Rambo Was Supposed to Be Stallone’s ‘Career Killer’

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Rambo Was Supposed to Be Stallone's 'Career Killer'

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  • Stallone Took Advantage of an Empty Niche
  • First Blood Was the Crossroads of Stallone’s Professional Life
  • Stallone Invents the Modern International Blockbuster
  • How Stallone Learned to Prolong His Fifteen Minutes of Fame

As I delve into the captivating journey of Sylvester Stallone, I can’t help but marvel at the resilience and ingenuity that propelled him to the pinnacle of Hollywood stardom. The man who once feared becoming a has-been transformed himself into an icon, a veritable titan of the silver screen. His story is not just one of rags to riches, but of fear to fame, of struggle to success.

While Sylvester Stallone’s iconic role in “Rocky” is often considered his most significant performance and crowning achievement, a closer look at his career reveals otherwise. The 1982 film “First Blood,” the initial installment of the “Rambo” series, had a profound impact on his career and the action movie genre as a whole. This gritty portrayal of Rambo, with his signature mullet, significantly shaped Stallone’s trajectory and has been emulated in many of his subsequent blockbusters, both positively and negatively. Contrary to popular belief, it was Rambo, not Rocky Balboa, who became the defining role for Stallone as an actor and a pop culture icon. This leads us to wonder why he expressed a desire to have every copy of “First Blood” destroyed

Stallone Took Advantage of an Empty Niche

Instead of being confined to a specific role, Stallone instead created a unique space for himself within the film industry that he alone masterfully utilized, with the exception of a particular Austrian bodybuilder who enjoyed cigars. Almost single-handedly, Stallone shaped the contemporary action hero archetype. Let’s discuss their intricate relationship later. Unbeknownst to many, his business acumen subtly transformed both cinema and popular culture, but we’ll explore that in detail shortly. Before diving into the groundbreaking Rambo series, it’s essential to rewind to the chaos that surrounded the first Rambo movie, First Blood. It is debatable whether this film can be considered one of the greatest “poorly made” movies ever produced. While First Blood isn’t inherently bad, early drafts and rough versions were undeniably terrible, as evidenced by Stallone’s lingering distaste for them. This is a version of the film you definitely don’t want to watch without cuts

Following the global success of “Rambo: First Blood,” Stallone recognized a gap for an action star role in 1980, as the older generation of stars like Charles Bronson, Burt Lancaster, and Steve McQueen were gradually becoming less pertinent due to age. With plenty of exercise at the gym and a touch of existential angst, Stallone refashioned his persona and revolutionized the action genre. The film’s impact was underestimated or even dismissed as subpar at the time, but after four decades, it’s now clear that “Rambo: First Blood” deserves recognition for its significant contribution to cinematic history

First Blood Was the Crossroads of Stallone’s Professional Life

Rambo Was Supposed to Be Stallone's 'Career Killer'

Initially, the success of “Rocky” didn’t significantly boost Sylvester Stallone’s reputation among Hollywood’s influential figures. However, against all odds, he managed to land the role of Rambo in 1982. The movie was widely perceived as a disaster-in-the-making, and it wasn’t the first attempt to bring David Morrell’s 1972 adventure novel “First Blood” to the big screen

In a conversation about the DVD extras, I’d say, “I was part of the team who witnessed the significant transformation of this movie. Originally running for 180 minutes, it was reduced to 93 minutes, reducing my screen time significantly – something I had personally requested due to some reservations about my own performance. The original ending, which mimicked the finale from the Morrell book, didn’t sit well with me. In this version, Rambo ended up being killed, a menacing figure for society and himself, more beast than man. This lack of subtlety in portraying blue-collar characters and the gloomy tone of films that I dislike were key factors behind my reluctance.”

Initially earning an Oscar nomination for creating the complex character of Rocky, he felt the part was too insignificant for him and demanded revisions. Almost immediately after agreeing to star in the movie, Stallone found the dialogue cheesy, the pace painfully slow, and the ending lackluster and devoid of meaning. As he read through the early drafts of the Rambo script, he realized that the character was lacking in humanity and was therefore a weak, laughable figure that no one could empathize with. He didn’t want to be a plot tool; he wanted to portray a genuine character

Stallone Invents the Modern International Blockbuster

Rambo Was Supposed to Be Stallone's 'Career Killer'

After completing the movie, he was left feeling humbled and terrified. With few options available, he and his manager attempted to acquire all copies of the film to destroy them, as he confided in Howard Stern. “This could end my career,” he admitted, sharing his most dismal moments. “I shoot an owl, and then the owl falls. I say, ‘Take that you mouse-eating…'” He was determined to prevent this debacle from further damaging his already fragile career. However, the choice to remove as much of his performance proved to be a genius move, significantly reducing his screen time, making him more mysterious or at least less annoying and psychopathic. The streamlined film enhanced the image of Rambo as an elusive, ghost-like commando pursuing his helpless victims. The editor deserved an award for saving this production

In my opinion as a movie enthusiast, this film doesn’t rely on preachy dialogue or cheesy one-liners; instead, it subtly echoes around the central character, much like a Greek chorus in a play. This method of storytelling allows us to empathize deeply with a man who has lost everything – his purpose, respect, friends, and self-confidence. What Stallone managed to do through his script revisions was transform a rather dull caricature of a PTSD-affected, broken individual into a tragic figure. This character can survive anything, improvise anything, and accomplish anything, but he struggles to ask for help or reveal his inner turmoil

What’s particularly surprising isn’t just that the film was financially successful, but that it resonated with Chinese audiences, sparking a sense of empathy towards an American Vietnam veteran – a figure historically at odds with China, given their support for North Vietnam during the war. It’s intriguing to consider why the Chinese government chose to screen this movie; perhaps they saw it as an opportunity to subtly promote anti-capitalist ideologies under the guise of cinematic art

In a 1985 article for the Christian Science Monitor, it was discussed that the Chinese audience resonated deeply with a movie about an oppressed man standing up against a system that had mistreated him. This was an idea so sensitive it likely wouldn’t have been explored publicly in China without this film. The actor didn’t merely establish a franchise for four decades of profits; he introduced a character that audiences worldwide identified with strongly. This marked the beginning of Hollywood’s foray into China, an event that has since prompted Western companies to strategize methods to serve the Chinese film market, yielding, it must be said, intriguing outcomes

How Stallone Learned to Prolong His Fifteen Minutes of Fame

Rambo Was Supposed to Be Stallone's 'Career Killer'

It had a big impact on the actor. Winning an Oscar doesn’t guarantee long-term work or stability. Maintaining your profile is a harrowing show-biz cliché. Audiences are fickle and quick to forget. Arnold Schwarzenegger worked hard to sneak into the business, but Stallone fought tooth and nail to stay there. Throughout the ’80s, arguably the golden era of the blockbuster genre, both sparred with each other, fostering an amicable competition between them, the dual kings atop the hill.

Initially, Stallone might have been overshadowed by Arnold, but Stallone was the first to master the movie formula. He realized that one-time success wouldn’t be enough; he needed a unique persona or trademark to maintain his career at the top. In the ’80s, he seized the opportunity presented by Rocky and Rambo roles, pushing himself relentlessly in the gym to stand out among other actors. Bit by bit, he sculpted his own niche genre. In an interview with Inspire Me podcast, he admitted that he unwittingly became a superstar due to his fear of becoming unemployed and having to find a regular job

“It was unexpected, but I discovered I had made my first action movie. Since no one else was doing this, with Charles Bronson having grown older, I saw an opportunity. I thought, ‘This is a wide-open field. I don’t have to measure up against all these other actors.’ This realization sparked my determination to specialize in the visual aspects of filmmaking, creating something that could be understood universally.”

976 finds Rocky with an appearance that’s quite different from the chiseled physique he sported in 1985. Remarkably, the impressive six-pack may have restricted his acting opportunities later on. Paradoxically, Sylvester Stallone had to put on weight and accept a significant reduction in pay to star in the mafia drama Copland. In a sense, he was ensuring his continued relevance

Was Sylvester Stallone highly successful? Over the years, the muscular physique that was once considered extraordinary in action heroes has become the norm for leading men. If you aim for the big paychecks and accolades, you must build up your muscles or risk living in obscurity. Initially, Stallone hesitated about the Rambo character, but he eventually made four sequels across three decades, with the latest being 2019’s “Last Blood.” The other movies in the series can’t compare, which highlights the impact of the original. What initially seemed like a dead end for his acting career turned out to be a rare opportunity for an actor to redefine himself. Watch on Paramount+.

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2024-09-04 23:02