Here's the ending of First Blood, the first chapter in the Rambo franchise, fully explained. Based on the novel by author David Morrell, First Blood stars Sylvester Stallone as John Rambo, a Vietnam Veteran who returns home from the war and struggles to assimilate as a civilian, while facing adversity and discrimination at every turn - a conflict that escalates into a deadly war between him and a local town Sheriff. First Blood is directed by Ted Kotcheff and co-stars Brian Dennehy as Sheriff Teasle, Richard Crenna as Col. Trautman, as well as Jack Starrett, David Caruso, Chris Mulkey, and Michael Talbott.
Rambo is initially confronted and driven away by the Sheriff when he enters the small Washington town. Defying orders to stay away, Rambo gets himself arrested before escaping and leading a manhunt by police, National Guard, and his former commander, Col. Trautman, who attempts to help his former soldier. First Blood is a character-based film that attempts to examine the effects of PTSD on a soldier like Rambo, a Special Forces soldier and Medal of Honor recipient (as well as a POW), who simply cannot find his way in the civilian world after all he's been through. He is essentially thrust into a new war, one in which he's not entirely averse to given his training, as it reawakens the soldier he was trained to be, once again giving purpose to his life where there was seemingly none since returning to the U.S.
First Blood is an exhilarating action/survival film as well, which benefits from complex, interesting characters whose morality falls into shades of gray, with each character never really coming across as fully good or evil - Rambo included. Rambo is a sympathetic character, but he's also flawed and damaged, which is one of the reasons the film stands out in the genre. First Blood's ending comes full circle when Rambo and Teasle find themselves locked in battle, but their final fates (in the book and the film) aren't so simple.
What "First Blood" Means In Relation To Rambo's Story
The traditional meaning of the phrase "first blood" is likened to the first point or advantage in a contest, such as a boxing match or sword duel. In First Blood, Rambo tells Trautman over the radio that "they drew first blood, not me," which relates to Teasle "pushing" him by arresting and antagonizing him. The arrest and abuse in jail triggers Rambo's PTSD, specifically his time as a POW (Prisoner of War), which prompts him to lash out and escape, leaving one deputy dead (even if not directly his fault). For Rambo's story, "first blood" represents the trigger that sets him off, more so than actual blood being spilled. He was a sleeping giant that was awoken the second he was provoked, with Teasle and his men drawing "first blood," which was more than enough for Rambo to begin his personal war against them.
Why The Plan To Capture (Or Kill) Rambo Goes Wrong
Once Rambo escapes to the mountains, the Sheriff's deputies put together a posse to hunt him down. However, Teasle is reluctant to bring in the state police to help, even when they find out Rambo is a decorated war hero. His pride is hurt and with one of his deputies dead he makes it his mission to see capturing Rambo through. The Sheriff's deputies are shown to be inept at capturing Rambo, including Teasle, who is confronted by Rambo in the melee, saying, "Don't push it, or I'll give you a war you won't believe. Let it go." This has the opposite effect and Teasle rallies everyone to his cause, including the National Guard. Things get worse when Col. Trautman shows up, saying he's there to save them from Rambo, which does not go over well and only further hurts Teasle's pride. The attempts to talk Rambo out of the mountains is fruitless, as he is already committed to this new war.
The National Guard troops and police close in on lethal killing machine that Rambo was. Had Rambo been treated with respect with his Veteran status and recognized for what he was capable of, then none of the events in First Blood would've gone down as they did.
Why Rambo Was So Determined To Kill Teasle (& Why He Didn't)
Once it's all boiled down, Rambo's plight and the reason he's on the run is because of Teasle's pride. Teasle couldn't "let it go," and as a result felt that by taking down Rambo he would show that he was the authority in the situation and that he was in the right for taking the actions he did. For Rambo, Teasle's disrespect and attempts at authority only served to anger him, as he had reached his breaking point in trying to find his way in the civilian world. He couldn't hold down a job, all of his friends were dead, and he had no home to speak of. All Rambo has, at the time of First Blood, is his experience in Vietnam as a highly-trained operative, now laden with untreated PTSD.
Teasle's instigation with Rambo creates a target for his hate and pain. It also gives him a new mission, a purpose, and, ultimately, a target. Rambo begins a new war, fighting a new enemy, using all of his skills to fight, evade, survive, and kill, if necessary. Teasle doesn't just represent an enemy target to Rambo, but also a figurative one as well. The Sheriff represents everything that has held Rambo back since returning from the war; authority, disrespect, hatred, and being ostracized from society. By going to war with Teasle, he's going to war with the country that has abandoned and forgotten him. After escaping the mountains and setting fire to the town in First Blood's ending, Rambo finally corners Teasle in the Sheriff's headquarters, shooting and wounding him. Teasle goads Rambo to kill him, but Trautman shows up before Rambo can finish him off, effectively saving Teasle's life. Had Trautman not shown up, Teasle very well could've been killed, but since he did, no one will ever know if Rambo would've killed him or not.
First Blood Book Vs. Movie Ending Explained
Morrell's book was published in 1972, inspired by the author's discussions with students of his who were Vietnam Veterans, as well as the First Blood book ending, but his warning shot ends up putting Teasle down for good. Rambo is too wounded to kill himself and is instead shot in the head by Trautman, killing him instantly.
The First Blood ending in the movie has Teasle and Rambo squaring off at the Sheriff's headquarters. Rambo shoots the Sheriff on the roof, causing him to fall through the skylight. Rambo isn't shot at all, as he is in the book, and is about to finish Teasle off when Trautman appears and stops him. He tells Rambo it's over, and Rambo breaks down, surrendering to his former commander. He's led out in handcuffs and taken without incident. However, director Ted Kotcheff shot the "happy" ending as well as the "suicide" ending. In the "suicide" ending, Trautman points a gun at Rambo, but can't pull the trigger, prompting Rambo to grab it himself, setting the gun off and killing him. This First Blood ending tested poorly, so the ending where Rambo lived was instead used for the final film, which effectively opened the doors for four more Rambo sequels.
Nothing Is Over - What Rambo's Breakdown In First Blood Means
Rambo's final speech to Trautman in First Blood's ending is the pinnacle of his journey in the film. Trautman tells Rambo it's over, and he replies that, "Nothing is over!" before breaking down and confessing the issues haunting him. From the memory of a comrade getting blown up in a suicide attack in Saigon to how he can't hold down a job as a civilian, Rambo opens the floodgates to Trautman. When he was a soldier, he was in charge of million-dollar equipment, leading combat operations, and fighting a war his country sold him on, trained him to fight in, then betrayed him when he returned from it when they didn't have the stomach to finish it. It's a common sentiment shared among Vietnam Veterans, one of the few generations that returned home from war only to be vilified by the country that sent them there. Rambo represents those who served in Vietnam, coming home to an unwelcome nation and, having lost his way completely, falls back to what he did best, lashing out against the society that has rejected him. First Blood's ending encapsulates the emotional plight of combat veterans, particularly of that era, before PTSD or combat trauma were recognized, leaving broken and damaged warriors to roam the heartland as outsiders, rather than be welcomed, accepted, and respected for their sacrifice, which is all Rambo ever wanted.
