Over the course of his acting career, Sylvester Stallone has not only become a household name himself, but so have his iconic characters. From his breakout role as the titular boxer in the sports drama Rocky back in 1976 to his more recent hits in the mercenary actioner series The Expendables, audiences flock to theaters to watch the onscreen heroes’ death-defying exploits again and again. But there was one famous role that not only spurred a five-movie franchise, but also cemented Stallone as an action star for nearly 50 years: John Rambo in Ted Kotcheff’s 1982 warfare-thriller First Blood.
The film was based on David Morrell’s novel of the same name, and follows the heart-wrenching story of John Rambo, a troubled Vietnam War veteran who must fight to survive a brutal manhunt by local police and military members after trying to get reintegrated into civilian life. Despite Morrell only writing one book about John Rambo, the popular protagonist has since led an enduring legacy among fans across generations through its film adaptation and four sequels, Rambo: First Blood Part II, Rambo III, Rambo, and Rambo: Last Blood. So, where did his inspiration for the legendary character come from? Here’s everything we know about the true story and its real-life hero that First Blood’s John Rambo is based on.
The Inspiration Behind Morrell’s ‘First Blood’
While the Rambo film franchise is a work of fiction, the original book (and its lead) was somewhat inspired by real-life events. In Morrell’s novel First Blood, the author includes an introduction that reveals several aspects of his day-to-day life that later influenced John Rambo and his story.
While developing the character’s name, he combined the last name of writer Arthur Rimbaud (he was reading his work at the time) with the Rambo apple (a grocery shopping topic courtesy of his wife). Not a very action-related origin, but a writer knows that inspiration can strike at any moment, no matter how routine it is. Now, there was a real soldier named Arthur John Rambo who fought and died in the Vietnam War. However, since Morrell hasn’t mentioned the former staff sergeant since the book’s release, it only seems to be a coincidence.
But just because Arthur John Rambo wasn’t the man behind the classic action hero, that doesn’t mean there wasn’t one. In Morrell’s 2012 book, Rambo and Me, he noted that, just before he started writing First Blood, America’s most decorated World War II veteran, Audie Murphy, was on his mind. The author found his Medal of Honor citation “superhuman,” confessing in an interview with Flashback Files that “anything Rambo has done in any of the movies pales in comparison [to Murphy].” Although Murphy’s impressively heroic feats fascinated Morrell while creating John Rambo, it was actually how open the solider was about dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from war that really influenced that character.
Additionally, the writer was prompted by televised footage of the war, riots, and National Guard shootings in American cities. Morrell further explained that he wanted to write a book in which the reader sees the Vietnam War come home to America, just as it did with those who fought in it, “There hadn’t been a war on American soil since the Civil War ended in 1865. With America splitting apart because of Vietnam, maybe it was time for a novel that dramatized the philosophical division in our society, that shoved the brutality of war right under our noses.” So, Rambo’s psychological torment after coming home as well as the harassment he faced, even about his long hair, were reflective of the divisive culture during that time — one that Morrell knew was important to capture.
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The Life of Audie Murphy
Audie Murphy was born in Texas in 1924, and became one of the United States’ most decorated World War II veterans by the time he was 21 years old. A determined fellow, Murphy lied about his age in order to enlist in the Army when he was only 17 years old and quickly moved up in rank. By 1943, he was a staff sergeant, fighting in both the invasion of Sicily and the Battle of Anzio in 1944 — providing the aid necessary to liberate France. During the latter combat, Murphy single-handedly held off a German attack from three sides while operating a burning tank destroyer with one machine gun. His counterattack drove the enemy away, secured the woods they were advancing towards, and saved his men from certain death. After returning home in 1945, the hero rightfully received the Medal of Honor.
While readapting to normal life, Murphy made a career as both an author and an actor, sharing his harrowing experiences on the page and on the screen. He even starred in an autobiographical movie about it all called To Hell and Back, adapted from his book of the same name. First Blood differs from Murphy’s exact experiences at war that To Hell and Back covers, but the PTSD he came home with was Morrell’s biggest writing inspiration. He spoke about Murphy’s fearful reality with Flashback Files: “He kept a weapon under his pillow. He woke up from nightmares, screaming and shooting. There were bullet holes in the wall that they would cover up by moving pictures around. He had an unsuccessful civilian life.” Despite being celebrated by many for his valor and through John Rambo’s similar portrayal, it cost him a peaceful life, and Morrell knew that consequence was an important message for readers and moviegoers alike.
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‘First Blood’s John Rambo: In the Book vs. on the Screen
Even with the few differences between John Rambo in Morrell’s novel and Sylvester Stallone’s film portrayal of the character, both iterations share the same initial arc. The two works see Rambo walking around a small town and confronted by its sheriff/police chief, Will Teasle (Brian Dennehy). Teasle chastises him, chases him out of town, and even arrests him when returning for a bite to eat. After the mistreatment brings on flashbacks from his time in the Vietnam War, Rambo sets out on a mission, using violence against Teasle, police, and National Guardsmen in order to survive.
However, the book’s ending is way different from the one in the movie. Morrell left readers with Rambo detonating a bomb that kills both him and Teasle. Considering the purpose of the story was to highlight the devastating effects of PTSD on soldiers against a society that fails to understand or help them, the original ending is fitting. But, when it comes to the film adaptation, viewers see Rambo survive and get taken into custody. He then survives through its four sequels, all of which Morrell felt disappointing in their thesis.
According to an interview with Movies in Focus, the film franchise lost John Rambo’s initial bitterness and anger, making him a victim and, later, “a recruitment poster for the military.” Instead of focusing on Morrell’s original message for veterans who are traumatized and then left to fend for themselves, the film industry distorted its ending to spawn lucrative sequels and glorify an unnecessary cycle of violent warfare. Other modern franchises like Marvel, whose superheroes arguably propagandize the military industrial complex, further emphasize Morrell’s point: society praises its war heroes’ violence, and ignores the consequential trauma once they come home.
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