First Blood
David Morrell

I've always been fascinated by the character of Rambo, especially in the first movie of the trilogy: Resented for doing his duty in war, he refuses to be treated like a criminal and unleashes a new war at home to confront the moral hypocrisy of the American public. When I read the original novel by David Morrell, I discovered a deeper dimension to the story; one that Hollywood, in typical fashion, overlooked in favor of a more transparent “hooray for the underdog” theme. In the novel, the action is more up front and brutal, and the psychological dimension makes it altogether more compelling than the movie.

The narrative frame of the story is easy to recognize for those who have seen the movie: Rambo enters a small town and stops by a gas station, trying to get a lift. Police officer Teasle offers a ride, but makes sure Rambo understands he's not welcome. After leaving him by the end of the town road, Rambo keeps coming back, refusing to be pushed around yet again, until Teasle arrests him. But all hell breaks loose inside the police station and Rambo escapes in his birthday suit, and rides into the mountains on a motorbike. A search begins, headed by Teasle, his friend Orval and his dogs, and a team of police officers. The hunt for Rambo turns into a full-scale war with the US military and Colonel Sam Trautman, whose men once trained Rambo.

First of all, let's get this straight: this is a genuine, unashamed thriller. As such, the main focus of the narrative is on action--and "First Blood" doesn't fail to deliver in this department. The style, as may be expected, is simple and doesn't really communicate on a poetic level. Even for prose, it's very direct and rarely lingers on any thought or scene not connected to the practical events that carry the action forward. Yet even for its lack of subtlety, I simply couldn't stop reading it once I'd started. The pace is intense, the action is more gruesome than the movie dared portray, and there's a strong sense of atmosphere about every scene.

What makes this novel a good read, though, is not only the thrill. Morrell has added a psychological dimension to the story, which reveals itself most strongly in the monologues of Teasle and Rambo. Although these monologues add surprisingly little depth to the storyline, they reveal motivations and symbolism, which expand the narrative beyond the borders of the big screen. The psychological conflict between Teasle and Rambo cleverly symbolizes the philosophical division of American society over the Vietnam War: It's hard not to sympathize with Rambo, the patriotic soldier who has come home only to be greeted with disrespect and resentment. As a man who's clearly been pushed over the edge, his character unfolds as a voice for the lost and disenchanted youth. Teasle, on the other hand, is the symbol of the establishment, painted also as a character we slowly come to understand on his own terms. The tragic result of the lack of a social consensus within the American public, the symbolic war between these two types spurs readers to reconsider their notions of duty, loyalty, and human decency.

Although it's famous first for its cultural status as a classic action story, underneath the surface layer of "First Blood" dwells a lake of despair and confusion over the loss of unity in America. It could just as well have been written five years ago, and may even be more relevant today than it was in 1992.

First Blood, by David Morrell