First Blood is a 1982 American war action film starring Sylvester Stallone as Vietnam War veteran John Rambo. The film was directed by Ted Kotcheff and cowritten by Michael Kozoll, William Sackheim and Stallone based on the 1972 novel First Blood by David Morrell. It is the first installment in the Rambo film series, followed by Rambo: First Blood Part II. The story follows Rambo who, after entering a small town and clashing with the police, attempts to survive a manhunt using his expertise in survival and combat skills. The film costars Richard Crenna as Rambo's mentor Colonel Sam Trautman and Brian Dennehy as Sheriff Will Teasle.

Plot

In December 1981, United States Army Vietnam War Veteran John Rambo discovers that he is the last surviving member of his outfit after learning that his old army buddy has died from complications related to Agent Orange exposure from when they were deployed. Without direction, Rambo arrives in the town of Hope, Washington on foot, where he is accosted by local sheriff Will Teasle, who judges him harshly and presumes him to be a drifter. Teasle escorts Rambo out of town and warns him not to return. Feeling slighted, Rambo begins to return to town, where Teasle quickly arrests him and leaves him to be processed under the supervision of Teasle's cruel chief deputy Art Galt, who joins other deputies in abusing Rambo. The abuse triggers flashbacks to torture that Rambo endured in Vietnam, and he fights his way out of town with his field knife into the surrounding mountains.