Movie review: First Blood "The war you asked for"

When we make something worse, it becomes our nightmare.

It's a timeless irony we always make our own enemies, and we don't even know it. After all, people are made one simply because of wrong choices, pride, envy and selfishness. What's worse, we actually choose to make these wars, because we can always choose not to.

There was no problem at all. He just wanted something to eat. They drew First Blood (1982, directed by Ted Kotcheff) , and they're going to pay dearly for it.

After the nightmarish Vietnam war, veteran soldier John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) searched for his friend in the country side only to discover he's the only one left of the elite team. He wandered off, hungry, until "king-shit" cop Sherrif Teasle (Brian Dennehy) got hold of him in his territory and arrested him.

Not knowing he was already signing his death sentence, Teasle tortured the war-traumatic outcast and struggled to keep him in order, as Rambo still suffered from ghastly visions of the war back in Vietnam. He eventually escaped, and devised a "home" in the depths of the jungle.

Sometimes it's our pride that makes us kill ourselves. Hot on his trail, the police boldly crossed the "border" called hell, and suddenly the hunters became the hunted. Rambo's commanding officer, Colonel Trautman (Richard Crenna) then visited the once quiet town and warned the police about the "pure fighting machine" who's been trained to ignore pain and weather, and to kill even with his bare hands.

Somehow it was a war he could not win. With no code of honor or even someone who could watch his back, Rambo could not escape from the town law and had to do his time in jail after wrecking the whole place in defiance that he didn't even start the war.

What is war, anyway? I was taught that I cannot understand everything, but Rambo made me cry when he couldn't accept that he lost in this war he never asked for, and told the colonel about his unspeakable life back in Nam. He said he dreamed it for seven years, when his friend literally blew up in pieces after falling into a booby trap, and no one would help him and he was trying so hard to put his friend's body parts back in place. Somehow it's a nightmare no one could ever bear.

Beyond that silence, beyond that Medal of Honor and Green Beret awards, beyond that fighting machine, lies a war no one could win, a reality no one could endure, and a person no one could ever understand. There are people in this world we may never figure out, but it is but their right to earn respect and acceptance. There may be people who'll always wander off, alone, but still determined to live and fight. 

And from them we may even find our heroes.

Part of John Rambo's lines:

Trautman: You did everything to make this private war happen. You've done enough damage. This mission is over, Rambo. Do you understand me? This mission is over! Look at them out there! Look at them! If you won't end this now, they will kill you. Is that what you want? It's over Johnny. It's over! 

Rambo: Nothing is over! Nothing! You just don't turn it off! It wasn't my war! You asked me, I didn't ask you! And I did what I had to do to win! But somebody wouldn't let us win! And I come back to the world and I see all those maggots at the airport, protesting me, spitting. Calling me baby killer and all kinds of vile crap! Who are they to protest me? Who are they? Unless they've been me and been there and know what the hell they're yelling about! 

Trautman: It was a bad time for everyone, Rambo. It's all in the past now. 

Rambo: For *you*! For me civilian life is nothing! In the field we had a code of honor, you watch my back, I watch yours. Back here there's nothing! 

Trautman: You're the last of an elite group, don't end it like this. 

Rambo: Back there I could fly a gunship, I could drive a tank, I was in charge of million dollar equipment, back here I can't even hold a job *parking cars*! 

We were in this bar in Saigon and this kid comes up, this kid carrying a shoe-shine box. And he says "Shine, please, shine!" I said no. He kept askin', yeah, and Joey said "Yeah." And I went to get a couple of beers, and the box was wired, and he opened up the box, fucking blew his body all over the place. And he's laying there, he's fucking screaming. There's pieces of him all over me, just... like this, and I'm tryin' to pull him off, you know, my friend that's all over me! I've got blood and everything and I'm tryin' to hold him together! I'm puttin'... the guy's fuckin' insides keep coming out! And nobody would help! Nobody would help! He's saying, sayin' "I wanna go home! I wanna go home!" He keeps calling my name! "I wanna go home, Johnny! I wanna drive my Chevy!" I said "With what? I can't find your fuckin' legs! I can't find your legs!" 

I can't get it out of my head. A dream of seven years. Everyday I have this. And sometimes I wake up and I don't know where I am. I don't talk to anybody. Sometimes a day - a week. I can't put it out of my mind.