History Film / FirstBlood

* KnifeNut: Rambo has an iconic knife, whose hilt is hollowed out to include a compass and self-suture equipment.

* AdaptationalHeroism: 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.

* 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.
* ArtisticLicenseLaw: This should probably go without saying, but a Sheriff does not have the legal authority to kick anyone out of a town. A town is public property that any citizen is allowed to enter. The only way this could happen is if someone commits a major offense and is found guilty in court. Granted this is [[DirtyCop Teasle]] we’re talking about so this is probably the case of an InvokedTrope, as this exchange suggests:

-->'''Teasle:''' "Yeah. ''Me.''"

* BreakTheHaughty: After Rambo overpowers the posse during the manhunt initially with just Teasle and his deputies, Rambo pins the sheriff to a tree with a knife at his throat and was able to paralyze the arrogant sheriff with fear upon warning him what Rambo's capable of and telling him to leave him alone while he still has the chance. After departing, Teasle just sinks down [[TearsOfFear sobbing.]]
* BullyingADragon: Teasle and Galt's mistreatment of Rambo is what led to Rambo to snap and flee and his attempt to summarily execute him personally is what [[spoiler:led to Galt's death]].

--> '''Mitch:''' There were three of us on him in that cell block. He went through us like we weren't even there!

--> '''Col. Trautman:''' Seems like bailing you out of trouble's got to be a life-time job for me.\\

* DisneyVillainDeath: [[spoiler:Art Galt falls to his death out of a helicopter]]. Since this isn't Disney, however, we see his body soon after, and the results aren't pretty.

-->'''Rambo''': "Back there I could fly a gunship, I could a drive a tank, I was in charge of a million dollar equipment; back here, I can’t even hold a job PARKING CARS!”

--> '''Mitch:''' Galt, what the fuck was that!?\\

--> '''Teasle:''' Jesus Christ, where the hell do you people come from?

* FatBastard: While not exactly fat and more big boned, Teasle has an imposing physique and described by Rambo to be "king shit."

** When Teasle and Rambo first met, Teasle at first seemed to be courteous to a man on a cold December morning and offered him a ride. Teasle's true colors then show when he casually tells Rambo that because he is a scruffy and long-haired drifter, he is not wanted in the town of Hope. According to a deleted scene with Kern and Teasle, this trope is probably what Teasle meant when he said he initially and ''very'' briefly treated him as "one of (his) neighbor's kids."

* GetItOverWith: After being badly wounded by Rambo, Teasle, defeated, but DefiantToTheEnd, goads Rambo to kill him by shouting, "Go on, you crazy son of a bitch, finish it!"

Thanks to it being based on an anti-war novel from the early 70's and being produced and released during the tail end of the UsefulNotes/NewHollywood era, ''First Blood'' is notable for [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness being completely different in tone, genre and feel from the rest of the franchise]], being an anti-war psychological thriller that deals with the hefty subject of the dehumanization and mistreatment of Vietnam War veterans, complete with a famous speech on the subject. The OneManArmy Rambo is known as today would not surface until the ActionizedSequel ''Film/RamboFirstBloodPartII'' put him back in the battlefield (and thus [[BrokenAesop rather missing the point of this film]]).

* ArtisticLicenseHistory: Downplayed. 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.

* AntiHero: John Rambo is a downplayed example, being an angry and bitter man who takes out his anger on socitety, while still avoiding casualities.

* ChildSoldier: Rambo at the end of the film tears up describing how Joe Danforth was killed by one (implied to be sent by the Viet Cong) with a shoeshine box boobytrap bomb.

-->'''Rambo''': "Back there I could fly a gunship, I could a drive a tank, I was in charge of a million dollar equipment; back here, I can’t even hold a job PARKING CARS!!!”

** 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, 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.

* CouldHaveAvoidedThisPlot: While talking to Colonel Trautman by radio, Rambo defends himself by saying the conflict wouldn't be happening had Sheriff Teasle let him eat at a restaurant and left him alone:

* NeverMyFault: Teasle does not care that his and his department's mistreatment of Rambo is what caused him to go bonkers in the first place, never accepting responsibility for it.
-->''*After Lester revealing Galt and the other deputies had been BullyingADragon towards Rambo, with Kern calling out Teasle's deputies for causing this situation in the first place.*''
--> '''Teasle:''' It doesn't make one goddamn bit of difference, Dave, and you know it! [[LoopholeAbuse If one of my deputies... gets out of line with a prisoner then the prisoner comes to me with it. And if I find out it's like he says I kick the deputy's ass!]] ''Me!'' The ''Law!'' That's the way it's gotta be! People start fucking around with the law then all hell breaks loose!

-->''*After being told by Trautman that he picked the wrong man to push.*''
--> '''Teasle:''' No, Trautman. ''He'' picked the wrong man!

** Downplayed with Mitch Who is clearly uncomfortable with the way they’re treating John at the station but is the youngest member of the force and completely outnumbered so his protests don’t do anything.

-->'''Rambo:''' "Is there some law that saysI can't get something to eat here?"

-->'''Teasle:''' "Yeah. [[IAmTheLaw Me.]]"

* ArtisticLicenseLaw: This should probably go without saying, but a Sheriff does not have the legal authority to kick anyone out of a town. A town is public property that any citizen is allowed to enter. The only way this could happen is if someone commits a major offense and is found guilty in court. Granted this is [[DirtyCop Teasle]] we’re talking about so this is probably the case of an InvokedTrope

* KickTheDog: A literal example when Rambo kills the three dogs the police were trying to use to track him. Still in self-defense, though.

* RevengeBeforeReason: Teasle is ''far'' more interested in killing Rambo for the death of Galt than he is about things like the damage Rambo is doing to the town and his men.

* AlasPoorVillain: In a way, as everything Teasle tried to do was to prove what Korean War vets are made of after being shunned for so long and to uphold the law in his duty as a policeman, yet now he's wounded in a pathetic state, having finally accepted bitter defeat and is about to take more flak than he's ever before imagined.
* AllThereInTheManual: According to the DVD's Survival Mode easter egg trivia, Galt served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1953 to 1957 as a motorpool sergeant at Camp Lejeune and then served in the reserves from 1958 to 1973. This might as well explain why Galt was trigger-happy and a ColdSniper in the film. It's also state Teasle is a Korean War veteran and both he and Galt have been friends for a long time, since Deputy Mitch Rogers was still a little kid. Also, given Teasle's prejudice against Rambo for being a Vietnam vet and Galt's cruelty against Rambo, it could also imply Galt's bullying of Rambo stems from both officers sharing the same dislike of Vietnam veterans as both Galt and Teasle served in the military at a decade that has been forgotten by the public at the time of this film. In addition, despite being a cop, Galt also has criminal record, which shows Galt is a {{Hypocrite}} due to his occupation and also explains what kind of character he is based on his behavior in the film.
%%* AntiHero: John Rambo is a quintessential early 80s example and was bang in line with the start of other media movements like the Dark Age of Comics.

* AssholeVictim: [[spoiler: Nobody cried when Galt fell out of the helicopter to his death.]]
* AnAssKickingChristmas: Rambo's capture, escape and counterattack takes place around Christmastime.

* BadassNormal: Rather than using a Hind gunship to battle Rambo, Teasle must have a lot of VillainousValor to just face him with nothing but his thought for foot combat tactics and a rifle for the final confrontation.

* BenevolentBoss: Teasle genuinely cares for his deputies, heck, Galt's death is one of the main reasons why he chases after John. However, he is also considered to count as a PointyHairedBoss, due to neglecting to notice Galt's abuse of Rambo, being a BadBoss towards the more rational Deputy Mitch Rogers by ignoring his advice and even grabbing him by his hair to show him Galt's corpse and vowing vengeance before finally failing to properly organize his deputies to capture Rambo that leads them to be easily overpowered. Also, most notably, he is completely oblivious to the fact his friendship to his fallen deputy Galt was completely one-sided due to the latter's insubordination and deliberately ignoring Teasle's orders at the time of his death. It does show he still cares as when he and his men were outmaneuvered, Teasle helped a deputy named Balford who was injured by a booby trap built by Rambo.

** Also, it's a bad idea to suggest letting the state police deal with the guy who unwittingly caused the death of his so-called best friend. Just ask Mitch for details.

* BookEnds: The first dialogue in the film has Delmar Barry's widow telling Rambo how Barry died. The last dialogue in the film has Rambo telling Trautman how Joe Danforth died.
* BreakTheHaughty: After Rambo overpowers the posse during the manhunt initially with just Teasle and his deputies, Rambo pins the sheriff to a tree with a knife on a his throat and was able to paralyze the arrogant sheriff with fear upon warning him what Rambo's capable of and telling him to leave him alone while he still has the chance. After departing, Teasle just sinks down [[TearsOfFear sobbing upon experiencing such a large amount of fear, humiliation and broken pride]].
* BullyingADragon: Galt's mistreatment of Rambo is what led to Rambo to snap and flee and his attempt to summarily execute him personally is what led to his death.
* ChildSoldier: Rambo at the end of the film tears up on how Joe Danforth was killed by one (implied to be sent by the Viet Cong) with a shoeshine box boobytrap bomb.

** When he was falling face-first towards a bunch of boulders, Galt might have had time to wish they'd passed on the chopper...

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

* CouldSayItBut: John Rambo is arrested by Teasle for vagrancy for choosing to walk into Hope after being told he is not welcomed, which is basically trespassing in Teasle's eyes in all but name, as there is no such thing as trespassing into a public town as a crime unless the town was private property which in general isn't.

* CruelMercy: Teasle is spared from Rambo's wrath, but did not get his own victory and revenge and is left badly wounded and most likely a cripple. Also, it's implied things will go dark for him once the reason why Rambo went on a rampage through town in the first place gets out in the open.

* DefiantToTheEnd: Downplayed, unlike future ''Rambo'' villains where they play this trope straight by fighting to the very end, Teasle does accept defeat after getting gunned down, but eggs Rambo to GetItOverWith and FinishHim after being wounded in battle, knowing that his death at Rambo's hands would be something of a posthumous victory for Teasle as killing Teasle not only have the State Police sharpshooters to arrive in time to execute him for his death, but would also damn Rambo and bordering on IfYouKillHimYouWillBeJustLikeHim, which can be considered to be AFateWorseThanDeath for a character like Rambo.

** Supposedly, the Christmas decorations were already up when they began shooting, and they left them both for the ironic quality and to wordlessly remind the viewer that Rambo is on the lam in a wifebeater and jeans during a very cold time of the year.

* DownerEnding: Rambo tells Trautman how traumatic the civilian life is for him, breaks down and is arrested, Teasle is grievously wounded, and Hope has been torn apart. Nobody wins.

* DudeWheresMyRespect: It is implied (and the director's commentary mentions) that part of the reason Teasle is so hateful about Rambo is because of the Korean War (where he served) being pretty much forgotten by the American people while Rambo (a UsefulNotes/VietnamWar vet) is a symbol of the new, controversial thing. Explicit in the novel.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Needless to say, this film is unlike the OneManArmy action flicks that make up the rest of the ''Franchise/{{Rambo}}'' franchise, as it was unusual compared to its successors in the sense that it's played much closer to a three-dimensional PsychologicalThriller than a mindless action film and how the action-packed blockbuster scenarios that the following franchise is known for can be 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 onscreen, and even then only by accident. He does, however, force a police cruiser to crash into a parked car, and the fate of the state troopers isn't clear.
* 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 smells and needs a good meal. 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.

* FreudianExcuseIsNoExcuse: Teasle absolutely views Rambo as the 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.

* 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 NotSoDifferent, 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.

* AdaptationalLocationChange: The book took place in the fictional Basalt County, Kentucky. The film is set in Hope, Washington.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Needless to say, this film is unlike the OneManArmy action flicks that make up the rest of the ''Franchise/{{Rambo}}'' franchise, as it was unusual compared to its successors in the sense that it's played much closer to a three-dimensional PsychologicalThriller than a mindless action film and how the action-packed blockbuster scenarios that the following franchise is known for can be 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 onscreen, and even then only by accident. He does, however, force police cruiser to crash in to parked car, and fate of the state troopers isn't clear.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Needless to say, this film is unlike the OneManArmy action flicks that make up the rest of the ''Franchise/{{Rambo}}'' franchise, as it was unusual compared to its successors in the sense that it's played much closer to a three-dimensional PsychologicalThriller than a mindless action film and how the action-packed blockbuster scenarios that the following franchise is known for can be 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 onscreen, and even then only by accident. He does, however, blow up a police car while someone is driving it; while the fate of the driver isn't shown, people don't usually survive their car exploding into a fireball.