Picture of the movie Rambo - First Blood © DR
Rambo – First Blood, the first opus of a successful saga
Sylvester Stallone returns to Cannes to present an exclusive look at images from Rambo V: Last Blood, which will be released in theaters in the fall of 2019. It all started in 1982 with the first opus of the saga: Rambo - First Blood. Sylvester Stallone plays John Rambo, one of the most famous movie characters in recent years. The world premiere of this film in its restored version will be screened in the Grand Théâtre Lumière. The American actor will also look back on his career in an interview during the event.
With his 1976 cult film Rocky, for which he wrote the script himself, actor and bodybuilding enthusiast Sylvester Stallone rose to the rank of international star. His Italian-American character returned in the film’s first sequel in 1979, and it was only a few months after the release of Rocky III (in 1982) that Rambo – First Blood, directed by Ted Kotcheff, hit the theaters.
Adapted from a novel, this feature film follows the story of John Rambo, a Vietnam War hero who wanders from town to town seeking out old war buddies. When he is arrested for vagrancy, Rambo is thrown in jail and mistreated by abusive police officers. Becoming enraged, he escapes into the forest after injuring numerous officers, and the manhunt begins… The story of Rambo – First Blood inspired traumatized American veterans who, after their defeat in Vietnam, were faced with numerous difficulties readjusting to American society.
As in Rocky, Sylvester Stallone impressed the audiences of Rambo – First Blood with action and combat scenes that helped him get his nickname "Sly". He is one of the few actors who has played the role of two internationally known action-film heroes.
Restoration of the Rambo Trilogy was performed by Technicolor Hollywood from the camera negatives, digitized in 16-bit 4K resolution, as well as by Éclair in Paris. The color grading was performed for movie theaters in HDR Dolby Vision. The film was restored image by image in accordance with the artistic decisions made during its original production.
