Over the last few days, I have been binge-watching all the Rambo films leading up to this article. I had probably seen these films five-six years back. Back then they appeared to me as nothing more than the bombastic action-roller-coaster rides that they were marketed as. Yes, they are that. But then they are a tad bit more than that as well.
There is no point in reviewing the Rambo films simply for the reason that they have been watched and re-watched generation after generation and there is hardly anyone who doesn’t know what to expect from these films. Hence, what I decided to do in this review was to bring to the fore some specific characteristics and aspects of these films that have been overlooked over the years. Please note that this review dwells on the first three Rambo films alone. The fourth film of the franchise was a notch above the rest and was much more than the usual Rambo stuff. That will be a singular analysis someday.
It all started with First Blood in 1982 when Ted Kotcheff directed Sylvester Stallone as a retired Vietnam Green Barrett who leisurely walks into a sleepy town that doesn’t hold the Vietnam Veterans in good esteem. This results in Rambo rubbing the entire Sherriff’s department of the town in the wrong way ultimately pitting the war machine against the entire law enforcement of the town. He literally bludgeons through the people in different scenarios and later takes the fight to the Sheriff when he single-handedly attacks and annihilates the Sheriff’s department and almost the entire town.
While people were mesmerized by the sensational action and Stallone’s terrific moves, almost all of the viewers missed the last dialogue between Stallone and his commanding officer played by Richard Crenna. When Rambo breaks down in the end and opens up about the situations he faced in Vietnam, in a tone that is almost impossible to comprehend, he is actually giving a very good representation of the mental state of the men and women who faced the war that their country sent them to and returned home to face disdain and hatred for no fault of theirs.
The two actors beautifully pull off the scene with Stallone going hyper and Crenna just looking at him with shut lips. This sequence for me was the high point of the film. This is where Rambo became a human and revealed his frustrations and desire to be treated as a human. It also showed us the limitations of our knowledge about the state of mind of those who we choose to hate.
This sequence coupled with some of the initial buildup wherein Rambo is trying to avoid the conflict, plays an important role in making this film what it is in the end. No doubt the action is superb. No doubt the editing is crisp and no doubt that the film has a sense of physicality to it that is rare to find even today, but the heart of “First Blood” lies in the tragedy of Rambo more than in him being a Killing Machine.
The second film in the series was called Rambo: First Blood Part 2. This was evidence of the name Rambo becoming more of a draw than the content of the film. It was also a layback on the content of the previous film to attract and tell audiences what they were in for. The film starts off with Rambo in jail for what he had done in first Blood and his commanding officer played by Richard Crenna once again taking him out of jail for a covert operation that would get him a presidential pardon. Rambo is going back to Vietnam and this time all he can shoot with is his camera.
He agrees, goes to Vietnam, and falls into enemy hands again. This time, the Russians are there too. Rambo bludgeons his way through the lot and comes out trumps. However, the most poignant moment in the film comes when he shares screen time with his Vietnamese helper Co, played by Julia Nickson. These brief moments are interestingly warm and Stallone essays his part so well that you actually believe that this man is finally beginning to fall in love. He even agrees to take her along. Co’s character is rendered believable by the numerous references and interests that she shows in making her way out of Vietnam. The way she looks at Rambo also speaks a lot about how she feels. So when towards the end, the two share an intimate moment, it feels tragically romantic, warm, and apt.
Too bad she is killed almost immediately and that drives Rambo crazy and he goes all out after the men who wronged him. There are multiple references in the film toward abandonment and it’s all done beautifully to make a solid impact. By the end, Rambo has lost his faith in the USA and is shown taking a long and lonely walk as his Commanding Officer looks on.
The third installment of the film was simply called Rambo III and had Rambo saying no to his Commanding Officer in the beginning when he wants to enlist his association for a mission in Russia –invaded Afghanistan. However, when Crenna is captured, Rambo travels all the way to Afghanistan to bring him back. This is arguably the weakest film in the series but it still has its moments on the emotional front. The scenes that Rambo shares with an Afghan kid, who is hell-bent on going on the mission, exudes a lot of warmth.
As the film progresses he finds a voice among the Afghan men and women and their sufferings drawing a connection with what he had experienced in his past. However, the film just touches the surface of these potent dramatic elements and concentrates more on the over-the-top action. It would have served he film well to actually get a bit deeper into the human emotions even though that would have meant upsetting its target audiences.
After watching the trilogy again, I am convinced that these films could have easily been more heart than blood and guts but the million-dollar question is: would they be as popular as they are without the unbridled action. The fourth installment of the series postponed the action to the very end and this led the film to turn into a far better actioner as each of the characters now had the weight of the drama behind them and also had formed connections with the audiences. Suffice is to say that Rambo’s story is mixed with a lot of emotion. Emotions that got lost under the rubble of collapsing buildings and mounting corpses. All one has to do is look closely to see what I mean.
Also Read | ‘Ms. Marvel’: show about South Asian superhero girl is fun, although flawed