Editing First Blood

{{short description|1982 American action film by Ted Kotcheff}}
{{About|the 1982 film|the novel by David Morrell|First Blood (novel){{!}}''First Blood'' (novel)|other uses|First Blood (disambiguation)}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox film
| image          = First blood poster.jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster by [[Drew Struzan]]
| director       = [[Ted Kotcheff]]
| screenplay     = {{Plainlist|
* [[Michael Kozoll]]
* William Sackheim
* [[Sylvester Stallone]]
}}
| based_on       = {{Based on|''[[First Blood (novel)|First Blood]]''|[[David Morrell]]}}
| producer       = [[Buzz Feitshans]]
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* Sylvester Stallone
* [[Richard Crenna]]
* [[Brian Dennehy]]
}}
| cinematography = [[Andrew Laszlo]]
| editing        = Joan Chapman
| music          = [[Jerry Goldsmith]]
| studio         = {{Plainlist|
* The Wallis Interactive
* [[Carolco Pictures]]
* Anabasis Investments, N.V.<ref name="AFI">{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/56779|title=First Blood (1982)|work=[[AFI Catalog of Feature Films]]|access-date=October 3, 2018|archive-date=October 4, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181004021402/https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/56779|url-status=live}}</ref>
}}
| distributor    = [[Orion Pictures]]
| released       = {{Film date|1982|10|22}}
| runtime        = 93 minutes<!--Theatrical runtime: 93:25--><ref>{{cite web|url=https://bbfc.co.uk/releases/first-blood-1970-4|title=''FIRST BLOOD'' (15)|work=[[British Board of Film Classification]]|date=November 10, 1982|access-date=August 31, 2015|archive-date=September 9, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150909011347/http://bbfc.co.uk/releases/first-blood-1970-4|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $15 million<ref name="boxofficemojo.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=firstblood.htm|title=First Blood (1982) |publisher=Box Office Mojo|access-date=April 28, 2020|archive-date=June 11, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190611141812/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=firstblood.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
| gross          = $125.2 million<ref name="the numbers"/>
}}
'''''First Blood''''' is a 1982 American [[war film|war]] [[action film]] starring [[Sylvester Stallone]] as [[Vietnam War]] veteran [[John Rambo]]. Directed by [[Ted Kotcheff]], the film was co-written by [[Michael Kozoll]],  William Sackheim, and Stallone, deriving from the 1972 novel ''[[First Blood (novel)|First Blood]]'' by [[David Morrell]]. It is the first installment in the [[Rambo (franchise)|''Rambo'' franchise]], followed by ''[[Rambo: First Blood Part II]]''. The story follows Rambo who, after entering a small town and getting into a conflict with the local police, attempts to survive a [[Manhunt (law enforcement)|manhunt]] using his expertise in survival and combat skills. It also co-stars [[Richard Crenna]] as Rambo's mentor Sam Trautman and [[Brian Dennehy]] as Sheriff Will Teasle.

''First Blood'' was released in the United States on October 22, 1982. Initial reviews were mixed, but the film was a box office success, grossing $160.3 million and becoming the 13th [[1982 in film|highest-grossing film at the domestic box office]] and the seventh highest-grossing film worldwide.<ref>[https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/1982/?grossesOption=totalGrosses Domestic Box Office For 1982] [[Box Office Mojo]]. Retrieved February 8, 2023.</ref> In 1985, it also became the first Hollywood blockbuster to be released in [[China]], holding the record for the largest number of tickets sold for an American film until 2018. Since its release, it has been reappraised by critics with many highlighting the roles of Stallone, Dennehy and Crenna, and recognizing it as an influential film in the action genre.

The film's success spawned the [[Rambo (franchise)|''Rambo'' franchise]], consisting of four sequels (co-written by and starring Stallone), an animated television series, a comic books series, a novel series, and several video games.

== Plot ==
<!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, the plot summary should be 400-700 words. -->
In December 1981, [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] [[Vietnam veteran|Vietnam Veteran]] [[John Rambo]] discovers that he is the last surviving member of his outfit after learning an old war buddy died from complications related to [[Agent Orange]] exposure while they were deployed. Without direction, Rambo arrives in the town of Hope, Washington on foot, where he is accosted by local sheriff Will Teasle, who judges him harshly and presumes him to be a drifter. Teasle escorts Rambo out of town and tells him to move on. Feeling slighted, Rambo begins to return to town, where Teasle quickly arrests him and leaves him to be processed under the supervision of Teasle's cruel Chief Deputy, Art Galt. Galt and other deputies abuse Rambo, which [[Post-traumatic stress disorder|trigger flashbacks]] to [[United States prisoners of war during the Vietnam War|torture Rambo endured in Vietnam]], leading him to fight his way out of town with his field knife into the surrounding mountains.

Teasle organizes a search party with his fellow deputies, air support and dogs; Galt ignores Teasle's orders and attempts to shoot Rambo from a low flying helicopter, but falls to his death when Rambo throws a rock that causes the pilot to lose control. Teasle soon learns that Rambo is a former [[United States Army Special Forces|Special Forces soldier]] and recipient of the [[Medal of Honor]], but refuses to call off the search. Not wanting to cause more trouble, Rambo attempts to surrender, but is fired upon by the deputies, causing Rambo to flee into the tree line. Rambo uses [[bushcraft]] to create traps to subdue the pursuing officers, threatening Teasle at knifepoint to abandon his pursuit before fleeing further into the woods. [[Washington State Patrol]] Officers and [[Washington National Guard]] Forces are dispatched to assist with the search, alongside Rambo's mentor and former commanding officer, [[Sam Trautman|Colonel Samuel Trautman]]. Trautman advises Teasle to stand down, to which Teasle refuses. Over radio, Rambo refuses Trautman's pleas to surrender, condemning Teasle and his men and insisting that "they drew first blood."

Rambo falls back to an abandoned mine, where National Guard units fire an [[M72 LAW]] to collapse the mine after suppressive fire fails to force Rambo to surrender. Teasle and the others initially presume Rambo to be dead, but Rambo escapes the mine through a ventilation shaft, and returns to town after hijacking a military transport truck, intent on confronting Teasle. Trautman again fails to convince Teasle to let it go, while Rambo creates a distraction by blowing up a gas station, cuts power to most of the town, and destroys a gun store. After shooting up the sheriff's office, Rambo shoots Teasle in the leg, grievously injuring him with an [[M60 machine gun]] the former took from the military truck. Trautman arrives and appeals to Rambo, who finally relents and surrenders after breaking down about the experiences he suffered in the war and his treatment upon his return home. Trautman comforts Rambo, before escorting him into federal custody, the latter trading a passing glance with Teasle, who is taken to an ambulance for medical transport for his injuries.

== Cast ==
{{main|List of Rambo characters}}
{{cast listing| 
* [[Sylvester Stallone]] as [[John Rambo|John J. Rambo]] 
* [[Richard Crenna]] as [[Sam Trautman|Colonel Samuel R. "Sam" Trautman]]
* [[Brian Dennehy]] as Sheriff William "Will" Teasle
* [[Bill McKinney]] as Captain Dave Kern
* [[Jack Starrett]] as Deputy Sergeant Arthur "Art" Galt
* [[Michael Talbott]] as Deputy Balford
* [[Chris Mulkey]] as Deputy Ward
* [[John McLiam]] as Orval Kellerman
* [[Alf Humphreys]] as Deputy Lester
* [[David Caruso]] as Deputy Mitch Rogers
* David Crowley as Deputy Shingleton
* Don MacKay as Deputy Preston
* Patrick Stack as Lieutenant Clinton Morgen 
}}

== Production ==
=== Development ===
{{Quote box |align=right |quoted=true |salign=center |width=20em |The original Rambo was so bloodthirsty... the story was so hard, so terrifying every step of the way. (I think that's one reason the book took so long to get done). What I did with Rambo was try to keep one foot in the Establishment and one foot in the outlaw or frontier image. I wanted him to be accepted by the mainstream—but also be a criminal. So he has some strong patriotic views—and he loves the system. He just doesn't like a lot of the people who live and work in it.|source=Sylvester Stallone, 1985<ref name=":0" />}}

In 1972, [[Lawrence Turman]] at [[Columbia Pictures]] bought the film rights to ''First Blood'' for $175,000. [[Richard Brooks]] was slated to direct, and intended to have the film be an allegory on differing American perceptions of [[World War II]] and [[Vietnam veteran|Vietnam War veterans]], with Sheriff Teasle portrayed more sympathetically than in the novel. The film would have ended with Teasle ordering his men to drop their guns to try to reason with Rambo, who would have then been fatally shot by an unknown assailant. Brooks planned to start shooting ''First Blood'' in New Mexico in December 1972.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=First Blood|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/56779|access-date=June 17, 2021|website=catalog.afi.com}}</ref> The film did not proceed because the Vietnam War was still underway and Brooks left the project.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

Afterward, [[John Calley]] purchased the rights at [[Warner Bros. Pictures]] for $125,000 with the thought of casting either [[Robert De Niro]] or [[Clint Eastwood]] as Rambo. A screenplay was written by [[Walter Newman (screenwriter)|Walter Newman]] with [[Martin Ritt]] intended to direct. The film would have criticized American military culture and portrayed Colonel Trautman as the film's villain, ending with both Rambo and Teasle dying. [[Sydney Pollack]] and [[Martin Bregman]] also considered directing the film, with Bregman hiring [[David Rabe]] to write a script. After Bregman departed [[Mike Nichols]] considered directing Rabe's script.

William Sackheim and Michael Kozoll wrote the screenplay that would be the basis of the final film in 1977, originally intending for [[John Badham]] to direct. Producer [[Carter DeHaven]] purchased Sackheim and Kozoll's script from Warner Bros. for $375,000. DeHaven secured the Cinema Group as a financer and hired [[John Frankenheimer]] as director with production to begin in [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]. This was also the first version of the script in which Rambo survived the film. However, the project stalled again after the distributor [[Filmways]] was acquired by [[Orion Pictures]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|last=Broeske|first=Pat H.|date=November 25, 1985|title=The Curious Evolution of John Rambo: How He Hacked His Way Through the Jungles of Hollywood|page=AB32|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|publication-place=Los Angeles}}</ref>

After [[Mario Kassar]] and [[Andrew G. Vajna]] of Anabasis Investments read the book, they got interested in doing an adaptation as the first production of their studio [[Carolco Pictures]] funded by "in-house sources". They purchased the film rights from Warner Bros. for $375,000 and Sackheim and Kozoll's script for $125,000 in 1981.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2016/05/carolco-pictures-mario-kassar-cannes-interview-foxtrot-six-audition-1201752739/|title=Deadline Disruptors: King Of Cannes Mario Kassar On The Glory Days Of Carolco, Why Buying Arnie A Plane Made Sense & Talking Vaginas|first=Ali|last=Jaafar|publisher=Deadline|date=May 12, 2016|access-date=December 31, 2021}}</ref> [[Ted Kotcheff]], who had been involved in the project in 1976, returned after Kassar and Vajna offered to finance one of his projects. Kotcheff offered the role of John Rambo to Sylvester Stallone, and the actor accepted after reading the script through in a day.<ref name="drawing">{{cite video|title=Drawing First Blood|location=''First Blood'' DVD|year=2002|publisher=Artisan}}</ref>

Various scripts adapted from Morrell's book had been pitched to studios in the years since its publication, but only Stallone's involvement prompted its production. The time since the end of the Vietnam War and Stallone's star power after the success of the [[Rocky (film series)|''Rocky'' films]] enabled him to rewrite the script to make the character of John Rambo more sympathetic. Morrell's book has Rambo kill many of his pursuers, and Kozoll and Sackheim's draft had him killing sixteen people, but in the movie Rambo does not directly cause the death of any police or national guardsmen. Stallone also decided to let Rambo survive the film, unlike in the book. A suicide scene was filmed but Kotcheff and Stallone opted to have Rambo turn himself in at Trautman's urging.<ref name="drawing" /> Stallone did an estimated seven revisions of the script. Kotcheff requested further work be done on the script, which was performed by [[Larry Gross]] and [[David Giler]].

=== Casting ===
Brooks originally wanted to cast [[Bette Davis]] as a psychiatrist and either [[Burt Lancaster]] or [[Lee Marvin]] as Sheriff Teasle. When the project was purchased by Warner Bros., [[Robert De Niro]] and [[Clint Eastwood]] were each considered for the role of Rambo.<ref name="prime">{{cite web|url=https://primemovies.pl/2022/07/28/aktorzy-ktorzy-mieli-zagrac-rambo/|title=Ten actors that almost portrayed John Rambo on screen|work=Prime Movies|date=July 28, 2022|access-date=July 29, 2022}}</ref> Ritt intended to cast [[Robert Mitchum]] as Teasle and [[Paul Newman]] as Rambo. Pollack considered [[Steve McQueen]] but then rejected him because they considered him too old to play a Vietnam veteran from 1975.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yuddy.com/celebrity/steve-mcqueen/bio|title=Steve Mcqueen Bio|publisher=Yuddy.com|access-date=July 18, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100718224247/http://www.yuddy.com/celebrity/steve-mcqueen/bio|archive-date=July 18, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[James Caan]], [[Burt Reynolds]] and [[Robert Redford]] were also considered.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/evening-sylvester-stallone-quotes/|title=Sylvester Stallone: In his own words|date=January 14, 2014}}</ref>

Rabe developed his screenplay with [[Al Pacino]] in mind for the role and had several conversations with the actor, who wanted to portray Rambo as a force of nature after seeing the film ''[[Jaws (film)|Jaws]]''. However, Pacino decided not to be involved because he found the story too dark and also after his request that Rambo be a lunatic was dismissed by the producers.<ref name="prime"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/rambo-first-blood-al-pacino-casting-change/|title=4 Ways First Blood Would've Been Different if al Pacino Was Rambo|website=[[Screen Rant]]|date=June 3, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.univision.com/entretenimiento/cine-y-series/rambo-y-otros-7-papeles-que-casi-interpreto-al-pacino | title=Rambo y otros 7 papeles que casi interpretó al Pacino }}</ref> When Badham was considered as director he wanted to cast [[John Travolta]] as Rambo, [[George C. Scott]] as Trautman, and either [[Gene Hackman]] or [[Charles Durning]] as Teasle. Frankenheimer considered [[Powers Boothe]], [[Michael Douglas]], and [[Nick Nolte]] as Rambo before casting [[Brad Davis (actor)|Brad Davis]] because of his role in ''[[Midnight Express (film)|Midnight Express]]''.<ref name=":0" /> [[Dustin Hoffman]] was offered the role of Rambo but turned it down.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a98636/hoffman-i-turned-down-rambo/|title=Hoffman: I turned down 'Rambo'|website=[[Digital Spy]]|date=June 9, 2008}}</ref>

For the role of Sheriff Teasle, Kassar and Vajna approached [[Academy Award]] winners Hackman and [[Robert Duvall]] but both turned the part down. Marvin, another Oscar winner, turned down the part of Colonel Trautman. [[James Mason]] and [[Richard Jaeckel]] were also considered. [[Kirk Douglas]] was eventually hired. Douglas wrote in his autobiography that he initially rejected the script but agreed after Kotcheff changed it to retain the novel's original ending.  When the ending was changed back to Stallone's version, he left the project.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Harmetz |first=Aljean |date=January 27, 1982 |title=NEWS OF HOLLYWOOD; M-G-M TO FINISH NATALIE WOOD FILM |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/01/27/movies/news-of-hollywood-m-g-m-to-finish-natalie-wood-film.html |access-date=June 17, 2021 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>  He wrote, "''I thought it would be better, dramatically, if my character realized what a Frankenstein monster, amoral killer, and menace to society he has created and kills Stallone. If they'd listened to me, there would have been no Rambos. They would have lost a billion dollars..''."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Douglas |first=Kirk |title=The ragman's Son |publisher=Pocket Books, a division of Simon & Schuster Inc. |year=1988 |isbn=0671637185 |edition=1st Pocket Books printing 1989 |location=New York |pages=417 - 418 |language=English}}</ref> [[Rock Hudson]] was approached as a replacement but was soon to undergo heart surgery and had to pass up the chance to work with Stallone. Richard Crenna was quickly hired as a replacement; the role of Trautman became the veteran character actor's most famous role, a performance for which he received much critical praise.<ref name="drawing" />

=== Filming ===
[[File:Hope, BC - Bridge used in movie First Blood.JPG|thumb|The bridge in Hope, BC used during production]]
The film was shot in the [[Fraser Valley]] of British Columbia on a $15 million budget beginning on November 15, 1981, and continuing until April 1982.<ref name=drawing/><ref name=":1" /> The town scenes in the movie were shot in [[Hope, British Columbia|Hope]] and the nearby [[Coquihalla Canyon Provincial Park]], called Chapman Gorge in the film,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://homepages.ulb.ac.be/~rgeerts/scenarioschrijven/1hope.html|title=Filming locations of First Blood in Hope, BC, Canada|access-date=July 18, 2010|archive-date=July 11, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070711184147/http://homepages.ulb.ac.be/~rgeerts/scenarioschrijven/1hope.html|url-status=live}}</ref> while the rest of the movie was shot in [[Capilano Canyon]], [[Golden Ears Provincial Park]] and [[Pitt Lake]] in [[Pitt Meadows]]. During the production [[Buzz Feitshans]] replaced producer Ed Carlin, who suffered a [[Myocardial infarction|heart attack]].<ref name=":1" />

The locations chosen for the film initially experienced unseasonably warm and sunny weather during the filming, which posed challenges since the crew had counted on an [[overcast]] setting. However, a period of heavy snowfall beginning in January 1982 delayed the production by two months. Other delays were caused by injuries to the cast during stunts, including Stallone sustaining a serious back injury and several broken ribs, in particular, due to performing his own stunt of dropping off a cliff and into a tree.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Super dangerous movies|url=https://www.daily-choices.com/the-most-dangerous-and-horrific-stunts-ever-performed-on-sets/2?xcmg=1|access-date=June 17, 2021|publisher=CBS News|language=en-US|archive-date=June 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210626111008/https://www.daily-choices.com/the-most-dangerous-and-horrific-stunts-ever-performed-on-sets/2?xcmg=1|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=The Most Dangerous and Horrific Stunts Ever Performed on Sets|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/some-of-the-most-dangerous-movies-ever/|access-date=June 26, 2021|website=daily-choses.com|date=April 15, 2015|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> Since the production ran over schedule, Crenna's role in the film was cut in order to avoid having to pay him higher fees as specified in his contract.<ref name=":2" />

The firearms used in the film had to be imported into Canada because of the country's [[Firearms regulation in Canada|firearms regulation]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9E0DE0DB143BF931A15753C1A964948260|title=Movie Review - First Blood|work=The New York Times|date=October 22, 1982|access-date=February 7, 2017|archive-date=February 26, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080226001837/https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9E0DE0DB143BF931A15753C1A964948260|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bcfilmcommission.com/newsletter/articles/20.php|title=Hope Celebrates 25th Anniversary of First Blood|publisher=British Columbia Film Commission|date=September 20, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130412011635/http://www.bcfilmcommission.com/newsletter/articles/20.php|archive-date=April 12, 2013}}</ref> In January 1982 over $50,000 worth of firearms—including fourteen [[M16 rifle]]s, three [[Remington Arms|Remington shotguns]], two [[.44 Magnum|.44 Magnum revolvers]], and eleven [[Colt AR-15|Colt AR-15 rifles]]—were stolen from the set. Although the guns had been modified to shoot blanks, the [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police]] claimed that they could be easily modified to fire live ammunition. After the incident the set was guarded by the [[Canadian Army]], whose soldiers also served as extras in the film.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":1" />

=== Post-production ===
The first rough cut of the film was between three and three-and-a-half hours long. According to Sylvester Stallone, it was so bad that it sickened his agent and him. Stallone wanted to buy the movie and destroy it thinking that it was a career killer. After heavy re-editing, the film was cut down to 93 minutes; this version was ultimately released in theaters.<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGYN0DBRVjI|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/tGYN0DBRVjI|archive-date=December 22, 2021|url-status=live|title=First Blood DVD Commentary by Sylvester Stallone|date=July 19, 2014|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The ending used in the finished film was shot in March 1982, after the original one was deemed unsatisfactory.<ref>{{cite news|work=Ottawa Citizen|location=Ottawa, Ontario, Canada|title=News|date=March 12, 1982}}</ref>

Kassar and Vajna sought either [[Warner Bros.]], [[20th Century Fox]] or [[Paramount Pictures]] as a distributor, displaying an 18-minute promotional reel to studios. Although they secured international distributors, they were unable to locate a domestic distributor to the film until they sent a longer 55-minute reel to the [[American Film Market]]. After Warner Bros. and Paramount expressed interest, Orion Pictures agreed to the domestic distribution of the film.<ref name=":1" />

== Music ==
{{Infobox album
| name       = First Blood: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
| type       = Film
| artist     = [[Jerry Goldsmith]]
| cover      =blank
| alt        =
| released   = 1982
| recorded   =
| venue      =
| studio     =
| genre      =
| length     = 
| label      = 
| producer   = [[Jerry Goldsmith]]
| prev_title = [[Inchon (film)#Music|Inchon: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]]
| prev_year  = 1981
| next_title = [[Psycho II (film)#Music|Psycho II: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]]
| next_year  = 1983
}}

The film's score was composed and conducted by [[Jerry Goldsmith]], whose theme "It's a Long Road" added a new dimension to the character, and featured in the film's three sequels and animated spin-off. The soundtrack was originally released on LP by the Regency label, although it was edited out of sequence for a more satisfying listen. The album was reissued on CD with one extra track ("No Power") twice, first as one of [[Intrada Records]]'s initial titles, then as an identical release by [[Varèse Sarabande]]. The complete score was released by Intrada in a 2-CD set, along with a remastered version of the original album (with the Carolco logo [previously released on La-La Land Records's ''Extreme Prejudice'' album] and the ''Rambo: First Blood Part II'' trailer music added), on November 23, 2010, as one of their MAF unlimited titles.
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
; CD 1 – ''Complete Original Soundtrack''
# "Theme from ''First Blood''" (pop orchestra version)
# "Home Coming"
# "My Town"
# "Under Arrest"
# "The Razor"
# "A Head Start"
# "Hanging On"
# "Over the Cliff"
# "A Stitch in Time"
# "Mountain Hunt"
# "No Truce"
# "First Blood"
# "The Tunnel"
# "Escape Route"
# "The Truck"
# "No Power/Night Attack"
# "Hide and Seek"
# "It's a Long Road" (instrumental)
# "It's a Long Road (Theme from ''First Blood'')" (vocal: [[Dan Hill]])
{{col-2}}
; CD 2 – ''Original 1982 Soundtrack Album''
# "It's a Long Road (Theme from ''First Blood'')" (vocal: Dan Hill)
# "Escape Route"
# "First Blood"
# "The Tunnel"
# "Hanging On"
# "Home Coming"
# "Mountain Hunt"
# "My Town"
# "The Razor"
# "Over the Cliff"
# "It's a Long Road" (instrumental)
# "It's a Long Road" (recording session piano/vocal demo)
# "Carolco Logo"
# "Rambo" (Special Summer 1984 trailer)
{{col-end}}

=== Certifications ===
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|type=album|relyear=1982|region=Hong Kong|artist=Soundtrack|title=First Blood|award=Gold|certref=<ref>{{cite web|url=https://entertainment.ha.com/itm/entertainment-and-music/a-gold-record-award-for-first-blood-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-1983-1984/a/7111-89255.s?ic4=GalleryView-ShortDescription-071515|date=March 10, 2023|title=A Gold Record Award for "First Blood - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack," 1983-1984}}</ref>}}
{{Certification Table Bottom |noshipments=true}}

== Release ==
=== Home media ===
Author Morrell recorded an audio commentary track for the ''First Blood'' Special Edition DVD released in 2002. Actor Stallone recorded an audio commentary track for the ''First Blood'' Ultimate Edition DVD released in 2004. This edition also includes a "never-before-seen" alternate ending in which Rambo commits suicide— a fate more in line with the original novel's ending— and a "humorous" ending tacked on afterwards. A brief snippet of the suicide ending appears in a flashback in the fourth movie. [[Lionsgate]] also released this version on [[Blu-ray Disc|Blu-ray]]. Both commentary tracks are on the Blu-ray release.

[[Momentum Pictures]] released an [[HD DVD]] version of ''First Blood'' in the [[United Kingdom]] in April 2007. [[Lions Gate Entertainment|Lionsgate]] also released ''First Blood'' as a double feature on February 13, 2007, along with 2004's ''[[The Punisher (2004 film)|The Punisher]]''.

The film was re-released as part of a 6-disc box set, which contains all four films in the series, on May 27, 2008. However, the box set is missing the David Morrell commentary, even though the packaging clearly states it is included.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.moviesonline.ca/movienews_14332.html|title=Rambo (2008): DVD and Blu-ray Details|publisher=MoviesOnline.ca|access-date=July 18, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100617040952/http://www.moviesonline.ca/movienews_14332.html|archive-date=June 17, 2010}}</ref> In anticipation of the release, the film was shown back in theaters for one night, May 15, 2008, through Fathom Events; the alternate ending was shown after the main feature.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fathomevents.com/premiere/event/firstblood.aspx|title=''First Blood'', In Select Movie Theaters Nationwide|publisher=Fathom Events|access-date=July 18, 2010}}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

''First Blood'' was released on 4K UHD Blu-ray on November 9, 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ultrahd.highdefdigest.com/64214/firstblood4kultrahdbluray.html|title=First Blood - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Ultra HD Review {{!}} High Def Digest|website=ultrahd.highdefdigest.com|language=en|access-date=November 11, 2018|archive-date=November 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181111215346/https://ultrahd.highdefdigest.com/64214/firstblood4kultrahdbluray.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Reception ==
=== Box office ===
''First Blood'' topped the U.S. box office for three weeks in a row,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=firstblood.htm|title=First Blood (1982) - Weekend Box Office Results|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=May 21, 2010|archive-date=August 29, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100829155658/http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=firstblood.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> and its $6,642,005 opening weekend was the best October opening at the time.<ref name=drawing/> The film ended as a significant financial success, with a total gross of $64 million domestically, the highest-grossing film of the fall,<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Daily Variety]]|date=December 7, 1982|page=1|last=Ginsberg|first=Steven|title=National B.O. Takes Seasonal Dip Over Weekend}}</ref> and the [[1982 in film|13th highest-grossing film of the year]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?yr=1982&p=.htm|title=1982 Yearly Box Office Results|publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=May 21, 2010|archive-date=May 27, 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120527063203/http://boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?yr=1982&p=.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

The film grossed $160.3 million worldwide, against a $15 million budget.<ref name="the numbers">{{cite web|url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/1982/0FRBL.php|title=Box Office Information for ''First Blood''|publisher=The Numbers|access-date=January 29, 2012|archive-date=December 23, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111223233716/http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/1982/0FRBL.php|url-status=live}}</ref> It was notably the first major Hollywood blockbuster to be released in China, where it was released in 1985.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Baum|first1=Julian|title=Rambo busts through China's 'open door'|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1985/1015/oram.html|access-date=June 13, 2020|work=[[The Christian Science Monitor]]|date=October 15, 1985|archive-date=June 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613034800/https://www.csmonitor.com/1985/1015/oram.html|url-status=live}}</ref> It sold {{nowrap|76 million}} tickets in China, the [[List of highest-grossing films in China|highest for a foreign Hollywood film]] up until 2018.

=== Critical response ===
The film received mixed to positive reviews from critics, and three lead actors received praise for their performances. In his review, [[Roger Ebert]] wrote that he did not like the film's ending, but added it was "a very good movie, well-paced, and well-acted not only by Stallone&nbsp;... but also by Crenna and Brian Dennehy." He commented, "although almost all of ''First Blood'' is implausible, because it's Stallone on the screen, we'll buy it," and rated the film three out of four stars.<ref>{{cite news|date=January 1, 1982|first=Roger|last=Ebert|author-link=Roger Ebert|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/first-blood-1982|title=''First Blood'' Movie Review|newspaper=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|access-date=July 18, 2020|archive-date=July 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728055938/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/first-blood-1982|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[The New York Times]]'' film critic [[Janet Maslin]] described Rambo as a "fierce, agile, hollow-eyed hero" who is portrayed as a "tormented, misunderstood, amazingly resourceful victim of the Vietnam War, rather than as a sadist or a villain." Maslin also praised the film's story for its "energy and ingenuity".<ref name="First Blood">{{cite news|author=Janet Maslin|author-link=Janet Maslin|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/10/22/movies/first-blood.html|title=First Blood|website=[[The New York Times]]|date=October 22, 1982|access-date=July 8, 2019|archive-date=July 8, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190708161928/https://www.nytimes.com/1982/10/22/movies/first-blood.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Conversely, ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' called the film "a mess" and criticized its ending for not providing a proper resolution for the main character.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://variety.com/1981/film/reviews/first-blood-1200425212/|title=Review: ''First Blood''|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=December 31, 1981|access-date=June 25, 2013|archive-date=October 4, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004230556/http://variety.com/1981/film/reviews/first-blood-1200425212/|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Slash Film]]'' writer Jack Hawkins took a different view on the ending, praising the scene for containing "the finest acting of Stallone's career," adding, "there are no one-liners, no showy acts of bravado, just messy emotion without any catharsis... Stallone couldn't have played the scene better and neither could anyone else."<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.slashfilm.com/1254664/best-sylvester-stallone-movies-ranked/#:~:text=Take%20that%2C%20snobs.-,1.%20First%20Blood,-Studio%20Canal/YouTube | title=14 Best Sylvester Stallone Films, Ranked | date=April 15, 2023 }}</ref>

''First Blood'' has been considered as belonging to the [[Exploitation film#Vetsploitation films|vetsploitation]] subgenre.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thespinningimage.co.uk/cultfilms/displaycultfilm.asp?reviewid=444|title=Cannibal Apocalypse. Review|last=Southworth|first=Wayne|year=2011|website=The Spinning Image|access-date=February 29, 2024|quote=Why, if it hadn't been for 'Nam then people like me would never have had the pleasure of Combat Shock, First Blood, The Exterminator or Don't Answer The Phone! (...) And Cannibal Apocalypse is almost the best vetsploitation movie ever, second only to the mighty Exterminator.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.yardbarker.com/entertainment/articles/vietnam_war_movies_ranked/s1__32160941#slide_15|title=Vietnam War movies, ranked. 11. "Rolling Thunder"|last=Smith|first=Jeremy|date=June 10, 2020|website=[[Yardbarker]]|access-date=February 29, 2024|quote=Vetsploitation was a viable Hollywood genre in the late ‘70s and throughout much of the ‘80s. “First Blood," “The Exterminator," “Thou Shalt Not Kill… Except”… even “Taxi Driver” to a degree.}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1990/11/12/rocky-the-article-as-the-bell-sounds-for-round-5-of-the-rock-opera-sylvester-stallone-dreams-of-a-box-office-knockout|title=Rocky The Article. As The Bell Sounds For Round 5 Of The Rock Opera, Sylvester Stallone Dreams Of A Box-Office Knockout|last=Lidz|first=Franz|date=November 12, 1990|magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]|access-date=February 29, 2024|quote=Instead of making modestly ambitious duds between Rockys, he now makes tortured Vietnam vetsploitation films.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/express/wp/2008/06/05/shoot_em_way_up_rambo/|title=Shoot 'Em Way Up: 'Rambo'|last=Deusner|first=Stephen M.|date=June 4, 2008|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=March 3, 2024|quote=“Rambo: The Complete Collector’s Set” takes us all the way through Rambo’s odyssey from war-damaged veteran to redeemed mercenary. In addition to the dark vetsploitation of “First Blood” and the even darker genocides of “Rambo IV,” the set also includes the explosive inanities of “Rambo: First Blood Part II” and the talky longueurs of “Rambo III.”}}</ref>

In 2000, [[BBC]] film critic Almar Haflidason noted that Stallone's training in survival skills and hand-to-hand combat gave the film "a raw and authentic edge that excited the audiences of the time."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2000/11/30/first_blood_1982_review.shtml|title=BBC Film Reviews, First Blood|publisher=BBC|access-date=July 18, 2010|archive-date=January 17, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110117151905/http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2000/11/30/first_blood_1982_review.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Film.com]] and [[Filmsite]] regard ''First Blood'' as one of the best films of 1982,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filmsite.org/1982.html|title=The Greatest Films of 1982|publisher=[[AMC (TV channel)|AMC Filmsite.org]]|access-date=May 21, 2010|archive-date=July 24, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100724194925/http://www.filmsite.org/1982.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.film.com/features/story/10-best-movies-of-1982/15287150|title=The 10 Best Movies of 1982|publisher=[[RealNetworks|Film.com]]|access-date=May 21, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100618062041/http://www.film.com/features/story/10-best-movies-of-1982/15287150|archive-date=June 18, 2010}}</ref> and in 2008 it was named the 253rd greatest film ever by ''[[Empire (film magazine)|Empire]]'' magazine on its 2008 list of ''The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time''.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.empireonline.com/500/48.asp|title=''Empire's'' The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time|magazine=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] Magazine|access-date=May 21, 2010|archive-date=September 8, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130908084527/http://www.empireonline.com/500/48.asp|url-status=live}}</ref>

On [[review aggregator]] [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film has an 86% approval rating based on 49 reviews, with an average rating of 7.20/10. The site's critics consensus reads, "Much darker and more sensitive than the sequels it spawned, ''First Blood'' is a thrilling survival adventure that takes full advantage of Sylvester Stallone's acting skills."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/first_blood|title=First Blood (1982)|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|publisher=[[Fandango Media|Fandango]]|access-date=July 17, 2022|archive-date=April 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190430045234/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/first_blood|url-status=live}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film has a weighted average score of 61 out of 100 based on 15 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.<ref name="First Blood 1982: Reviews">{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/first-blood|title=First Blood Reviews|publisher=[[Metacritic]]|access-date=September 24, 2019|archive-date=November 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112035558/https://www.metacritic.com/movie/first-blood|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[James Berardinelli]] of ReelViews called the film "a tense and effective piece of filmmaking". He noted that the film's darker tone, somber subtext, and non-exploitative violence allowed the viewer to enjoy the film not only as an action/thriller but as something with a degree of intelligence and substance. On Stallone's performance, he wrote "it seems impossible to imagine anyone other than Stallone in the part, and his capabilities as an actor should not be dismissed".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reelviews.net/php_review_template.php?identifier=1511|title=''First Blood'': A movie review by James Berardinelli|publisher=[[ReelViews]]|date=March 10, 2009|access-date=July 18, 2010|archive-date=October 19, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111019033010/http://www.reelviews.net/php_review_template.php?identifier=1511|url-status=live}}</ref> In the 2010 edition of his Movie Guide [[Leonard Maltin]] gave the film one-and a half stars out of four, saying that it "throws all credibility to the winds about the time [Rambo] gets off with only a bad cut after jumping from a mountain into some jagged rocks".<ref>Maltin, Leonard (2009), p. 462. ''Leonard Maltin's 2010 Movie Guide''. {{ISBN|978-0-452-29557-5}}. [[Signet Books]]. Retrieved October 21, 2010.</ref>

=== Legacy ===
''First Blood'' received the most positive reception of the ''Rambo'' franchise. The next four sequels received mixed or average reviews.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/rambo-first-blood-part-ii/|title=Rambo: First Blood Part II|website=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=April 21, 2014|archive-date=October 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019153930/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/rambo-first-blood-part-ii|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/rambo_iii/|title=Rambo III|website=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=April 21, 2014|archive-date=January 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210108102923/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/rambo_iii|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/john_rambo/|title=Rambo (Rambo IV)|website=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=April 21, 2014|archive-date=November 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117065003/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/john_rambo|url-status=live}}</ref>

In a 2011 article for ''[[Blade (magazine)|Blade Magazine]]'', by Mike Carter, credit is given to Morrell and the ''Rambo'' franchise for revitalizing the cutlery industry in the 1980s due to the presence of the [[Jimmy Lile]] and [[Gil Hibben]] knives used in the films. In 2003, ''Blade Magazine'' gave Morrell an industry achievement award for having helped to make it possible.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Carter|first=Mike|title=Naked Edge|magazine=Blade|publisher=F&W Media|year=2011|pages=126–130|volume=39|issue=5}}</ref>

A writer from the American think tank [[Foundation for Economic Education]] commented that the sequence of events in the film are the result of police brutality. He goes on to say that Teasle's initial approach with Rambo was without reason, and that he could have driven him to the diner or simply left him alone. He assigned blame to Teasle's actions and compared the situation to a number of twenty-first century police encounters that turned deadly.<ref>{{citation|title=How 'First Blood' Foreshadowed America's Policing Problem|url=https://fee.org/articles/how-first-blood-foreshadowed-america-s-policing-problem/|author=John Miltimore|date=September 15, 2022|publisher=[[Foundation for Economic Education]]|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240430175430/https://fee.org/articles/how-first-blood-foreshadowed-america-s-policing-problem/|archive-date=2024-04-30}}</ref>

== Other media ==
=== Sequel ===
{{Main|Rambo: First Blood Part II}}
A sequel titled ''Rambo: First Blood Part II'', was released in 1985.

=== Video game ===
In 2014, ''[[Rambo: The Video Game]]'' was released, based on the first three ''Rambo'' films.

=== Statue ===
On August 14, 2020, a cedar wood statue of Rambo was unveiled in [[Hope, British Columbia|Hope]], [[Canada]], 38 years after the film's release. Mayor Peter Robb, local MP [[Mark Strahl]], and the statue's sculptor, Ryan Villers, attended the ceremony.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bc.ctvnews.ca/sylvester-stallone-very-proud-of-new-rambo-carving-in-b-c-town-1.5069785|title=Sylvester Stallone 'very proud' of new Rambo carving in B.C. town|first=Andrew|last=Weichel|work=British Columbia |date=August 18, 2020|access-date=January 30, 2021|archive-date=December 14, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201214010240/https://bc.ctvnews.ca/sylvester-stallone-very-proud-of-new-rambo-carving-in-b-c-town-1.5069785|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== In popular culture ===
* ''[[Son of Rambow]]'', a British comedy film inspired by ''First Blood''
* In the 2008 episode of ''[[It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia]]'', "Mac and Dennis: Manhunters," Mac and Dennis are inspired by "First Blood" and decide to stage a manhunt against their former high school rival Rickety Cricket. In the same episode, Frank also confuses his own life with that of "First Blood" and acts like he is having flashbacks to being in Vietnam.
* In 2017, "It's A Long Road" was used in the video game ''[[South Park: The Fractured but Whole]]''. It appears when the player is killed and receives a [[game over]].
* [[The Mountain Goats]] released the song ''First Blood'' 19 August 2022 as part of the album ''[[Bleed Out (Mountain Goats album)|Bleed Out]]'', a reference to the movie.

==See also==
* [[Survival film]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
{{Portal|1980s|Film|United States}}
* {{IMDb title|0083944}}
* {{Mojo title|firstblood}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|first_blood}}

{{Rambo}}
{{Ted Kotcheff}}
{{Sylvester Stallone}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:First Blood}}
[[Category:1982 action films]]
[[Category:1982 independent films]]
[[Category:1982 films]]
[[Category:1980s adventure drama films]]
[[Category:1980s American films]]
[[Category:1980s chase films]]
[[Category:1980s English-language films]]
[[Category:1980s vigilante films]]
[[Category:Albums with cover art by Drew Struzan]]
[[Category:American action thriller films]]
[[Category:American chase films]]
[[Category:American films about revenge]]
[[Category:American independent films]]
[[Category:American vigilante films]]
[[Category:Carolco Pictures films]]
[[Category:Films about police brutality]]
[[Category:Films about post-traumatic stress disorder]]
[[Category:Films about United States Army Special Forces]]
[[Category:Films about veterans]]
[[Category:Films based on Canadian novels]]
[[Category:Films based on thriller novels]]
[[Category:Films directed by Ted Kotcheff]]
[[Category:Films produced by Buzz Feitshans]]
[[Category:Films scored by Jerry Goldsmith]]
[[Category:Films set in forests]]
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[[Category:Films shot in Vancouver]]
[[Category:Films shot in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Sylvester Stallone]]
[[Category:Orion Pictures films]]
[[Category:Rambo (franchise)]]
[[Category:English-language independent films]]
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[[Category:English-language adventure drama films]]