movie, outside the US, veterans were treated like ticking bombs, ready to explode in a killing spree. But this movie and the veteran's opening up and telling their stories changed all that. But many veterans still struggle and this movie is still valid. "Nothing is over". Thanks for sharing this, subscribed.
In the book, we get more of an understanding of Rambo and the sheriff. Both were stubborn and drew a line in the sand. If Rambo had spoken to the sheriff about his trip and discovering all his friend were dead, if Teasel had told Rambo that he was a veteran and understood, everything could have been avoided. But, the sheriff was in the mood to be a hard ass with a vagrant and John was not going to be ordered around by a pushy cop. Sometimes we have to consider the other person in a dispute and try to walk in their shoes. It was a good book, and the mine was even more intense than in the film. Good reaction "Mom".
Teasel was in the Korean war from what I understand, and felt like a forgotten soldier himself given Vietnam was more in the spotlight at the time. The fact that Rambo was decorated special forces triggered Teasel's competitive nature even further and it became a personal duel between who was the 'better' soldier, or man for that matter
That scene at the end is truly amazing and totally unexpected. Being an Australian watching this film as a kid I didn’t understand the situation surrounding the Vietnam war. As an adult watching that scene it’s so emotional.
I tell you something. A few years ago I was able to travel from Argentina to Washington just for "Veteran's Day." I saw two veterans of the Vietnam War, one was a paratrooper and the other one a helicopter pilot. I went up and shook their hands and told them how much I appreciated and valued their fight against communism. They not only fought for their Country, for their comrades, but also for the freedom of ALL. We hugged and my wife took a photo of us that I keep in the living room and at work. A heartfelt hug to all who fought there and my gratitude. From Buenos Aires Argentina 🇦🇷
From what I’ve read about the novel, there are some differences. The sheriff was a Korean veteran. Troutman shoots Rambo at the end to put him out of his misery. This was filmed, but Stallone decided to film an alternate ending.
Also in the movie, Rambo only injured and refrained from killing the best he could. The book, he killed two of the cops on the way out of the prison, then proceeded to kill 198 more people. Also smaller details such as Rambo being escorted by the sheriff through town
There is quite a difference in the novel regarding Sheriff Teasle. The movie sort of glosses over that Sheriff Teasle is a Korean War vet. If you look in his office you can see that he has a Silver Star on display. The Korean war is also known as the “Forgotten War” because it was largely overshadowed by WWII and Vietnam. So, in addition to how controversial the Vietnam war was, the perception of being "forgotten" further enhanced Teasle's resentment of Rambo. Oh, and Sylvester Stallone actually did break ribs doing that fall scene.
Soldiers are never welcomed back. As A Army Vet from 93-2007, I can tell you that everything in this movie is still spot on for to days Vets. Coming home on leave from Iraq we had to get sneaked out the back door of the airport because of protesters. many of my fellow soldiers wives (including mine ) got death threats while we where over there. After I ETSed out. people that where my friends before I joined wouldn't even talk to me, people in bars would try & pick fights just because I was a Vet. Couldn't get work because of my military service. The problem is that media like ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN & MSNBC ignored what was going on & blamed any & all issues on PTSD
Stallone is a great great actor and writer. This film and Rocky left me shook at his talent and although the studios kinda turned him into a dumb action hero during the 80s he’s done some really solid work since then. Copland is the first that comes to mind 👌
Stallone was complacent in turning himself into a dumb action man. He earned untold fortunes in making those dumbass action movies and he grew a huge ego back in those days. He seems to be a much more humbled and better man today. He was always a capable actor who could do some damn good acting when hus heart was into it. But for most of his career it was profitable to be a dumb action man cinema figurine.
@@carlossaraiva8213 Settle down, you dropped dumb or dumbass 3 times there. And a lot of those action movies were really fun. He became an icon because of it. I don't blame him for those choices.
My dad is a Vietnam vet. He was a Navy Corpsman serving with Marines. He told me once he had men exploded near him from stepping on mines. Had their blood & things on him. It still bothers him. You can't touch him to wake him up. He'll freak. His nick name was "Grandpa", because he was the oldest in the platoon; even older than the LT. He was only 22 then. He's almost 80 now. This movie was the first of it's kind to call MUCH needed attention to the PTSD they suffered (and still do) and the respect they never received.
This was a turning point where Vietnam veterans were seen in a better light. As t h e son of a Vietnam veteran, I witnessed the people yelling and throwing things at vets.
Good reaction, glad you watched it, and learned a little bit of history, Vietnam veterans, they were treated absolutely terrible when they returned to the world, as a veteran myself, I have talked to many Vietnam vets, and heard thier stories, and all of them were shocking to hear, how these vets were treated, thank you for watching this, hope to see more from your channel..👍👍👍
Most war movies show you the heroism and brutality of war. First Blood lets you see what happens when they come home. It reveals the aftermath of that ultimate sacrifice. I love this movie so much. Rambo II takes it up a notch for sure. I hope we can see that reaction real soon.
Hey, first off, I love your scene setting. The blurred background is pleasing to the eye. For such a small channel, your editing is great. Your background music is subtle and well placed. Your channel will grow. Keep up the good work.
Thank you for sharing. Thing was - Vietnam was thee first televised war; mostly at the 'evening news' we'd see it. Brother was drafted into the Army before he graduated High School. He got PTSD after his first year. Please note that PTSD was not recognized till about 1977 or so, well after that war. Those whom had PTSD - and this was reported in the news that they would sometimes be beaten up by their fellow soldiers; called names, made fun of, etc. So some of them suffered even more because it wasn't 'acknowledged' by the medical community, nor the services. Then they come home; I think it was about 1968 when the peace movement started. Reports on the news at the time was that our vets where getting called baby killer, spat upon, got involved with fights, brawls, etc. Brother came home in 1973 or so - he was flown into Mc Cord/Ft Lewis. He left home a young man but came home a changed man because of the PTSD and Agent Orange.
I watched First Blood relatively late in life and was surprised how good it was. Hit me in the feels at the end as well. Easy to see why so many say the first one was the best.
I got out of the Navy in 1970. Two friends came to bring me home and I went out of my way to wear civilian clothes for the long ride home. I could have been somewhat happier that day.
I am not a big Stallone fan, but this movie is very important. It gives the viewer a slice of the how society treated Vietnam Veterans when they came back. I saw it in the theater as a high schooler. A few years later I was a 91A in the 3ID in Iraq. Combat is an otherworldly thing.
The pain was real for some of these vets. I think Movies Like this helped the public understand the PTSD that many suffered from. I feel blessed to have been trained buy the best, it kept me alive.I thank them for their and any others that have served infield for their service.
Love your genuine reaction to this 40 yr old movie,most women would just be “meh,it’s a guy movie” about it but it pulled you in. This is the best out of the 5 “Rambo” movies!
I always thought the sheriff drove him out because he viewed him as a hobo and thought the long hair made him some kind of hippy who was wearing a soldier's jacket as some sort of mockery IMO. Hippies were really mad about the war, and some transferred of those bad feelings to the soldiers coming home.
In the book the sherriff is a Korean war veteran jaded bc he was treated like shit too. But the movies decided to make him into someone who also hates veterans. And tbh if youve ever dealt with veterans affairs they use the police to intimidate and harass veterans.
When he tells John that wearing the flag emblem on his jacket is "asking for trouble": Back then, audiences would have understood that immediately. At that time, wearing things like that was associated with protesters, political radicals, etc.. In other words, from a small-town sheriff's point of view, "troublemakers".
This is such a great movie. Stallone was at the top of his game and it shows how much some of our country resented and loathed vietnam vets and soldiers. The northwest was in particular cruel to vietnam vets.
I read the book when I was 13 back in 1975 and it had a profound affect on me. In the book you get to see into Rambo's thought process and motivation far more. Teasle is a Korean War vet and also highly decorated, so it becomes a battle between two warriors, the older and the younger. David Morrell has said that the idea for the character of Rambo was based on WW2 Hero Audie Murphy, and the thought that, what would happen if someone with his skill set snapped and used it against the police? The movie is fairly close to the book but there are a few differences, for instance he is only known as Rambo, there is no first name mentioned and it is set in Georgia, not the North West. Also he doesn't hold back from killing people and in the end Col. Trautman kills him.
"he doesn't hold back from killing people and in the end Col. Trautman kills him" - Tbh, that's 2 fundamental differences that render them 2 significantly different stories.
As I recall, it took place in Kentucky, not Georgia. Still, definitely not the Northwest. I took the book to be a depiction of the generational struggle between the Boomers and Greatest Generation. Freedom vs. Conformity.
One of the first and one of the very best action movies. That final scene still brings tears to my eyes decades later. So glad that you saw this movie, everyone should.
I can agree to everything except for the first thing. This is far from being one of the first action movies. Action movies has been made since the sixties at least.
EXCELLENT reaction video. So many reactors edit the video around what they thought were their most clever comments, or they just talk for the sake of talking, or they use constant babble as a way to suppress the original audio and dodge content ID copyright claims. But here, everything was a legit question, a legit observation, a legit postulation or just a legit reaction to what just happened.
I've watched a few reaction videos from others of this movie. I was surprisingly struck by how you totally got pulled into the film and were speechless at times and especially the end...which I loved. I let myself get drawn into films and saw that in your reaction. It was great to see.
Trautman is easily my favorite part of First Blood, Richard Crenna is having a great time. And for how serious the overall story is they got in some legit funny moments like the overmatched volunteers or Rambo telling the driver to watch the road
WWII Vets were greeted with honor when they returned. Korean War Vets (if you look close at Teasle's desk you can see that he was one) were kind of greeted with indifference and then forgotten, because we settled for something less than total victory. Vietnam Vets were cheered by one segment of the the public but jeered and reviled by others. Back in 1972, when the novel came out, we were still actively involved in the Vietnam War. Any guy with long hair was viewed by many as a druggie or a Commie sympathizer. If he also wore any military garb, he was considered to be mocking the armed forces, or if he was an actual Vet he was suspected of being a part of Vietnam Vets Against the War or similar organizations. I hope that helps explain Teasle's reaction somewhat.
Stallone should have won the oscar for the final scene of first blood.When I saw that movie at the theater in Italy 40 years ago, during the final 5 minutes the silence around was broken only by the sobs of almost all the women in tears.Epic scene
Great reaction to one of my favorite movies... If you notice within the this film Rambo really doesn't kill anyone. Officer Galt's death was from his own stupidity (taking off his seat belt in the helicopter), Rambo only wounds all the other police officers in the woods (he even says to Teasel, "I'll could have killed them all & could have killed you" - indicating that he didn't kill them), Rambo shoots at the national guard soldiers but there is no on screen deaths shown nor do any of the soldiers say that there were any deaths (also as indicated by their dialogue) and later on (after Rambo steals the truck), even though the police car crashed into another car & explodes, if you look very very closely you can see some officers and the guardsman getting out of the buring wreckage (you'd have freeze-frame the aftermath to see it), plus also addition dialogue (after the gas station explosion) also indicates that those officers and guardsman were only injured not killed....that was a creative choice change by both, Stallone (who was also the co-screenwriter in this movie) and the director, Ted Kotchief, in order to make the character of Rambo more sympathetic to the audience than his depiction in the novel was (Rambo in the novel was an unhinged & possible psychotic, war veteran who killed people who got in his way and even for target practice), as well as such changes were made to differentiate the movie from the novel as well... Glad you liked it...I recommend watching the rest of the 4 sequels. Stallone is in all of them (he even directs the 4th one) and they are all good in my opinion. I have them all on HD Blu-Ray in my movie collection. 😎✌️
"first blood" will always be the best of the rambo movies. because it shows that while rambo is a killing machine, he doesn't enjoy it. he just wants some measure of peace and respect.
So glad you reacted to this exactly how you should have. Many people see this only as an action flick and don't get the full subtext and meaning of the story. This was an important film for veterans because it brought recognition to PTSD to the public eye. A couple of films in the 70's addressed the subject, but I feel this film really pushed it to the forefront. Your reactions and review were spot on.
One little detail that always struck me: Rambo has just beaten up a station full of cops, but when he pulls the guy off the bike, he's almost gentle with him, as even though he's stealing his bike, he doesn't want to hurt an innocent person.
First time watching the channel, and new subscriber now. Great job! You made the movie the main focus and kept yourself as the smaller camera angle, you kept all the major parts of the movie in so even someone who hasn't seen it could follow along. You had the perfect amount of commentary. A+++
11:06 Stallone really did that stunt and YES he broke a few ribs... those screams sounded so real, because that's really the sound he makes when his ribs get broken hahahahaha
I've read the novel many times and even got to meet the author and get my book signed. It's a much darker and far more violent take on the story, but I highly recommend it.
Rambo was talking about Vietnam war. He didn't volunteer he was drafted. Im a disabled vet . Went to Iraq and the end scene gets me as well as it does for others like me that have PTSD. Enjoyed your reaction
Yes, I have read the novel _("First Blood", 1972, by David Morrell)_ and I liked it. I actually liked it almost more than the movie, because - if the movie had ended like the book - we would never have had to endure all the other Rambo movies. This first one is basically the only one anybody should watch at least once. All the others...nah. Now, when I'm in a good mood, I'm willing to cut "Rambo II" and "Rambo III" some slack, but everything after those is definitely not worth watching anymore.
This was actually shot in Hope, British Columbia. My wife and I stayed in a campground there on our honeymoon. It's also the chainsaw carving capitol of Canada.
Yeah that finale monologue by Sly is heartbreaking and his performance was excellence 🥺 You should also watch his another movie called "Copland" which was also got praised for Sly's Acting ability
Brian Dennehy was a phenomenal actor, much underrated. From everything I've read about him, unlike the character he plays here, he was an incredibly nice guy. RIP
I’ve read the book, and it ends differently from the movie because Trautman killed Rambo in order to stop him from killing further as his “killing mode” had been turned on and was not shutting off. Sheriff Teasle, in the book, was a Korean War combat veteran, and should have recognized Rambo’s PTSD symptoms, but did not. This is a sad story, and one that all too often repeats itself due to a lack of understanding. Always remember what our veterans contributed, because sometimes it doesn’t end for them.
This movie claims to take place in Hooe, Washington but in actuality it was filmed in the real town of Hope....British Columbia in Western Canada. In fact as of 2020, there is actually a statue of Rambo in Hope, BC
I did not think you would ever react to Rambo and I'm so glad you did! I LOVED your reaction! The last scene gets me in my feeling each and every time I watch it! I'm so loving your channel. Keep up the great work. I'm definitely a fan of yours!
This was filmed in Hope BC . After he gets out of town on the motorcycle the chase into the mountains takes place in the rugged mountains around Stave Lake . The cliff scene was done just outside of Hope.
When he mentions it being "Not my war. You asked me, I didn't ask you." He was basically saying he was drafted to fight cause his country called on him. As a man myself who lost 18 months of my personal freedom from being drafted into national service in Europe at aged 19. I can tell you that there is not a worse feeling of losing your freedom and time you will never get back all because it is your "Social obligation for your country."
I was going to say something very similar and I thought I’d scroll through and see if somebody had beaten me too it. It’s important that Movies with Mom understands why he said that. Most Vietnam vets didn’t have a choice and were drafted.
This is what separates Americans from Europeans. As an American I see it as my duty to serve my country. Die for my country if need be. Freedom isn't free, it's paid for in blood. It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees!! But you live your life the way you feel like. But remember it's not just you that will live as a slave to the master. So will your farther, mother. sister, brother everyone you know we be slaves because you are a coward and will not protect them from evil.
actually many of the Special Forces and Special Ops soldiers before '69 weren't draftees but inlisted because they believed in helping the little guy. My father was 1st Brgd 101st, 42nd Scout Dogs out of Camp Eagle '66/'68. He inlisted in '65.
@gutz1981 Not an expert on that matter, but I somehow doubt that the Special Forces _(here: Green Berets)_ enlisted draftees. Or, to be more precisely: IF they did enlist draftees, then only after these draftees decided to commit themselves to a military career, beyond their 12 months of conscription. Well, and only after they had proven themselves to be SF material, of course.
You were right about Rambo breaking his ribs when he jumped from that cliff. While filming this movie, a young Sylvester Stallone did perform many of his stunts and did actually break his ribs on that tree during the cliff jump. Obviously he didn't jump from that high but did jump from a decent distance into that tree.
I've read the novel, and this is one of the few times I have to say that I think the movie is better than the novel. It is a sad fact that the people - currently in the midst of Flower Power and acid and Love - realized the evil machinations behind the Vietnam war, while the soldiers who went were just thinking they were fighting the good fight, none the wiser. It certainly wasn't the soldiers' fault, they were just serving their country, giving their lives. So it was definitely not the fault of the soldiers that Vietnam was a devastating disaster with no winners. Much love and respect to all you wonderful Veterans out there who gave your lives up for what you had been told was for the country. One of the few good things Richard Nixon ever did in office was to implement the Vietnamization policy, so that our troops could come home.
I don't think it was necessarily that soldiers thought they were fighting the good fight but they had no other choice. I mean you could be a draft dodger and attempt to flee to Canada to avoid repercussions. Dodgers were pardoned in '77 but in the thick of things I'm sure many folks thought if they dodged they would never be able to come home. My mother's best friend was married to a Vietnam vet who flat out told her "we had no business being there but we had no choice."
My parents bought in to the whole "movies at home" fad in the early 80s and spent, yes, about $1,000 on a VHS player. The very first VHS tape that we rented, at my urging, was First Blood. This was such a visceral, emotional, at times (and in those times) brutal movie to my young eyes, but I loved the story. IMO this was the best of the franchise, which again IMO just devolved rapidly into evermore gory, rococo and exotic kills. But this one always held a special place for me, mostly for the buildup and the very emotional ending from Stallone, some of his best acting. If you haven't seen it yet and are interested in what may be Stallone's most nuanced performance, check out the 90s film "Copland" with Robert DeNiro, Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta, Robert Patrick, and a quick scene with the up-and-coming Edie Falco.
Haha, we must be similar ages because I remember when some vcr’s were $1000. Must have been a four head, hi-fi model! Btw, I completely agree with your comment regarding First Blood, as well as later Rambo movies from the franchise.
My dad was called a baby killer and was spat on at the airport. The Vietnam vets made sure that our current war on terror vets did not experience the same thing.
@bradley root How did your father react to being spat on? Was anyone arrested by the airport police either for the spitting or the ass-kicking that followed?
My Grandfather served during the Vietnam War. He never really talked about it. Only with fellow Vets did I ever hear him talk about it. But never did he speak of his time with just anyone.
At the end when Rambo breaks down definitely gets me because my grandpa would get like that sometimes when he would get really sick. He was a bombardier and fought in World War 2
Love your reaction to this video. We fans can see the "hurt" in your eyes watching this story unfold. I have had the true "honor" to have served with Vietnam veterans while I was in the Army. Some of them would recount stories of Viet Nam, but most would not. But it definitely affected every one of them! One of the senior Non-Commissioned Officers I served under tested positive for cocaine use during a urinalysis. I really looked up to him and didn't want to see him get into trouble for this. This was during the 1980s, and thankfully, the military started having more compassion for our veterans then. He was removed from his present position, but only so that he would be able to attend mandatory drug rehabilitation and counseling for his PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) because of the things he had gone through in VietNam. They, the military, weren't about to throw a veteran out who had received 2 Silver Stars for his actions in Viet Nam! That was a big relief for me! It still makes me sad that I didn't really know what he was going through, or that he needed drugs just to get through it. I visited him and his family many times prior to that taking place. I HAD NO IDEAL! I was just too young to see the signs, I guess. I am sorry for making this such a long post. But your reaction to this video just brought back all those memories. And that is just one of several stories I have of my time spent serving with Viet Nam veterans. I am now a 20-year retired Army veteran myself. I just have to say this: "Bruce, I hope you were able to complete your drug rehabilitation and get the counseling you needed for your PTSD! You had a big impact on my military career and I LOVE YOU, BROTHER!"
I kept it hidden for a long time, but I'm a Combat Marine with PTSD and the ending scene, when he expresses the pain and nightmares from his experiences and loss, always hits me hard.
Well thank you for your service and thank you for your sacrifice and thank you for everything really you need to be putting on a pedestal with the rest of our warriors
I have helped some fellow USMC vets I served with (0311) when they have had their evil spirits weigh down on their life. Everyone has a different experience, but the anguish and the trauma is the same. Please seek help my friend, there are millions grateful for your service and selfless sacrifice. Help can be found in a lot of places, but I have seen that someone who was close to you in your experience can be the best therapy because they lived very similar experiences to yours. There is no shame and no loss of honor is getting help if you need it. Semper Fidelis my brother.
Thank you for remembering those who were lost. The US is always eager to have living heroes to worship that we forget about the heroes that sacrificed themselves for us.
I sincerely hope you have the support you need mate.
Thank you for serving your country. All respects to you & I hope you get help with your PTSD. Even though I'm a foreigner I still salute you, sir, & every soldier willing to sacrifice & serve their countries. Take care & have a good day, sir.
Yep, Vietnam vets weren't treated nicely. Back then, on my first day of kindergarten, my mother instructed me that if anyone asked about my dad, I was to say, "He's overseas". Being 5, I thought "Overseas" was a country, so when I talked about it, the kids made fun of me for lying and teased me for being fatherless. Everything stopped the day he picked me up from school during class with his Marine Capt.'s khaki uniform on and sunglasses. He never talked about his two tours, though his back was riddled with scar from bullets. Later, my mother told me that he had to hold an 18-year-old soldier while he bled to death. Had to keep the boy calm and quiet so as to not give away their position.
My grandpa went to Vietnam, and my grandma took my dad and my aunt to another country for a few months because of all the bullying while my grandpa was deployed. There were a lot of violent protests in that part of the US, its definitely not a new thing. But ive heard the stories of him being spit on and having my grandpa called a baby killer, etc
Stallone should of gotten an Oscar just for the ending sequence.
He never got the respect he deserved. He really is a great actor.
@@satinbarbi I agree
should've*
Yeah, both Rocky and Rambo got turned into the action franchises he is known for, but both 1st movies are very nuanced character-driven movies that he performed superbly. It says more about the Hollywood machine that they got dumbed down in the sequels.
@@saulh7773 nah
My dad was in Nam but he wasn’t drafted. His dad signed the paperwork to let him enlist at 17 and told him he hoped my dad died there. He almost did. He was 101st Airborne Ranger, demolitions expert, tunnel rat, and a sgt who led a small group through the jungles to terrorize the VC. He was shot up, spent 18 months in Japan and another 6 at The Presidio in San Francisco.
For years he hid his ptsd, physical and mental pains, and dementia from everyone. I was around him a number of times though when he had flashbacks…it was not pretty. Once we discovered his dementia, I found all of his hand written field reports he had copied. He was reading them nightly. He passed away last year after battling his demons caused by Agent Orange and ptsd (not by his hand, his body just gave up).
He was the strongest man I’ve ever known. When I was 18, I was in a near fatal car accident. My body was broken up pretty bad, but because I never saw my dad cry or complain about his pains, I never did. 30 years and 21 surgeries later (and more needed), I have zero regrets about how I’ve lived. I do caution others to at least care for their bodies if they ever have injuries. I’m in constant pain, but I’m still here. I wouldn’t be if I didn’t have the dad that I did.
My dad is a Special Forces Vietnam Veteran. I was born as the Vietnam War was ending. I remember him telling me how people didn't congratulate them as they came back home, because this was the first war televised in the news, and once people saw the uglier side of war brought into the homes of the people, it turned them against our soldiers. I'm not going to lie, I have always held the deepest and darkest contempt for those people. I saw First Blood, and it reinforced my beliefs, and to this day, as I am pushing 50, I still have nothing but sheer, undisguised contempt for those who were this way toward our soldiers.
I am 63 and I remember living near the beach in Southern California and young surfers who were heading off to Vietnam left their surfboards on my mom‘s covered porch. I don’t think everyone came back for their board. Vietnam was not a fool‘s errand and I have even known several South Vietnamese people who said they were heartbroken when the US left, because of anti-American contempt back home. And when they did the communists came down and slaughtered the south Vietnamese people. Despite all the political weirdness, your father fought in a noble cause for sure.
This topic is also one of the several reasons why I hate the left and everything they stand for.
@@rescuetweak The worst irony is that Ho Chi Minh tried to talk to a couple of US Presidents to address the way the French were oppressing the peoples of Indochina. He was essentially blown off, never knowing whether his pleas had even been brought to the attention of them. Even in the post-war era no one wanted to deal with the French colonial issue through the UN. Finally Ho decided to get the help he needed through the communists who were more than happy to do so. Had someone in the US government listened and brought the French to task politically, the Vietnam war would likely have not happened.
My deepest respect for the sacrifices your father made
I don't blame them, they were shellshocked too. The 'veil' was ripped away from them and they couldn't bear watching long enough to see the horrors done to the soldiers. unfortunately, what got burned into their minds was the images of soldiers doing horrible things, with them unable to keep watching to learn why.
What they did to the soldiers is still wrong and should have never happened. They suffered wounds of all kinds, visible and invisible, thanks to that war. It just shows the utter irony of it all, that the most 'anti-war' people, who despised the cruelty inflicted on the citizens in Vietnam, only showed that they themselves could be cruel too.
No wonder John felt like the war never truly ended. Even when he came back home, the citizens were against him. It's simply a miracle it never got to this point sooner. And doubly so that no one was killed when it finally happened.
But yeah, my point was that, although I sure as hell don't agree with what was done, I can honestly understand why they felt the way they did. The war in Vietnam was just hell for all involved. At the very least though, it hopefully ripped down any lingering romanticism about war being 'heroic'.
I love it when people get around to watching this one and see their preconceptions melt away. The later Rambo movies go full on mindless action, almost to the point of self-parody, but First Blood is one of the greats.
To be fair, Rambo 4, while very action heavy, is based on true events happening in Burma and it put a spotlight on an otherwise mostly ignored conflict, despite the mutilation, noncon and child soldiers. Rambo 2,3 and 5 seem low on story.
4 and 5 got back to Rambo as a traumatized war veteran.
Absolutely correct.
@@bararobberbaron859 Actually 2 didn't get into it enough but America did abandon soldiers in Vietnam on the pull out. Our country unfortunately has a "tradition" of abandoning our own for political purposes.
@@MrWirelesscaller your Democrats do, in any case..
His monologue always brings me to tears.
In the original drafts he just went on a rampage and killed everyone, which is what many would expect from a dark action movie, but this screenplay delivered something far deeper, and made him even more human, than less. It's brilliant.
Morrell is not a typical writer. Read Testement. No way the novel’s ending would stand today
In the original ending, Rambo was going to shot himself in the head instead of surrendering.
@@ascendingGhost2501 wow yeah if they went that way i dont think itd be nearly as good
No in the original... Rambo tells Troutman to kill him. He puts a pistol in his hands and puts it up to his stomach, and pulls the trigger while Troutman is holding it. That ending was filmed, it's on RUclips, but they opted out because this movie was made not long after the war ended and they felt it sent the wrong message to Nam Vets who were suffering.
I've watched other "First Blood" reactions and mention this same thing about this movie as its almost hard to watch knowing how that ending scene goes, as what Rambo says is an accurate description of how Vietnam war veterans were treated during that time. I remember when my uncle came back from the war - I don't recall the protests, but found out about it later as I grew up ...
I was little when my uncle came home from Vietnam. Its something I can't forget - as I came into my grandmother's house, he was sitting at the dining table. He looked liked he had come directly out of the jungle. He looked scary is what I remember. He never spoke about his time there that I can recall. However, years later ... much, much later ... he started to have flash backs of the war. He had delayed PTSD is what they called it. We also learned that the night he returned home, after getting off the plane, he and several of his army buddies had to sneak through the airport via a back corridor, as protestors were there shouting at them being murderers and baby killers.
This movie ... the ending ... makes me think of my uncle, and how he was treated when he returned home.
By the way, your reaction was great!
My dad was there too
Yep. My dad was a Marine in Vietnam. The war is never over for anyone who has gone through hell and back. He lives w/it every day.
My dad was in Vietnam as well. He talked openly about a lot of stuff that happened. Holding and comforting guys while they died. Watching his sergeant and other guys being blown up on a chopper. Almost dying twice by friendly fire. Being pinned down in an ambush. He only ever talked about killing anyone once but he kind of referenced a time like in the movie platoon where their camp was completely overrun and shit was hand to hand and he was never wounded so you kind of figure he did that night as well. He had a lot of regrets as well it haunted him till he died. He said platoon was spot on for his year in the field and it haunted him terribly.
Thank you everyone for their service!
tl:dr
When the movie first came out on VHS, we had a friend of the family who worked as an ER nurse come over to watch "First Blood". She had us rewind the scene where Rambo stitched up his own arm after Galt fell out of the helicopter. She said it was the most realistic scene of blood gushing from an arm that she had ever seen.
As I understand it, Stallone suffered that wound for-real during the jump (not to mention the ribs he broke hitting the branch) and suggested that he stitch it up on-screen for added realism. The man was not afraid to "throw it in", as the TV Tropers say.
Thank you for sharing the story
Tracecolburn, The wound was not real per Sly Stallone on a commentary of First Blood. I have the DVD set with the first four Rambo films. The "scar" was created by Mike Westmore with a pump under Stallone's arm that when he flexed his muscle it would "pump out" blood. The jump from the cliff was a three part jump. Buddy Joe Hooker is the person who jumped off the cliff into the first part of the tree, another stunt man the middle part of the tree, and Stallone the final part. On the third take, he actually did break a rib. All this info came from a commentary by Stallone on First Blood. The second and third movies have directors commentaries, four has none. Hope this helped. More comments below.
Also, for me, the Stallone movies have "cooled a bit." When Phil Hartman was shot by his wife, Stallone who was a friend of Phil Hartman, said, and I quote, Said, "They should go house to house and get ALL the guns." Sly has made a living from these movies, The Expendables and Rambo, now Tulsa King. If he truly believes this, why is he still doing movies with guns???? Everyone likes what they like, I get that. But to make a statement such as that and continue to do that. I don't think he really needs the money. IDK. Decide for yourself. Take care and all the best.
I really enjoy seeing reactions of people watching First Blood for the first time because they're genuinely surprised that it's more story driven than they perceived it to be!
That's because the sequels were pretty mindless action films. The only one I thought was any good was Rambo from 2008.
I liked the first, fourth and last one. 2nd and 3rd were the mindless action ones.
Yeah I saw Parts II and III before I saw the original and I was shocked at how different it was.
The empathy on your face when Rambo breaks down was absolutely heartbreaking, beautiful reaction to a great movie!
The sheriff is Brian Dennehy. He was the dad in Tommy Boy. He was a great actor!
"It wasn't my war" was a direct reference to the V War, you didn't read too much into it. Great reaction. Spot on analyses for a first watch.
They drafted KIDS to fight in that war ... a good reminder of that is Paul Hardcastle's song "19" ... because in WWII the average age of soldiers was 26, but in Vietnam it was 19 ...
*_They died "for _**_-king-_**_ president and country" ... before being old enough to order a beer._*
@@Muck006 exactly he didn't volunteer he was forced to fight.
That would also likely indicate that he was drafted.
One of the very few films that deals with what these Veterans had to go through when they came home from Vietnam. Soldiers follow orders, but politicians are the ones that decide if we go to war. The American public were booing, and spitting on the wrong people when they came home.
Great Reaction! 👍
Damn right but it was to politically realistic
There a lot of films from this era that deal with the plight of veterans. Born on the Fourth of July, The Deer Hunter, Coming Home, In Country, and Taxi Driver all come to mind.
@@havok6280 I meant one of the very few, out of the whole spectrum of film in general. Those other movies were great as well.
Agree 100% I just watched this reaction and was gonna comment the exact same thing
Johnson administration is to be blamed for sending troops into Vietnam for the war. Congress members that support or didn't do anything to stop the US military involvement are also to blame.
Really is a love letter to the disillusioned vets who come back from war (really, any war) with PTSD and the horrors they saw over there. Seeing his speech again, he should've gotten an Oscar nom. Stallone really seemed to feel personally the soldier's plight. Amazing speech.
In a commentary on First Blood, Sly said that "speech" at the end of the movie was a compilation of statements made to Stallone from actual veterans. After the scene, he talked to them. They stated to him, "You did us proud." Feeling that his scene stated their case.
Stallone actually broke one of his ribs doing the tree fall stunt.
Excellent reaction. You were really into this, which is awesome because it's a fantastic movie.
He only done the last 10ft, and cracked not broke.
There's a scene where a police car takes a small jump, barely a couple feet. Injuried the stunt driver's back.
This is one of Stallone's best. He did such a great job to show what the vets went through. Great Review.
Rocky : people think it's a dumb boxing movie.
First Blood: people think it's a dumb movie where Stallone blows shit up.
This is one of the rare times the movie is better than the book. This was in the fictional town of Hope Washington but was filmed in Hope British Columbia. The town now has a Rambo statue.
In the ending sequence where he says" it wasn't my War!!.. you asked me I didn't ask you "it's because he was drafted he did not volunteer... so he did what he had to do for his country only to come home and be called a murdering baby killer and to be spit up on.. was one of the first movies to address PTSD thanks for watching
People often forgot how moving that last scene is. And how well it ties into the beginning. Great react. Geeze. This movie is about 40 years old. I remember seeing it in the theater. And Stallone is coming out with a new movie (the Samaritan) that looks good. Not many people could pull that off at his age.
Samaritan was entertaining.
The acting and writing were great. It's the delivery I have issue with. English is my secondary language, so for me Stallone sounded more like Taz from the Looney Tunes than a PTSD meltdown.
He looks Damn good for 76 years old. He was 70 when filming The Expendables and still did his own stunts
looks good?... come on... more superhero horse shit waaaaaaaaaaaaay at the end of that fad
@@notimportant3686 He did it for his grandkids
I am not American, I'm Chilean. My dad was a police officer here in Chile and I watched this movie when I was like 11 years old. I can tell you that outside America, this movie started a trend about survival knives that is still on. I still have a field knife that was my dad's, manufactured by the Chilean state arms company, FAMAE, for both the army and police, here frontiers are held by the uniformed police. The original knife maker is friends with Stallone and collaborated also with the Klingon weaponry of Star trek, he's Gill Hibbens. There are a number of famous survival knives inspired by this series, like the Spanish Jungle King series from Aitor. Although I was a kid, the ending of the movie really impressed me. I was born in 1971 and the consequences of the war were still recent and resonating. I remember that this movie was one of the big reasons people changed their opinion about veterans, understanding what PTSD was with a proper accepted medical definition for the first time. So this movie was not about action itself. It's about veterans. I remember that before this movie, outside the US, veterans were treated like ticking bombs, ready to explode in a killing spree. But this movie and the veteran's opening up and telling their stories changed all that. But many veterans still struggle and this movie is still valid. "Nothing is over". Thanks for sharing this, subscribed.
In the book, we get more of an understanding of Rambo and the sheriff. Both were stubborn and drew a line in the sand. If Rambo had spoken to the sheriff about his trip and discovering all his friend were dead, if Teasel had told Rambo that he was a veteran and understood, everything could have been avoided. But, the sheriff was in the mood to be a hard ass with a vagrant and John was not going to be ordered around by a pushy cop. Sometimes we have to consider the other person in a dispute and try to walk in their shoes. It was a good book, and the mine was even more intense than in the film. Good reaction "Mom".
It's a bit more than that. Teasel viewed the Vietnam war took away and made people forget of the Korean War vets. He also had marital issues.
Thanks for the explanation! Never read this novel, but I read many of David Morrell’s short stories; he is a great short story writer.
Teasel was in the Korean war from what I understand, and felt like a forgotten soldier himself given Vietnam was more in the spotlight at the time. The fact that Rambo was decorated special forces triggered Teasel's competitive nature even further and it became a personal duel between who was the 'better' soldier, or man for that matter
@@warrenjohn I think that his writing has improved steadily and his novels about urban explorers may be some of his best work so far.
@@paulhelberg5269 Thanks for the comment I hope I will be able to read some of them in the future...
Yep. This gets lumped in to the 80’s Action movie collections but it is so much more. Great movie and reaction.
That scene at the end is truly amazing and totally unexpected. Being an Australian watching this film as a kid I didn’t understand the situation surrounding the Vietnam war. As an adult watching that scene it’s so emotional.
I tell you something. A few years ago I was able to travel from Argentina to Washington just for "Veteran's Day."
I saw two veterans of the Vietnam War, one was a paratrooper and the other one a helicopter pilot. I went up and shook their hands and told them how much I appreciated and valued their fight against communism.
They not only fought for their Country, for their comrades, but also for the freedom of ALL.
We hugged and my wife took a photo of us that I keep in the living room and at work.
A heartfelt hug to all who fought there and my gratitude.
From Buenos Aires Argentina 🇦🇷
From what I’ve read about the novel, there are some differences. The sheriff was a Korean veteran. Troutman shoots Rambo at the end to put him out of his misery. This was filmed, but Stallone decided to film an alternate ending.
3 times before arresting him, even bought him lunch.
Also in the movie, Rambo only injured and refrained from killing the best he could. The book, he killed two of the cops on the way out of the prison, then proceeded to kill 198 more people. Also smaller details such as Rambo being escorted by the sheriff through town
Stallone is underrated as an actor. The guy can act, he's not just some action star.
Glad you liked it! It takes place in Washington, but it was filmed in the town of Hope, B.C. I've driven through there tons of times.
One of the movies that molded my childhood. Glad to see someone discover this masterpiece.
There is quite a difference in the novel regarding Sheriff Teasle. The movie sort of glosses over that Sheriff Teasle is a Korean War vet. If you look in his office you can see that he has a Silver Star on display. The Korean war is also known as the “Forgotten War” because it was largely overshadowed by WWII and Vietnam. So, in addition to how controversial the Vietnam war was, the perception of being "forgotten" further enhanced Teasle's resentment of Rambo. Oh, and Sylvester Stallone actually did break ribs doing that fall scene.
I wanna say he broke a leg and was hospitalized making Cliffhanger. It was something along those lines.
Soldiers are never welcomed back. As A Army Vet from 93-2007, I can tell you that everything in this movie is still spot on for to days Vets. Coming home on leave from Iraq we had to get sneaked out the back door of the airport because of protesters. many of my fellow soldiers wives (including mine ) got death threats while we where over there. After I ETSed out. people that where my friends before I joined wouldn't even talk to me, people in bars would try & pick fights just because I was a Vet. Couldn't get work because of my military service. The problem is that media like ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN & MSNBC ignored what was going on & blamed any & all issues on PTSD
Stallone is a great great actor and writer. This film and Rocky left me shook at his talent and although the studios kinda turned him into a dumb action hero during the 80s he’s done some really solid work since then. Copland is the first that comes to mind 👌
I’m glad they left that out for the movie
I agree, I think Copland was his best role!!!🏆
@@shotgunnerB His original Rocky was his best character, iconic.
Stallone was complacent in turning himself into a dumb action man. He earned untold fortunes in making those dumbass action movies and he grew a huge ego back in those days.
He seems to be a much more humbled and better man today.
He was always a capable actor who could do some damn good acting when hus heart was into it. But for most of his career it was profitable to be a dumb action man cinema figurine.
@@carlossaraiva8213 Settle down, you dropped dumb or dumbass 3 times there. And a lot of those action movies were really fun. He became an icon because of it. I don't blame him for those choices.
My dad is a Vietnam vet. He was a Navy Corpsman serving with Marines. He told me once he had men exploded near him from stepping on mines. Had their blood & things on him. It still bothers him. You can't touch him to wake him up. He'll freak. His nick name was "Grandpa", because he was the oldest in the platoon; even older than the LT. He was only 22 then. He's almost 80 now. This movie was the first of it's kind to call MUCH needed attention to the PTSD they suffered (and still do) and the respect they never received.
This was a turning point where Vietnam veterans were seen in a better light. As t h e son of a Vietnam veteran, I witnessed the people yelling and throwing things at vets.
Many Veterans Protested this Movie and condemned Stallone for it, it's totally unrealistic and was just a mockery.
Stallone talked to a Vietnam veteran after the screening of the film and he told him that he did them proud.
@@404ServerError Really, if true, that's 1 veteran, many more Protested it.
@@65cj55 i'm pretty sure they where against the second movie not the first
@@EruveyConB No the first, it made a mockery of them, making out they were loose cannons with ridiculous skills and super powers, you can look it up.
The mom that recognizes an m60 on sight... Just awesome.
Good reaction, glad you watched it, and learned a little bit of history, Vietnam veterans, they were treated absolutely terrible when they returned to the world, as a veteran myself, I have talked to many Vietnam vets, and heard thier stories, and all of them were shocking to hear, how these vets were treated, thank you for watching this, hope to see more from your channel..👍👍👍
The scene where trautman calls the team is chilling. That and the ending scene were oscar worthy.
Most war movies show you the heroism and brutality of war. First Blood lets you see what happens when they come home. It reveals the aftermath of that ultimate sacrifice. I love this movie so much. Rambo II takes it up a notch for sure. I hope we can see that reaction real soon.
The best years of our lives. Is about ww2 veterans returning home and them dealing with civilian life. Really good film.
After this movie came out, everyone wanted the hollow handle survival knife with compass butt cap.
Hey, first off, I love your scene setting. The blurred background is pleasing to the eye. For such a small channel, your editing is great. Your background music is subtle and well placed. Your channel will grow. Keep up the good work.
Thank you for sharing. Thing was - Vietnam was thee first televised war; mostly at the 'evening news' we'd see it. Brother was drafted into the Army before he graduated High School. He got PTSD after his first year. Please note that PTSD was not recognized till about 1977 or so, well after that war. Those whom had PTSD - and this was reported in the news that they would sometimes be beaten up by their fellow soldiers; called names, made fun of, etc. So some of them suffered even more because it wasn't 'acknowledged' by the medical community, nor the services. Then they come home; I think it was about 1968 when the peace movement started. Reports on the news at the time was that our vets where getting called baby killer, spat upon, got involved with fights, brawls, etc. Brother came home in 1973 or so - he was flown into Mc Cord/Ft Lewis. He left home a young man but came home a changed man because of the PTSD and Agent Orange.
I watched First Blood relatively late in life and was surprised how good it was. Hit me in the feels at the end as well. Easy to see why so many say the first one was the best.
The novel explains the sheriff's outlook and PTSD very deeply.
A lot of small towns hated the returning vets because they blamed the soldiers for losing the war
I got out of the Navy in 1970. Two friends came to bring me home and I went out of my way to wear civilian clothes for the long ride home. I could have been somewhat happier that day.
I am not a big Stallone fan, but this movie is very important. It gives the viewer a slice of the how society treated Vietnam Veterans when they came back. I saw it in the theater as a high schooler. A few years later I was a 91A in the 3ID in Iraq. Combat is an otherworldly thing.
The pain was real for some of these vets. I think Movies Like this helped the public understand the PTSD that many suffered from. I feel blessed to have been trained buy the best, it kept me alive.I thank them for their and any others that have served infield for their service.
Love your genuine reaction to this 40 yr old movie,most women would just be “meh,it’s a guy movie” about it but it pulled you in. This is the best out of the 5 “Rambo” movies!
This has and always will be my favorite Rambo movie.
It's a good one but the one in Burma was very well done.
Rambo 2 is the best don't talk nonsense boy
@@dannysandoval8296 LOL
best mom ever, she picked up on the serious subject, silly movie gaffes didn't get by her, then had empathy for the hero and others ❤🌹
I always thought the sheriff drove him out because he viewed him as a hobo and thought the long hair made him some kind of hippy who was wearing a soldier's jacket as some sort of mockery IMO. Hippies were really mad about the war, and some transferred of those bad feelings to the soldiers coming home.
In the book the sherriff is a Korean war veteran jaded bc he was treated like shit too. But the movies decided to make him into someone who also hates veterans. And tbh if youve ever dealt with veterans affairs they use the police to intimidate and harass veterans.
The sheriff and the other deputies still committed several serious felonies and deserved to be in prison......
When he tells John that wearing the flag emblem on his jacket is "asking for trouble": Back then, audiences would have understood that immediately. At that time, wearing things like that was associated with protesters, political radicals, etc.. In other words, from a small-town sheriff's point of view, "troublemakers".
Typical cop reaction to somebody who looks different.
This is such a great movie. Stallone was at the top of his game and it shows how much some of our country resented and loathed vietnam vets and soldiers. The northwest was in particular cruel to vietnam vets.
That last scene is exactly why it's a shining example that we all should respect all veterans.
Hard to believe this movie is 40 years old now. I went to the theater to see it and it's always been one of my favorites
I read the book when I was 13 back in 1975 and it had a profound affect on me. In the book you get to see into Rambo's thought process and motivation far more. Teasle is a Korean War vet and also highly decorated, so it becomes a battle between two warriors, the older and the younger. David Morrell has said that the idea for the character of Rambo was based on WW2 Hero Audie Murphy, and the thought that, what would happen if someone with his skill set snapped and used it against the police? The movie is fairly close to the book but there are a few differences, for instance he is only known as Rambo, there is no first name mentioned and it is set in Georgia, not the North West. Also he doesn't hold back from killing people and in the end Col. Trautman kills him.
Not the North West either, it was filmed in and around the town of Hope in British Columbia, Canada
@@graciefolden2359 Yes it was filmed there but Teasle said Portland was south so I always assumed it was set in either Washington State or Oregon.
"he doesn't hold back from killing people and in the end Col. Trautman kills him" - Tbh, that's 2 fundamental differences that render them 2 significantly different stories.
As I recall, it took place in Kentucky, not Georgia. Still, definitely not the Northwest. I took the book to be a depiction of the generational struggle between the Boomers and Greatest Generation. Freedom vs. Conformity.
Jerry Golsmith's score was absolutely instrumental in this movie's perfection.
One of the first and one of the very best action movies. That final scene still brings tears to my eyes decades later. So glad that you saw this movie, everyone should.
I can agree to everything except for the first thing. This is far from being one of the first action movies. Action movies has been made since the sixties at least.
'This time, he's fighting for his LIFE!'
I love action movies. Just everything about them is so simple and heroic and badassed.
EXCELLENT reaction video. So many reactors edit the video around what they thought were their most clever comments, or they just talk for the sake of talking, or they use constant babble as a way to suppress the original audio and dodge content ID copyright claims. But here, everything was a legit question, a legit observation, a legit postulation or just a legit reaction to what just happened.
I've watched a few reaction videos from others of this movie. I was surprisingly struck by how you totally got pulled into the film and were speechless at times and especially the end...which I loved. I let myself get drawn into films and saw that in your reaction. It was great to see.
Trautman is easily my favorite part of First Blood, Richard Crenna is having a great time. And for how serious the overall story is they got in some legit funny moments like the overmatched volunteers or Rambo telling the driver to watch the road
WWII Vets were greeted with honor when they returned. Korean War Vets (if you look close at Teasle's desk you can see that he was one) were kind of greeted with indifference and then forgotten, because we settled for something less than total victory. Vietnam Vets were cheered by one segment of the the public but jeered and reviled by others.
Back in 1972, when the novel came out, we were still actively involved in the Vietnam War. Any guy with long hair was viewed by many as a druggie or a Commie sympathizer. If he also wore any military garb, he was considered to be mocking the armed forces, or if he was an actual Vet he was suspected of being a part of Vietnam Vets Against the War or similar organizations. I hope that helps explain Teasle's reaction somewhat.
Stallone actually did break a rib in the scene with the tree. They just kept it in which is pretty awesome
Stallone should have won the oscar for the final scene of first blood.When I saw that movie at the theater in Italy 40 years ago, during the final 5 minutes the silence around was broken only by the sobs of almost all the women in tears.Epic scene
Great reaction to one of my favorite movies...
If you notice within the this film Rambo really doesn't kill anyone. Officer Galt's death was from his own stupidity (taking off his seat belt in the helicopter), Rambo only wounds all the other police officers in the woods (he even says to Teasel, "I'll could have killed them all & could have killed you" - indicating that he didn't kill them), Rambo shoots at the national guard soldiers but there is no on screen deaths shown nor do any of the soldiers say that there were any deaths (also as indicated by their dialogue) and later on (after Rambo steals the truck), even though the police car crashed into another car & explodes, if you look very very closely you can see some officers and the guardsman getting out of the buring wreckage (you'd have freeze-frame the aftermath to see it), plus also addition dialogue (after the gas station explosion) also indicates that those officers and guardsman were only injured not killed....that was a creative choice change by both, Stallone (who was also the co-screenwriter in this movie) and the director, Ted Kotchief, in order to make the character of Rambo more sympathetic to the audience than his depiction in the novel was (Rambo in the novel was an unhinged & possible psychotic, war veteran who killed people who got in his way and even for target practice), as well as such changes were made to differentiate the movie from the novel as well...
Glad you liked it...I recommend watching the rest of the 4 sequels. Stallone is in all of them (he even directs the 4th one) and they are all good in my opinion. I have them all on HD Blu-Ray in my movie collection. 😎✌️
And they said he couldn’t act.
"first blood" will always be the best of the rambo movies. because it shows that while rambo is a killing machine, he doesn't enjoy it. he just wants some measure of peace and respect.
So glad you reacted to this exactly how you should have. Many people see this only as an action flick and don't get the full subtext and meaning of the story. This was an important film for veterans because it brought recognition to PTSD to the public eye. A couple of films in the 70's addressed the subject, but I feel this film really pushed it to the forefront. Your reactions and review were spot on.
One little detail that always struck me: Rambo has just beaten up a station full of cops, but when he pulls the guy off the bike, he's almost gentle with him, as even though he's stealing his bike, he doesn't want to hurt an innocent person.
First time watching the channel, and new subscriber now. Great job! You made the movie the main focus and kept yourself as the smaller camera angle, you kept all the major parts of the movie in so even someone who hasn't seen it could follow along. You had the perfect amount of commentary. A+++
11:06 Stallone really did that stunt and YES he broke a few ribs... those screams sounded so real, because that's really the sound he makes when his ribs get broken hahahahaha
I've read the novel many times and even got to meet the author and get my book signed. It's a much darker and far more violent take on the story, but I highly recommend it.
Rambo was talking about Vietnam war. He didn't volunteer he was drafted. Im a disabled vet . Went to Iraq and the end scene gets me as well as it does for others like me that have PTSD. Enjoyed your reaction
A very nice and thoughtful reaction.
A hunting knife has a hollow handle with matches, fishing line and hooks and string. The top of the handle has a compass as you've seen
Yes, I have read the novel _("First Blood", 1972, by David Morrell)_ and I liked it.
I actually liked it almost more than the movie, because - if the movie had ended like the book - we would never have had to endure all the other Rambo movies.
This first one is basically the only one anybody should watch at least once.
All the others...nah.
Now, when I'm in a good mood, I'm willing to cut "Rambo II" and "Rambo III" some slack, but everything after those is definitely not worth watching anymore.
Rambo was good...fb part 2
Personally i like 2 and 4
I found 3 was too cartoonish and last blood was just terrible
This was actually shot in Hope, British Columbia. My wife and I stayed in a campground there on our honeymoon. It's also the chainsaw carving capitol of Canada.
Yeah that finale monologue by Sly is heartbreaking and his performance was excellence 🥺
You should also watch his another movie called "Copland" which was also got praised for Sly's Acting ability
I never occurred to me when I was a kid that Rambo was suffering from PTSD from being a POW. Such an underrated film.
Apparently a lot of vets have said that this has the most realistic depiction of wartime PTSD ever put to film.
This and The Deer Hunter.
It was also the first PTSD discussion they were ready for.
Brian Dennehy was a phenomenal actor, much underrated. From everything I've read about him, unlike the character he plays here, he was an incredibly nice guy. RIP
I’ve read the book, and it ends differently from the movie because Trautman killed Rambo in order to stop him from killing further as his “killing mode” had been turned on and was not shutting off. Sheriff Teasle, in the book, was a Korean War combat veteran, and should have recognized Rambo’s PTSD symptoms, but did not. This is a sad story, and one that all too often repeats itself due to a lack of understanding. Always remember what our veterans contributed, because sometimes it doesn’t end for them.
This movie claims to take place in Hooe, Washington but in actuality it was filmed in the real town of Hope....British Columbia in Western Canada. In fact as of 2020, there is actually a statue of Rambo in Hope, BC
I did not think you would ever react to Rambo and I'm so glad you did! I LOVED your reaction! The last scene gets me in my feeling each and every time I watch it! I'm so loving your channel. Keep up the great work. I'm definitely a fan of yours!
This was filmed in Hope BC . After he gets out of town on the motorcycle the chase into the mountains takes place in the rugged mountains around Stave Lake . The cliff scene was done just outside of Hope.
When he mentions it being "Not my war. You asked me, I didn't ask you." He was basically saying he was drafted to fight cause his country called on him. As a man myself who lost 18 months of my personal freedom from being drafted into national service in Europe at aged 19. I can tell you that there is not a worse feeling of losing your freedom and time you will never get back all because it is your "Social obligation for your country."
I was going to say something very similar and I thought I’d scroll through and see if somebody had beaten me too it. It’s important that Movies with Mom understands why he said that. Most Vietnam vets didn’t have a choice and were drafted.
This is what separates Americans from Europeans. As an American I see it as my duty to serve my country. Die for my country if need be. Freedom isn't free, it's paid for in blood. It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees!! But you live your life the way you feel like. But remember it's not just you that will live as a slave to the master. So will your farther, mother. sister, brother everyone you know we be slaves because you are a coward and will not protect them from evil.
actually many of the Special Forces and Special Ops soldiers before '69 weren't draftees but inlisted because they believed in helping the little guy. My father was 1st Brgd
101st, 42nd Scout Dogs out of Camp Eagle
'66/'68. He inlisted in '65.
@@zhigyfadaroach4316 I would agree with that. A lot of these guys were extremely dedicated and would stay for several tours.
@gutz1981
Not an expert on that matter, but I somehow doubt that the Special Forces _(here: Green Berets)_ enlisted draftees.
Or, to be more precisely: IF they did enlist draftees, then only after these draftees decided to commit themselves to a military career, beyond their 12 months of conscription.
Well, and only after they had proven themselves to be SF material, of course.
You were right about Rambo breaking his ribs when he jumped from that cliff. While filming this movie, a young Sylvester Stallone did perform many of his stunts and did actually break his ribs on that tree during the cliff jump. Obviously he didn't jump from that high but did jump from a decent distance into that tree.
I've read the novel, and this is one of the few times I have to say that I think the movie is better than the novel. It is a sad fact that the people - currently in the midst of Flower Power and acid and Love - realized the evil machinations behind the Vietnam war, while the soldiers who went were just thinking they were fighting the good fight, none the wiser. It certainly wasn't the soldiers' fault, they were just serving their country, giving their lives. So it was definitely not the fault of the soldiers that Vietnam was a devastating disaster with no winners. Much love and respect to all you wonderful Veterans out there who gave your lives up for what you had been told was for the country. One of the few good things Richard Nixon ever did in office was to implement the Vietnamization policy, so that our troops could come home.
I don't think it was necessarily that soldiers thought they were fighting the good fight but they had no other choice. I mean you could be a draft dodger and attempt to flee to Canada to avoid repercussions. Dodgers were pardoned in '77 but in the thick of things I'm sure many folks thought if they dodged they would never be able to come home.
My mother's best friend was married to a Vietnam vet who flat out told her "we had no business being there but we had no choice."
My parents bought in to the whole "movies at home" fad in the early 80s and spent, yes, about $1,000 on a VHS player. The very first VHS tape that we rented, at my urging, was First Blood. This was such a visceral, emotional, at times (and in those times) brutal movie to my young eyes, but I loved the story. IMO this was the best of the franchise, which again IMO just devolved rapidly into evermore gory, rococo and exotic kills. But this one always held a special place for me, mostly for the buildup and the very emotional ending from Stallone, some of his best acting.
If you haven't seen it yet and are interested in what may be Stallone's most nuanced performance, check out the 90s film "Copland" with Robert DeNiro, Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta, Robert Patrick, and a quick scene with the up-and-coming Edie Falco.
Haha, we must be similar ages because I remember when some vcr’s were $1000. Must have been a four head, hi-fi model!
Btw, I completely agree with your comment regarding First Blood, as well as later Rambo movies from the franchise.
My dad was called a baby killer and was spat on at the airport. The Vietnam vets made sure that our current war on terror vets did not experience the same thing.
@bradley root How did your father react to being spat on? Was anyone arrested by the airport police either for the spitting or the ass-kicking that followed?
The movie is set in WA St on either the Olympic Peninsula or the North Cascades, however it was filmed in British Columbia
Yes! Mom is back with a classic! Let's get it!😎🍷🚬👀👍💪🔪
For me this movie was much more story and emotion driven than action than I thought and I love it for that.
Mmm wouldn’t mind coming over for some Netflix n chill with ya..and whatever comes next…😉
The cliff scene in where he jumps into the Tree. He was actually injured. The cry of pain was real.
"Mindless action"...smh, way to insult stuntmen, martial actors' work that goes beyond aesthetic, and audiences inspired into sport, fighting, etc.
My Grandfather served during the Vietnam War. He never really talked about it. Only with fellow Vets did I ever hear him talk about it. But never did he speak of his time with just anyone.
At the end when Rambo breaks down definitely gets me because my grandpa would get like that sometimes when he would get really sick. He was a bombardier and fought in World War 2
Love your reaction to this video. We fans can see the "hurt" in your eyes watching this story unfold. I have had the true "honor" to have served with Vietnam veterans while I was in the Army. Some of them would recount stories of Viet Nam, but most would not. But it definitely affected every one of them! One of the senior Non-Commissioned Officers I served under tested positive for cocaine use during a urinalysis. I really looked up to him and didn't want to see him get into trouble for this. This was during the 1980s, and thankfully, the military started having more compassion for our veterans then. He was removed from his present position, but only so that he would be able to attend mandatory drug rehabilitation and counseling for his PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) because of the things he had gone through in VietNam. They, the military, weren't about to throw a veteran out who had received 2 Silver Stars for his actions in Viet Nam! That was a big relief for me! It still makes me sad that I didn't really know what he was going through, or that he needed drugs just to get through it. I visited him and his family many times prior to that taking place. I HAD NO IDEAL! I was just too young to see the signs, I guess. I am sorry for making this such a long post. But your reaction to this video just brought back all those memories. And that is just one of several stories I have of my time spent serving with Viet Nam veterans. I am now a 20-year retired Army veteran myself. I just have to say this: "Bruce, I hope you were able to complete your drug rehabilitation and get the counseling you needed for your PTSD! You had a big impact on my military career and I LOVE YOU, BROTHER!"
I remember that knife becoming a big thing after First Blood came out. Everyone and their grandmother bought one.
"I'm just so tired of feeling afraid"
A friend of mine who served in the first gulf war.