History Film / FirstBlood

* DoomedTacticalTeam: Downplayed and Averted. Not long after Rambo accidentally kills Galt in self-defense, Teasle attempts to apply his military experience and use deputies in a role more typical of a S.W.A.T team (despite none being qualified) by arming them with assault rifles and arraigning them in a dispersed squad formation to sweep the forest where Rambo was hiding. All of the deputies are seriously wounded by Rambo, one at a time in a knife and booby trap ambush, and Teasle gets held at knifepoint by Rambo who threatens to kill him if he doesn't stop his pursuit, before running away and leaving Teasle in tears. None of the deputies are killed, however. When the Washington National Guard arrives, they send a platoon to re-sweep the forest, though Rambo uses his fieldcraft skills to avoid contact with them and the closest he comes to fighting them was when he suppressed them with a rifle before his escape into an abandoned mine. The only National Guard soldier who may have been injured or killed was the driver of a supply truck that Rambo hijacks, who later catches a ride with a police car that crashes whilst chasing Rambo.

** Trautman also tries to be this towards Teasle, presumably as Teasle himself is not only a fellow military vet, but specifically a fellow Korean War vet like Trautman who likely understood how he felt. Unfortunately, Teasle does a RedemptionRejection towards Trautman's attempts to reason him that leads him to be wounded by Rambo in battle.

* NecessarilyEvil: Teasle is a KnightTemplar DirtyCop driven by mostly hatred against drifters and Vietnam veterans, but believes his methods are the way to bring justice.

** Zig-Zagged by Rambo himself, who insists that [[IDidWhatIHadToDo he only did what he had to do to win]] like he's been trained since "they drew first blood, not [him]." Trautman is more sympathetic, knowing of Rambo's PTSD, but also points out that Rambo "did some pushing of [his] own" by both deliberately walking back into town and stubbornly stone-walling with the deputies before he finally snaps from mistreatment when he could have just walked away and avoided it all. He could have even [[FakingTheDead walked away after the National Guard fail to blow him up and bury him]] since almost everyone but Trautman [[NoOneCouldSurviveThat wrote him off as dead]], but he decides to start his "private war" [[spoiler:by attacking the town of Hope]].
* NobleBigotWithABadge: Teasle is extremely prejudiced against Vietnam War vets, but however, he is more respectful towards Colonel Trautman, likely due to Trautman being not only a Vietnam War vet, but also a Korean War vet like Teasle, which is only thing that prevents Teasle from being totally hostile towards him unlike to Rambo. Even earlier when Rambo first escapes from custody, he initially wanted to take in Rambo alive as part of police protocol despite his prejudice against him for his background unlike Galt who just want to kill him for petty reasons. It's only after his friend Galt had been killed that Teasle loses any moral restraint he has inside to kill Rambo to avenge him.

* TheParanoiac: Teasle initially drove Rambo out of town and then arrested him when returning due to him being a drifter who Teasle believes would disrupt harmony in Hope. In the novel, however, Teasle is ProperlyParanoid, due to Rambo being more of a irredeemable psycho than the movie.
* PetTheDog: Teasle is a police officer after all and these moments makes Teasle human and fallible. In a deleted scene, he shows remorse towards Galt's widow, who's grieving over Galt's corpse, and attempts to apologize to a deputy's wife for her husband's injuries Rambo caused. He then justified his manhunt by listing out the devastation Rambo caused ranging from his deputies' incapacitation to Galt's widow's grief. In the bar scene, he has a civil talk with Trautman (even started his talk with him by apologizing for being "out of line") after thinking Rambo was killed by the National Guard, confessing his desire to kill Rambo himself to him. In a deleted part of this scene, at the beginning of the scene, he returned the gesture of being congratulated for Rambo's "death," while at the end of the scene, he then offered Trautman a ride to the airport. During the manhunt, when Orval was wounded, he tends to Orval's wounds and then when Deputy Balford was wounded by a booby trap, he freed Balford. Also, just before his final showdown with Rambo, he alerts the townspeople to get off the streets and hide in their homes to be away from danger when Rambo arrives.

** This is demeaned however, in a deleted scene involving an argument with Kern where Teasle tries to justify his treatment of Rambo, claiming that he "tried to do him a favor" and treated him like "one of (his) neighbor's kids" (likely referring to Teasle's initial civil and jovial welcome to Rambo while trying to escort him out of town and trying to hold back his IrrationalHatred of Rambo being a 'Nam vet while being civil with him, before Rambo pushed his BerserkButton by purposely returning to town that prompts him to arrest and mistreat him out of said irrational hatred):

* PoliceAreUseless: Mitch thinks he and his fellow officers are this and felt they should leave the matter of capturing Rambo to the state police professionals, but Teasle stubbornly refuses to accept this fact.

* PostAdventureAdventure: Before the events of the story, where John Rambo is a poor drifter who runs afoul of a small town sheriff (in Kentucky in the novel, Washington State in the film), Rambo was a part of an elite Green Beret unit during the Vietnam War, had a friend die in his arms, became a captured POW, escaped captivity with a surviving squadmate, and had received the Medal of Honor for actions above and beyond the call of duty. An extreme case of PTSD, developed from these experiences, is what triggers Rambo's escalating conflict with the local police.

* PunchClockHero: The National Guardsmen are made up of the townspeople of Hope (such as the leader Lt. Clinton Morgan being the town's pharmacist) who only go into service part-time such as volunteering to help capture Rambo with inept results. However, they could also qualify as being {{Punch Clock Villain}}s for being {{Mooks}} for [[BigBad Teasle]].
* PunchClockVillain: With the exception of Teasle's vile [[TheDragon dragon]] Galt, most of the deputies such as Mitch and Lester and the National Guardsmen are just regular guys doing their jobs and are not really bad people (well, maybe except Deputy Ward, for his willingness to go along with and turning to the blind eye to Galt's abuse of Rambo back at the station and even [[BullyingTheDragon taunting Rambo not to struggle unless he wants to get his throat cut as he prepares to dry shave him, leading to his escape]]).

** Galt is downright sadistic and brutal when he mistreats Rambo and reckless during the manhunt for him when he doesn't give second thought to a InnocentBystander in the way when trying to kill Rambo or Teasle's orders to capture Rambo alive.

** Colonel Trautman is level headed, practical and wants to spare both his protege's life and the lives of the policemen. Justified as he's also AFatherToHisMen.
** Deputy Mitch Rogers also counts, due to [[ByTheBookCop abiding by his responsibility as a police officer]] in contrast to the unhinged and power-mad Teasle and Galt as well as his {{Jerkass}} colleagues, knowing from the get-go back at the station that mistreating Rambo was a bad idea and against usual police protocol, which includes that inmates should deserve fair treatment no matter what, while also correctly expressing concern for Rambo's well-being after witnessing his physical battle scars from 'Nam. However, he is of lower rank and most of his advice is ignored by his superiors.
** Deputy Lester too, despite getting his nose broken by Rambo, he still did what was right and recognized that Rambo was not entirely to blame, making him one of the only decent deputies other than Mitch in the film.

** Played with Teasle in the movie. While it is mostly averted in regards to his general despicable behavior, treatment of Rambo and his lust for vengeance for Galt's death, especially in comparison to State Police Captain Kern, his deputies Mitch and Lester and Colonel Trautman (who all play this role straight unlike Teasle), he still care for the welfare of his town and his deputies and did shown some respect towards Trautman despite tensions for being Rambo's associate and a Vietnam vet and doing a RedemptionRejection towards him at the climax. Also, he proved that [[EvenEvilHasStandards he had the basic decency to be able to acknowledge that he may have been in the wrong]], and was more misguided and overzealous than actively malicious until Galt's death whereupon he was emotionally compromised and was clearly acting irrationally.

* RedemptionRejection: After [[spoiler:thinking Rambo is dead]], Teasle mellows down and meets with Trautman to apologize for being a {{Jerkass}} RabidCop about the ordeal and confessing his desire to kill Rambo to him, making it seem he is preparing to walk away from his personal manhunt to TookALevelInKindness, [[spoiler:but when he hears Rambo is still alive]] and Trautman still tries to reason Teasle, Teasle aggressively rebuffs Trautman's attempts to take on the chance to achieve his own ends by killing Rambo.

* ReformedCriminal: According to the DVD's Survival Mode easter egg trivia, Mitch was once a car stereo and speaker thief who own marijuana, for all of that he was busted and became deputy out of performing community service. By the time of the film, Mitch became a better person in contrast to his aforementioned criminal record and his leniency towards Rambo was likely due to knowing out of personal experience of being an ex-con himself and making sure he'll be treated fairly possibly out of Mitch being mistreated similarly by authorities himself following his own past conviction.

* SaveTheVillain: Trautman, when he makes his debut and informs Teasle, tries to make sure both Rambo and Teasle make it out alive.

* ShellShockedVeteran: One of the most famous depictions of posttraumatic stress disorder in film. Rambo was a POW in the Vietnam War who endured ColdBloodedTorture at the hands of the Vietcong, and is the SoleSurvivor of his unit (he learns at the beginning the only other survivor is dead). He ends up abused in police custody, bringing all his memories of the war back, which soon includes a memory of said torture that triggers an extreme fight-or-flight response, setting off the action.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: When Rambo first escapes from the station, Galt was about to open fire until Teasle stops him as Galt would have harmed an InnocentBystander while shooting at Rambo. Then during the initial manhunt, when Teasle hears the gunshots from Galt's attempt to personally execute Rambo out of spite, he tries to radio Galt to remind him that Rambo is to be taken in alive as part of police protocol. Even after Galt was killed and Teasle vows to get his revenge, he still wanted Rambo to be taken in alive, only this time is the case of TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou as he wants to be the one to deliver the final blow against him. Also see PetTheDog below for more information.

* EvilVirtues: Teasle is a despicable DirtyCop BigBad, but in contrast to the later villains, he is more fleshed out in comparison due to being a BenevolentBoss towards his deputies, being more civilized than his dragon Galt, having PetTheDog moments with the deleted scenes showing more of this aspect, having hints of him being a TragicVillain and a TragicBigot for being a Korean War vet having to live in another's shadow, believing in HonorBeforeReason for himself as a Korean War vet even it overlaps with RevengeBeforeReason for Galt's death, deciding to just use his infantry tactics and a M16 rifle for the showdown than a helicopter gunship that the Russians would use and finally choosing to FaceDeathWithDignity after accepting defeat by Rambo.

** Galt himself is fellow military veteran too according to the film's [[AllThereInTheManual DVD's Survival Mode]], except he had never seen combat unlike the other said three characters. He himself in the film became a worse {{Jerkass}} GreenEyedMonster DirtyCop then Teasle as he did most of the sadistic abuse towards Rambo presumably out of rancorous jealousy for being a vet who had seen actual combat, while Galt did not.
* FalseFriend: It is implied that Galt's friendship between him and Teasle was fake from the get-go if not just one-sided that Teasle was oblivious of, given his despicable characterization that makes viewers wonder what Teasle and his wife sees in him and Galt refusing to listen to Teasle's orders to take Rambo alive like a true friend should if not just a subordinate.
* FalselyReformedVillain: Galt left behind a considerable criminal record and had been arrested in the past according to the DVD's Survival Mode easter egg trivia, yet unlike Mitch who is a ReformedCriminal who became a deputy out of community service and genuinely became a better person, Galt hasn't learned a thing from his crimes and abuses his position as a deputy sergeant up to his death. It can also be presumed he may have manipulated Teasle and used their so-called friendship to get him a job to act out his violent tendencies with no consequences as long Teasle backs him up.
* FatBastard: While not exactly fat and more big boned, Teasle has an imposing physique and described by Rambo to be "king shit".

** Galt has a carefree attitude to the horrible acts he regularly commits. In his debut, he channels his ability to demonize those lesser than him through condescendingly put on a laid-back and somewhat jovial veneer, but when he loses his patience, his true colors show. Even when mistreating Rambo, he acts as mostly a SoftSpokenSadist. Then during the manhunt, when trying to get a bead on Rambo, he cheerfully and sadistically shouts "Hey soldier boy!" to him just for him to stick his head out to blow away.

* FreezeFrameBonus: Pausing the film at the right moment during the scenes in Teasle's office reveals he has a collection of war medals, similar to Rambo's. In the novel, it's suggested that Teasle and Rambo are the same, as the former was also a Korea war veteran, albeit one who has a chip on his shoulder due to not getting the same kind of attention as Vietnam-deployed counterparts.

** Teasle absolutely views Rambo as a dangerous fugitive criminal needed to be taken down while not caring if Galt's abuse started this mess nor Rambo's PTSD that he suffers from.
** While Trautman is more sympathetic to Rambo as his friend and former commander, he also tells Rambo that he's done as much to escalate the conflict as Teasle has, and by the climax outright accuses him of having done it deliberately so he could have his own "private war".
* GenreBusting: This film is not only a blockbuster action thriller like its sequels, but also an anti-war drama, a rural manhunt crime-drama, a foggy and misty SouthernGothic movie [[RecycledInSpace except set in the Washington mountains than the South's swamps unlike most examples]] and an overall PsychologicalThriller dimensionally rolled into one.

* GoodGunsBadGuns: The deputies, state troopers and National Guardsmen carry M16's. Justified as they are the official "good" guys. Rambo uses these and an M60 too, so he's using the Good Gun. Teasle uses an Heckler and Koch G3, which is justified as he is both an authority figure but not necessarily good, so it shows he can be viewed either way. Trautman has a holstered M1911 on his person which is usually well hidden by his coat or the camera.

* GrayAndGrayMorality: First Blood is a rare gem among the 80's action films as it has no clear good guys vs bad guys but a shell shocked veteran up against a squad of flawed yet not downright evil Sheriff and his deputies. And Rambo himself spends the majority of the film avoiding killing any of them. Outside of Galt but he was a HateSink character and the act was in self-defense, and an accident.

* GroinAttack: Rambo's first attack during his escape is a groin kick against Deputy Ward. One especially unfortunate deputy named Balford also appears to suffer one of these when a wooden spike trap slams into him at pelvic level.
* HairTriggerTemper: Teasle in the first act increasingly loses his patience with Rambo, starting with Rambo returning to Hope, then his refusal of going through the process of being booked while in police custody before finally culminated in Galt's death that really pushed Teasle over the edge.

* HeWhoFightsMonsters: Teasle serves as a HeroAntagonist to capture fugitive from justice Rambo, but internally just to prove that Korean War vets such as Teasle are more badass than Vietnam War vets such as Rambo and to avenge the death of Art Galt, who's a despicable character to begin with, accidentally caused by Rambo. In general, despite doing his hardest to uphold the law and bring in ''his'' brand of justice, it turned him into a viciously prejudiced DirtyCop and RabidCop in order to do so in his view.

* HeroAntagonist: Teasle is performing his duty defending the well being of his town, after all, and still ''genuinely'' believes so as he goes about at the expense of Rambo. Subverted since he's also TheBully and something of a DirtyCop, as the reason Rambo goes on his rampage in the first place is because of how he and his deputies mistreated him for no good reason, and when Rambo accidentally kills Galt and tries to surrender, Teasle [[KillOnSight instantly tries to shoot Rambo dead]] instead of arrest him.

* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: Teasle is genuinely friends with Galt and wants to avenge his death, but not only Galt was a despicable piece of work not worth to avenge, his so-called friendship with him appears to be one-sided due to Galt's own selfish disloyalty towards Teasle at the time of his death.

* JerkassHasAPoint: While the manhunt is driven by Teasle's dislike of Vietnam vets and Rambo's AccidentalMurder of Galt, he is valid that Rambo should not be let off that easy after committing what Teasle thought was first degree murder (Rambo was also responsible for destruction of property).

** Furthermore, when he first arrested Rambo, he was correct that Rambo should not be carrying a dangerous combat knife in public which makes it at least one (possibly the ''only'') good reason to prosecute him and to make matters worse, Rambo was probably carrying it without a license as he could not afford one due to being shunned by the public to support him. It also does not help that Rambo was not giving out a straight clear answer when Teasle, who had already worn out his patience by Rambo's return, first questions him over it. However, the penalty Rambo received was harsher than the crime itself, thanks to the other charges for vagrancy and resisting arrest. Also subverted as Teasle only found the knife when he searched Rambo's bag without Probable Cause, a violation of the Fourth Amendment of the US Constitution's Bill of Rights (unlawful search and seizure) that would have resulted in any judge throwing the case out of court for police misconduct.

** While arresting Rambo for vagrancy seems like DisproportionateRetribution today, but it was legitimately a criminal offense in the post-Vietnam years and Teasle was just fulfilling what other officers in America were commonly doing at the time towards the homeless vets. The novel includes a NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer in the foreword of more recent editions.
** Ultimately in the film this trope is Subverted as Rambo would’ve turned himself in peacefully had he gotten the chance to calm down. Teasle was the one escalating the conflict and pushing an obviously traumatized individual too far.
* KarmicDeath: After abusing and tormenting Rambo and then going against orders to kill the man himself, during which he neglects his own safety to land the fatal shot, Galt is sent plummeting to his death when Rambo is forced to defend himself against the helicopter. His death may have been accidental on Rambo's part, but certainly not what one can call undeserved given his recklessness and sadism.

* KnightOfCerebus: Way before the inclusion of the more disturbing and vile Tint in the fourth film, Galt fulfilled this role of sorts due to being more vile and lawless than Teasle through his cruelty towards Rambo and then his attempt to kill him in retribution for assaulting him after Galt tormented him. The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsjiRaVJK3A music]] that plays during his intense scene when he tries to shoot Rambo in cold blood before meeting his death reflects on this trope Galt borders on and can feel like it came straight out of a horror film.

* ElitesAreMoreGlamorous: Rambo is clearly an elite soldier but his head is so fucked up that his life couldn't be called glamorous. He has presumably drifted from place to place since the war, clearly needs a good meal and a bath, and is physcholgically hanging on by a thread. His escape and evasion is hardly glamorous too and shows the difficulties of surviving in the wild with minimal gear. Also subverted in the novel with Teasle being a {{Jerkass}} but also a decorated veteran from the 1st Marine division in the UsefulNotes/KoreanWar.
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: The opening of the movie shows Rambo walking down the road, by himself, as a huantingly somber instrumental version of "It's a Long Road" plays in the background, followed immediately by Rambo finding out that the last man from his former special ops unit is dead, to which he simply walks off with barely a word. This tells us everything we need to know about Rambo: he's a lone soldier, on his own without friends or purpose now that the war is over.

* {{Eagleland}}: The town of Hope embodies the traits of Type 2, due to the police force there being mostly {{Dirty Cop}}s who bare unwarranted hostility against Vietnam veterans and drifters. In addition, it indicates the overall United States is Type 2 in terms of the veterans' mistreatment after returning home: Vietnam veterans like Rambo in this film are portrayed are mostly traumatized wrecks who are shunned by society, while Korean War vets like Teasle are also shunned by society, but take their frustrations out on the more mistreated Vietnam vets, who erased the Korean War conflict, making vets like Teasle rancorously jealous that blinded their judgment. This depiction of America is a complete contradiction to the more optimistic pro-America Type 1 depiction in the sequels.

* DownerBeginning: The film begins with Rambo visiting the house of Delmar, the only other remaining squadmate at Vietnam War. His wife tells Rambo he died from cancer due to exposure to Agent Orange. Rambo gives her a photo of his with himself and leaves. The smile on his face is gone.

* DoomedTacticalTeam: Downplayed and Averted. Not long after Rambo accidentally kills Galt in self defense, Teasle attempts to use apply his military experience and use deputies in a role more typical of a S.W.A.T team (despite none being qualified) by arming them with assault rifles and arraigning them in a dispersed squad formation to sweep the forest where Rambo was hiding. All of the deputies are seriously wounded by Rambo, one at a time in a knife and booby trap ambush, and Teasle gets held at knifepoint by Rambo who threatens to kill him if he doesn't stop his pursuit, before running away and leaving Teasle in tears. but none of deputies are killed. When the Washington National Guard arrives they send a Platoon to re-sweep the forest, though Rambo uses his Fieldcraft skills to avoid contact with them and the closest he comes to fighting them was when he suppressed them with a rifle before his escape into an abandoned mine. The only National Guard soldier who may have been injured or killed was the driver of a supply truck that Rambo hijacks, who later catches a ride with a police car that crashes whilst chasing Rambo.

* CombatPragmatist: Rambo. Fully justified in that this is precisely what all soldiers are trained to be, particularly Special Operations personnel. There are no fancy spin kicks, back flips, artful dodging, or extended fight scenes in this movie. Rambo deals with each opponent very quickly and relies on groin attacks, targeting weak spots such as the eyes and nose, knocking people down and incapacitating them while they are struggling to get up, etc. Mitch, being pretty much the only cop who was actually smart enough to add up all the pieces into a very coherent big picture, is aware that that there is much more to Rambo than meets the eye, but his observations fall on deaf ears.

** Played somewhat straight with Rambo who suffers a multitude of significant injuries throughout the film. However it is lampshaded by Trautman that he has been trained to ignore pain and fight on.
* HonorBeforeReason: While his manhunt for Rambo and his refusal to back down is driven by his RevengeBeforeReason desire to avenge Galt's death, it's also driven by Teasle's dislike of Vietnam vets and to prove that that Korean War vets are much as efficient as any other soldier who fought in combat and is willing to FaceDeathWithDignity rather than retreat, grovel or cry like some DirtyCoward if Rambo ever does get the upper hand.

* ColdBloodedTorture: What sets off Rambo is a PTSD flashback to an example of this, with a NVA soldier cutting a helpless Rambo's chest with a knife.

Ultimately, a flashback to being tortured as a POW results in Rambo escaping from custody, becoming a fugitive from the law. Thus begins a small-scale war with the town police, which escalates to include not only the state police but the National Guard. This attracts the attention and assistance of Colonel Sam Trautman (Richard Crenna), Rambo's ex-commander, who knows what kind of killing machine he trained Rambo to be and hopes to capture him alive. The police would do well to heed his advice, because Trautman knows just how much damage Rambo is prepared to do if pushed too far...

* AdaptationalHeroism: Zig-zagged in that he's more of an anti-hero in the movie series, and in the source material that is the ''First Blood'' novel he's a straight-up villain, but in neither continuity was he a hero. Rambo was a much darker character in the book. The novel puts more emphasis on the fact that the whole situation mostly happens because of Rambo's own {{Pride}}, and Teasle actually gives him several chances to leave the town peacefully, as opposed to the movie where he arrests him after coming back once. Rambo's actions also seem more like vengeance and he eventually realizes he is fighting [[BloodKnight because he likes it]], whereas in the movie his actions seem more like self-defense. And while in the film he only kills one person by accident, in the book he [[ShootEverythingThatMoves slaughters dozens of people, including almost the entire police force]] and is basically like an evil version of what the character would become in later films, and more or less serves as the BigBad of the story.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Needless to say, this film is unlike the OneManArmy action flicks that make up the rest of the ''Franchise/{{Rambo}}'' franchise, which are mindless action films. Here, the action-packed blockbuster scenarios that the following franchise is known for is PlayedForHorror. It also happens to be the best-reviewed in the series. Notably, in stark contrast to the pop-culture image of an invincible screaming Rambo gunning down hordes of enemies, here he kills exactly ''one'' person on-screen, and even then only by accident.

* FreudianExcuseIsNoExcuse: Teasle absolutely views Rambo as a dangerous fugitive criminal needed to be taken down while not caring if Galt's abuse started this mess nor Rambo's PTSD that he suffers from.

* ArtisticLicenseHistory: A minor example. In his climactic speech, Rambo mentions that, upon returning to the United States, he was met with protesters at the airport who were protesting HIM, even spitting at/on him. While it's possible that incidents like this did occur in real life, they would have been few and far between (soldiers flew home individually on regular commercial flights, so protestors who were willing to go there would have had to wait around the terminal for quite a while to find some soldiers to harass). Most anti-war protesters of the time sympathized with the soldiers sent to fight in Vietnam because they knew the soldiers had no choice. In fact, many returning soldiers became protesters themselves.

* GoodGunsBadGuns: The deputies, state troopers and National Guardsmen carry M16's. Justified as they are the official "good" guys. Rambo uses these and an M60 too, so he's using the GoodGun. Teasle uses an Heckler and Koch G3, which is justified as he is both an authority figure but not necessarily good, so it shows he can be viewed either way. Trautman has a holstered M1911 on his person which is usually well hidden by his coat or the camera.

* ArtisticLicenseHistory: A minor example. In his climactic speech, Rambo mentions that, upon returning to the United States, he was met with protesters who were protesting HIM, even spitting at/on him. While it's possible that incidents like this did occur in real life, they would have been few and far between. Most anti-war protesters of the time sympathized with the soldiers sent to fight in Vietnam because they knew the soldiers had no choice. In fact, many returning soldiers became protesters themselves.

* CurbStompBattle: Repeatedly dealt to the Sheriff's department by Rambo. First, in the holding cells against the deputies who try PoiceBrutality against Rambo. Again, in the wood when he ambushes them easily. And finally, in the town battle.

* AluminiumChristmasTrees: Rambo being arrested for vagrancy seems like DisproportionateRetribution today, but it was legitimately a criminal offence in the post-Vietnam years. The novel includes a NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer in the foreword of more recent editions.
** In 1983, the Supreme Court would find such "Vagrancy" laws unconstitutionally vague in Kolender v. Lawson, ruling that they were essentially blank checks to let local law enforcement arrest almost anyone they wanted to, like in this movie.

* AdaptationalHeroism: Zig-zagged in that he's more of an anti-hero in the movie series, and in the source material that is the First Blood novel he's a straight-up villain, but in neither continuity was he a hero. Rambo was a much darker character in the book. The novel puts more emphasis on the fact that the whole situation mostly happens because of Rambo's own pride, and Teasle actually gives him several chances to leave the town peacefully, as opposed to the movie where he takes him in after coming back once. Rambo's actions also seem more like vengeance and he eventually realizes he is fighting [[BloodKnight because he likes it]], whereas in the movie they seem more like self-defense. And while in the film he only kills one person by accident, in the book he [[ShootEverythingThatMoves slaughters dozens of people]] and is basically like an evil version of what the character would become in later films, and more or less serves as the BigBad of the story.

** This trope is played completely straight with Teasle in the novel.

* DownerEnding: Rambo tells Trautman how traumatic civilian life is for him, breaks down and is arrested, Teasle is grievously wounded, and Hope has been torn apart. Nobody wins.
** The original ending is much worse, as Rambo has Trautman shoot him to commit SuicideByCop.

* CorruptHick: In addition to being extremely abusive to Rambo, Galt flies off the handle and attempts to snipe the fugitive without orders and in defiance of Teasle saying he wants Rambo alive. He even threatens Portis (the helicopter pilot) when the latter tries to talk sense into him, saying he'll kill him if he doesn't just shut up and do as he's told.

* {{Expy}}: The movie's depiction of Teasle has more in common with the Franchise/{{Batman}} comic book character Harvey Bullock than the novel's version of the character. As both Teasle and Bullock are a FatBastard {{Jerkass}} DirtyCop who are willing to antagonize and arrest TheHero due to their backgrounds they loathed (Rambo is a Vietnam vet and a drifter which are both things Teasle despised, while Batman is a costumed vigilante who Bullock views as a freak). However, instead of a FatSlob as Bullock was to a point he is compared to an unmade bed, Teasle was at least [[AdaptationalAttractiveness clean and well-groomed]], even for a CorruptHick he is.

** For starters, the BigBad Sheriff Will Teasle shares traits with Detective Harvey Bullock. Both characters are FatBastard {{Jerkass}} {{Dirty Cop}}s who carry a grudge against TheHero of their respective franchises due to their backgrounds. Teasle is basically Bullock as a [[CorruptHick redneck sheriff]] of a small town instead of a FatSlob detective of Gotham City.

The film deals with John Rambo (Creator/SylvesterStallone) struggling to overcome the trauma he experienced during the UsefulNotes/VietnamWar. Having just learned his only remaining squadmate is dead, Rambo visits a small Washington State town for a bite to eat. However, the sheriff, Will Teasle (Creator/BrianDennehy), doesn't appreciate "drifters" in his orderly town which he apparently treats as private property, so he drives Rambo out to the town limits to send him on his way. When Rambo turns and heads back, Teasle arrests him for "vagrancy" among other false charges after thinking he was trying to trespass into his town and orders him cleaned up for his trial. {{Police brutality}} ensues as the deputies rough him up while doing so, [[TraumaButton dredging all of Rambo's war trauma back to the surface]].

--->'''Col. Trautman:''' I don’t think you understand, I’m not here to rescue Rambo from you, I’m here to rescue you from John Rambo.\\