‘Rambo’ Is Based on a Real-Life World War II Veteran

The big picture

• first blood
  is a rare action film that deals with trauma and loss, depicting the post-traumatic stress disorder that many soldiers suffer from.
• First Blood
  The source material is inspired by World War II veteran Audie Murphy, but the film diverges in brutality and focuses on Rambo's past.
• While the franchise was lost with great sequels,
  first blood
  serves as a timeless classic that honors the struggles of veterans.

The 1982 action classic first blood holds a unique place in film history, even compared to the other films in its franchise. While Rambo the sequels turned Sylvester StalloneThe main protagonist of the series is a patriotic and heroic action hero who fought to preserve the American way of life, the first entry in the series is a grounded character drama about trauma and loss. The film served as a representation of post-traumatic stress disorder that a generation of soldiers dealt with after the Vietnam War. Although fictionalized, first blood addressed serious systemic issues regarding the mistreatment of veterans.

While Stallone played a major role in setting the direction and tone of both first blood and its sequels, the first entry in the series was based on the author's homonymous novel David Morell. The differences between the film and the novel are wide; the novel features even more brutality, a much darker tone, and more time spent examining Rambo's past. The realism and sensitivity within Morrell's writing is understandable, as first blood was loosely inspired by the story of World War II veteran Audie Murphy.

Who is the WWII veteran that John Rambo is based on?

Born in 1925, Audie Murphy was an American soldier which received national recognition his service in World War II. Like many young Americans, Murphy joined the fight against the Nazis after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941; while he was too young at the time to officially enlist in the military, his sister helped him falsify records so he could serve his nation. Despite being rejected for service by both the Marine Corps and the Navy, Murphy was able to enlist in the United States Army. It served in many of the most critical campaigns of the conflict, including the 1943 invasion of Sicily, the 1944 Battle of Anzio and the successful liberation of France. By the time Germany and Japan officially surrendered to the Allied Forces in 1945, Murphy had received every award of valor assigned by the US Army and additional honors from the Belgian and French services.

Although the conflict proved to be one of the bloodiest in world history, Murphy gained significant exposure to violence within his service; when the war ended, he was credited with more than 250 kills. Like the John Rambo character, Murphy dealt with severe post-traumatic stress disorder in the years following the war. Often sleeping with a gun by his side, Murphy suffered bouts of severe depression, vomiting and fatigue; while he took sleeping pills to help him cope with the graphic nightmares, his dependence on prescription drugs led to additional struggles over the next decade. Murphy's friends reported that his personality could change at any time and that he would often resort to violence as a result of being unable to communicate.

Audie Murphy's story inspired 'First Blood'

While Murphy's struggles with PTSD led him down a dark path, the decorated veteran was able to shine a light on his experiences and become a cultural icon. Murphy wrote a 1949 memoir titled To hell and back which detailed his service in World War II and subsequent struggles. Murphy later became an accomplished actor known for playing heroic characters. After playing a version of himself in the 1955 adaptation To hell and back, Murphy starred in several classic westerns. By the time his film career ended in the late 1960s, Murphy was almost as well known for his film roles as his military service.

Murphy's films had a significant impact on many viewers as his story of trauma and perseverance was quite inspiring. Morrell recalled Murphy's experiences when he first started writing first blood. At the time, Morrell was an English professor at the University of Iowa and had many students who enlisted for service in the Vietnam War. Watching them struggle to express their feelings about the violence they experienced made Murphy think of Murphy, who had been one of his favorite actors as a child. first blood it was written as a dire warning about the dangers of not giving these brave veterans the resources and therapy they desperately needed.

The first blood The novel ends on a very bleak note with Rambo dying after his battle with boss Wilfred Teasle. Despite this, the first blood The film ends with a somewhat optimistic message about Rambo's possible recovery. After finally getting a chance to discuss why he's so traumatized, Rambo breaks down in tears and agrees to turn himself in to the authorities. It's an intimate moment that features some of the best performances of Stallone's career. While that doesn't suggest the road ahead is easy for Rambo, it does mean he's taking the right steps.

The “Rambo” franchise lost its way

first blood was unique among action films of the 1980s in that it eschewed clichés in favor of a realistic depiction of postwar America. unfortunately, the Rambo the sequels transformed the series in the kind of nationalist, youth narrative that the first film had been intentionally subverting. In Rambo: First Blood Part II, the titular character is recruited by the United States government to take down enemy terrorists overseas. While this could have been a thoughtful way to analyze what makes Rambo return to a combat zone, the film drops depth in favor of explosive action scenes.

Although the franchise was ultimately lost, first blood continues to provide insight into the importance of rehabilitation and therapy. The context may be tied to the Vietnam War, but Rambo's conflict with authority is relevant to any era of war. It's a timeless classic that honors the sacrifices that generations of veterans, including Murphy, experienced once they returned home.

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