The 1982 action classic First Bloodoccupies a unique place in cinematic history, even compared to the other films within its franchise. While the Rambo sequels turned Sylvester Stallone’s titular protagonist into a patriotic, heroic action hero who fought to preserve the American way of life, the first entry in the series is a grounded character drama about trauma and loss. The film served as a representation of post-traumatic stress disorder that a generation of soldiers dealt with in the aftermath of the Vietnam War. While fictionalized, First Blood tackled serious systematic issues about the mistreatment of veterans.