In the nineties, among schoolchildren, chewing gums with inlay stickers, on which were photographs of famous movie characters, were especially popular. Most of the stickers were with heroes like John James Rambo and Terminator. They were collected, pasted on refrigerators, bicycles and lockers. And the happy owners of VCRs watched movies with these heroes to holes. However, if the Terminator was a made-up story, then Rambo had a real prototype.
John James Rambo: The Story of Creating a Novel and Films
In 1972, David Morrell 's novel, First Blood, was published. This book, using the example of one hero of the Vietnam War John Rambo, spoke about the problems of veterans. In particular, about the complexity of their adaptation to peaceful life after the horrors of war, murders or captivity. In addition, in his work, the author showed that if a person is intentionally made into a “killing machine” for a long time, then it will be very difficult for him to change and adapt to a peaceful existence. Unlike the Terminator, people do not have a toggle switch that can transfer them from one mode to another.
The idea to write a novel on this subject arose from Morrell while studying in the United States. As a Canadian himself, he knew little about the Vietnam War, but during his training he personally began to encounter young men suffering from post-traumatic syndrome. Realizing that this topic is quite relevant and relevant, the writer decided to devote a whole book to it.
The real prototype of John Rambo
Despite the fact that the author of the novel “First Blood” knew a lot of veterans trying to adapt to a normal life, John Jame Rambo is not a prefabricated image, he had a real prototype. True, he was not a Vietnam veteran, but a World War II named Ody Murphy. After returning home, this man for many years could not get used to a normal life. All this time he continued to keep his weapon under his pillow. Sometimes, with a fright, he could start firing at the shadows if it seemed to him that someone was approaching him.
In the case of Murphy, his frustration did not lead to such tragic consequences. Morrell, in his novel, described a hypothetical situation that could have happened in this veteran, and his most likely reaction to it.
Where did the name John James Rambo come from?
In the book "First Blood" the protagonist did not have a name at all. Only the last name is Rambo. However, when ten years after publication, the novel was about to be made into a movie, the hero urgently needed a name. Then he was named John James (John James) in honor of the popular song during the Civil War in the United States - "When Johnny is going to march home."
The hero received his surname in honor of the French writer Arthur Rimbaud, who has the poem "One Summer in Hell." It seemed to Morrell that this was a wonderful metaphor for the time spent by John in Vietnamese captivity. Sometimes the writer told a different version of the origin of the Rambo surname. At the time of writing the book, his wife brought him a dish with fragrant apples, which Morrell liked. He asked his beloved what kind of variety it was. It turned out - "Rambo." So the writer came up with a name for his hero - John James Rambo.
Rambo family
Information about John’s relatives in books and films is slightly contradictory. So, in the picture it is mentioned that the guy’s father was an Indian. However, the book says that Rambo's mother was from the Navajo tribe, and his father was Italian. As a child, the guy often spent time with his mother's relatives, from here he has the ability to shoot archery, navigate and hunt in the jungle.
John's father often drank and, while intoxicated, pounded his mother. Later, she died of cancer, and the young Rambo fled from home and began to work in the garage, completely abandoning school. Joining the army was for the guy just a ray of light in the dark kingdom.
The film "Rambo: First Blood"
In preparation for the film adaptation of the novel, Rambo's book image was changed. In addition to the fact that the character acquired a name, he became more withdrawn in himself. So, in the novel, John James Rambo (a fictional character) communicates more with the police, even lets out jokes. In the film adaptation he is gloomy and silent.
Also in the film, the main character is much less bloodthirsty than in the book. Like a real soldier, John James Rambo in a book kills about fifteen people chasing him. Against the background of the book prototype, the cinema hero is almost a pacifist: only one of his opponents, the sheriff who has brewed porridge, dies from his hands in the movie.
In general, the plot is more or less identical: John travels and, passing through the next city, attracts the attention of the sheriff. He is trying to force the hero to leave the aisles of his village as soon as possible in order to avoid a variety of incidents. The hero of the war offends such an attitude and he returns to the city to the evil sheriff, for which he is arrested and, after being taken to the cell, beaten. John Rambo has a breakdown, he fights off his tormentors and escapes from the site.
The hunt begins for him with the involvement of all means, including the National Guard. However, Rambo, being an experienced military man, not only survives perfectly in the forest, but also manages to keep his defense. In the end, he kills the badass sheriff and surrenders to the authorities. The book has a slightly different ending - there John James Rambo dies.
Rambo Knife
It is worth noting that the book completely lacks such a detail as a folding knife for survival, which so often serves the hero.
The idea to use such a tool belongs to the leading actor in the film - Sylvester Stallone. As an avid collector of edged weapons, he begged one of his best designers in the United States - Jimmy Layle - to design one copy specifically for the film. The machete cleaver was taken as the basis, however, a whole set of hiking tools was mounted in the handle, which helped Rambo escape. For the second and third films, models of camping knives were also individually developed, which were supposed to help the hero survive in the jungle.
The film "Rambo: First Blood-2"
And this is the second film about the Vietnam War veteran named John Rambo. The Rambo series is a rather unusual story. If the first film was shot on the basis of the book, the second served as the basis for the writing of the novel by Morrell.
In the plot of the second picture, John is serving his fair punishment for misconduct in the first film. But then suddenly his former boss Trautman comes to him, whom the hero respects and appreciates. He offers Rambo freedom in a different way than years of work in a stone quarry. All that is required of him is to complete one dangerous mission.
The fact is that John James Rambo once was in Vietnamese captivity and was able to escape from there. Officially, the camp where he was held is empty. But Americans fear that prisoners are kept and tortured there now. The task of Rambo is to get into the camp, find out the state of affairs, report and quietly leave. However, John’s landing does not go as planned, and the hero remains virtually without any equipment. Rambo has to use only his faithful knife, bow and arrow, as well as survival skills acquired from the Indians.
Thanks to the liaison Ko Bao, John enters the camp and finds there a mass of captured soldiers from the United States. Rambo is trying to save them, but because of the betrayal of one of the leaders of the operation, he himself is captured. After torture, the hero with the help of Ko Bao manages to escape and save compatriots, but the girl dies. At the end of the film, John refuses a well-deserved medal and leaves the army.
The film "Rambo 3"
The situation is similar with the third film of the Rambo cycle: a book is written on its basis. In the story, John has long been living in Thailand. Here he works at a Buddhist temple and becomes a Buddhist himself. However, his quick-tempered nature often makes itself felt. The hero earns a living by participating in paid street battles. Moreover, most of the money earned is donated to the temple.
Here he is found by his former commander Trautman, who became the second father for the hero. He asks John to participate in one military operation, but he no longer believes the US Army and refuses.
Soon, John James Rambo learns that Trautman was captured while completing the mission, and agrees to try to save him. Having penetrated the Afghan-Pakistani border into Afghanistan, the hero gets acquainted with the local resistance. With the help of a conductor, he gets to the base where his friend is being held. After a series of skirmishes, Rambo manages to save both Troutman and other prisoners.
The film "Rambo 4"
The last of the films in this series tells about the life of Rambo twelve years after the events of the third film. Now John is almost sixty, he calmed down, but never returned to his homeland. Its habitat is a suburb of Bangkok. Here he lives on the banks of the river and repairs boats and boats.
One day a small group of missionaries comes to him and asks them to be escorted to the place of residence of one eastern people who suffer from military operations in the country. Missionaries want to help them with food and medicine. Reluctantly, John James Rambo agrees and helps missionaries. A few days later he learns that the people whom he helped get to the occupied village were taken hostage by the military. Teaming up with the soldiers of fortune, John rescues the missionaries. One girl from their group, with whom John made friends, advises him to finally return to his homeland, which the hero does.
The influence of the image of John Rambo on politics and culture
Creating the image of John Rambo, David Morrell tried to raise the problems that society of that time often simply turned a blind eye to. However, his character from a troubled veteran soon turned into a lost war hero, ready to come to the rescue in difficult times. He became a symbol of the steadfastness and honor of a true military man who does not betray and does not abandon his own.
That's how the hero John Rambo changed the action movie genre. Stories about a lone hero saving someone have become fashionable (Die Hard, Commando). For example, John McClain from Die Hard compares himself to Rambo. With the light hand of the creators of the movie after its entry into fashion, universal hiking knives, archery and other "lotions" of the protagonist came into fashion.
American President Ronald Reagan often quoted films from the Rambo cycle during his reign. Also associated with the hero is the term that appeared in jurisprudence. It is called Rambo lawyer and refers to the unprofessional behavior of lawyers.
Very influenced by the audience, especially the young, the story of one hero. John Rambo became the ideal of masculinity and courage for boys who wanted to be like him in everything. After the release of the film, many children began to play Rambo and imitate his habits. But the most important thing that all viewers and readers of this cycle have learned is that you can find a way out of any situation, even if you are in the jungle without water and food, surrounded by enemies, and you only have a knife in your hands. Despite everything, you always need to remain a worthy person.