tstone
04-17-2006, 05:58 AM
An unpopular, unsuccessful war ended seven years ago. The nation, proud of it's martial past, struggles integrating this new paradigm into it's collective psyche. Many would just like to forget it and move on. But a few things prevent it. One big one are the vets from this conflict. They served just as honorably as those of past wars. But, unlike most other conflicts the powerful nation. has participated in, they came back after "losing". Also, this war was a long, dragged out affair, fought against an opponent who used time and pain to drive a superior opponent from the batttlefield. This opponent could blend into the populace that the superior nation was ostensibly fighting for, striking out at will. And the superior nation seemingly could do little about it. They fielded their finest warriors, including ones trained in the same elusive arts. And though these warriors experience much success on the battlefield, they saw victory seemingly taken from them by a nation that had lost it's will.
Vietnam, to this day, plays in the national psyche of the United States. We like to think of ourselves as the "top dog", nation above all other nations. It's good for the powerful to accept a certain humbleness. But frankly, culturally, we haven't. So Vietnam, disastrous as it was, was even more so for a nation accustomed to winning. And that has weighted on us ever since. Supposedly, our overwhelming victory from the first Gulf War had buried the ghost of Vietnam for good. But it's clear from the current Iraq War that this is simply not the case.
But this current war has caused many from this previous war to stand up and give their opinions. Max Cleland, John McCain, David Hackworth and others have spoken up withe varying opinions to remind us that we have been here before, and there are lessons we should have learned.
One things we will have from this conflict, and are starting to see already, are the same thing from Vietnam. Warriors returning home who have trouble adjusting to life in the civilian world, after doing time in a nightmarish martial landscape, in a war that isn't very popular with the populace. Fortunately, the nation does seem self conscious about the unjust treatment some of the returning vets recieved from Vietnam, and is determined not to let that happen again.
First Blood is a thriller, but not what I would call an action movie. It's action scenes serve a purpose, to push the story along, to make an impact. Not merely be a pointless bullet ballet. John Rambo is one of Sylvester Stallone's finest performances. He pours his heart into this character and it shows. Rambo is NOT a superman as he was portrayed in the lame sequels. He is a trained warrior in an elite class of soldiers. He did and saw some horrible things that make war what it is. And when he came home, he couldn't escape it. And when a friend from his team died from Agent Orange, something inside him breaks. So he goes off wandering, still looking for the one thing that he has yet to find, a little peace.
You would think that small town America might be a place to find it. But small town America can sit at the pinnacle of this complex America has about war and it's warriors. So, seeing this shaggy, haunted, unwashed man in his town, Sherriff Will Teasle (Brian Deheny), himself a war vet (Korea), seeks to avert trouble and steer Rambo away from his town. He sees himself as doing a kindness, but Rambo takes offense at his heavy handed approach. The more uncooperative he becomes, the more heavy handed Teasle becomes. Until Rambo's anxieties explode under rough treatment at the Sherrif's station and he escapes. During a manhunt, Rambo reverts to his trained warrior's skills and insticts, evading and discomfiting the pursuing police and National Guardsmen. He actively avoids killing, for the most part. He kills a few pursuing dogs and is accidentally involved in the death of one of the deputies. But he takes no pleasure in it. He in fact is deeply regrettful. But he is on automatic, determined to "win".
The only one who is ultimately able to talk him down is the one thing he has left that could be called family. Col. Samuel Trautman (Richard Crenna), US Army Special Forces, shows up to tell the local authorities what they are up against and to offer an alternative. At first, they are reluctant. But in the end, Trautman offers them the only real alternative they have to killing Rambo, and losing more of their own.
First Blood takes it's material seriously, as does the book by David Morell upon which it is based. In fact, the book takes such a serious approach to it's military material that it's on the military literature list at West Point. Also, keep in mind, in the novel, Rambo and the Sherrif kill each other in the end.
This isn't the cartoon superheroics of the sequels. From sincere, well crafted performances (watch for a minor role from David Caruso), to the lush Pacific NW landscape, to the even more lush music score from Jerry Goldsmith, this film is worth your time.
Vietnam, to this day, plays in the national psyche of the United States. We like to think of ourselves as the "top dog", nation above all other nations. It's good for the powerful to accept a certain humbleness. But frankly, culturally, we haven't. So Vietnam, disastrous as it was, was even more so for a nation accustomed to winning. And that has weighted on us ever since. Supposedly, our overwhelming victory from the first Gulf War had buried the ghost of Vietnam for good. But it's clear from the current Iraq War that this is simply not the case.
But this current war has caused many from this previous war to stand up and give their opinions. Max Cleland, John McCain, David Hackworth and others have spoken up withe varying opinions to remind us that we have been here before, and there are lessons we should have learned.
One things we will have from this conflict, and are starting to see already, are the same thing from Vietnam. Warriors returning home who have trouble adjusting to life in the civilian world, after doing time in a nightmarish martial landscape, in a war that isn't very popular with the populace. Fortunately, the nation does seem self conscious about the unjust treatment some of the returning vets recieved from Vietnam, and is determined not to let that happen again.
First Blood is a thriller, but not what I would call an action movie. It's action scenes serve a purpose, to push the story along, to make an impact. Not merely be a pointless bullet ballet. John Rambo is one of Sylvester Stallone's finest performances. He pours his heart into this character and it shows. Rambo is NOT a superman as he was portrayed in the lame sequels. He is a trained warrior in an elite class of soldiers. He did and saw some horrible things that make war what it is. And when he came home, he couldn't escape it. And when a friend from his team died from Agent Orange, something inside him breaks. So he goes off wandering, still looking for the one thing that he has yet to find, a little peace.
You would think that small town America might be a place to find it. But small town America can sit at the pinnacle of this complex America has about war and it's warriors. So, seeing this shaggy, haunted, unwashed man in his town, Sherriff Will Teasle (Brian Deheny), himself a war vet (Korea), seeks to avert trouble and steer Rambo away from his town. He sees himself as doing a kindness, but Rambo takes offense at his heavy handed approach. The more uncooperative he becomes, the more heavy handed Teasle becomes. Until Rambo's anxieties explode under rough treatment at the Sherrif's station and he escapes. During a manhunt, Rambo reverts to his trained warrior's skills and insticts, evading and discomfiting the pursuing police and National Guardsmen. He actively avoids killing, for the most part. He kills a few pursuing dogs and is accidentally involved in the death of one of the deputies. But he takes no pleasure in it. He in fact is deeply regrettful. But he is on automatic, determined to "win".
The only one who is ultimately able to talk him down is the one thing he has left that could be called family. Col. Samuel Trautman (Richard Crenna), US Army Special Forces, shows up to tell the local authorities what they are up against and to offer an alternative. At first, they are reluctant. But in the end, Trautman offers them the only real alternative they have to killing Rambo, and losing more of their own.
First Blood takes it's material seriously, as does the book by David Morell upon which it is based. In fact, the book takes such a serious approach to it's military material that it's on the military literature list at West Point. Also, keep in mind, in the novel, Rambo and the Sherrif kill each other in the end.
This isn't the cartoon superheroics of the sequels. From sincere, well crafted performances (watch for a minor role from David Caruso), to the lush Pacific NW landscape, to the even more lush music score from Jerry Goldsmith, this film is worth your time.