Rambo is now a very well-known film series. But if the creative minds behind the first film had had their way, there would never have been a sequel. It wasn’t until Sylvester Stallone intervened that things changed.
What some fans of the Rambo series may have forgotten: The first part was really dark. It had nothing to do with the exuberant action fireworks of the later spin-offs.
On the contrary: Rambo 1 told a rather tragic story that was inspired by a real person. The title character is a veteran of the Vietnam War who finds it difficult to come to terms with this terrible time. When he reaches a small town, he gets into a conflict with the local police. Rambo has to flee into the nearby forests and fights with his opponents.
In comparison to its successors, the film is told in a rather calm manner. Rambo is not a shining action hero, but a war-torn veteran. However, the screenwriters had an ending in mind that would have ended the entire film series prematurely.
Trailer for the dark first “Rambo”
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An ending that was too dark even for Stallone
Spoiler alert: Although the film is already 44 years old, here’s a warning. We reveal the ending of Rambo 1.
What was the original ending? According to the original novel, Rambo’s story would have ended badly. At least for the protagonist. The film’s director, Ted Kocheff, told Entertainment Weekly that Rambo was supposed to die.
At the end of the film he is arrested and in the original script he would have taken his own life. This would have made a continuation with the character impossible.
Sylvester Stallone, who wasn’t supposed to play the role, probably shot the scene as written. However, after filming, he came to his director and asked to reconsider this dark ending. Ted Kocheff remembers:
Sylvester stood up and said, “Ted, can I talk to you for a minute?” He said, “You know, Ted, we’ve put so much into this character. The police abuse him. He is pursued endlessly. Dogs are sent after him. He jumps off cliffs. He runs through ice-cold water. He receives a gunshot wound in his arm and has to stitch up the wound himself. All that and now we’re supposed to kill him?
Ted Kocheff via Entertainment Weekly
Stallone’s demand had an effect: the ending of the film was reshot and corresponds to the ending of the film that we know. Rambo is arrested here too and speaks to the police chief about his war experiences. However, he is then taken away.
This ending was much better received by the test audience. Even if it’s still not a classic happy ending, there was at least some hope for the troubled Rambo.
The filmmakers have Sylvester Stallone to thank for turning Rambo into a major franchise. There are now four sequels. The character is one of the most famous action heroes of the 80s and has now achieved cult status. Stallone himself recently had to deal with negative criticism: “As if it was shot in 2 days” – Nobody, really nobody recommends the new film with Sylvester Stallone on Rotten Tomatoes