10 Secret Subplots Hidden In Movies
8. Why Sheriff Teasle Really Hates Rambo - First Blood
As much as the Rambo sequels became increasingly less-subtle with each passing instalment, the original, First Blood is a remarkably thoughtful and intelligently made thriller.
The film is of course centered on the conflict between small-town Sheriff Teasle (a brilliant Brian Dennehy) and Vietnam War vet John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone), with Teasle objecting to the long-haired drifter passing through his town.
David Morrell's novel makes it decidedly clearer that Teasle is himself a decorated war veteran, having been a member of the Marine Corps in the Korean War.
His resentment of Rambo is implied to stem from him feeling that Korean War vets such as himself never had their accomplishments recognised as much as Vietnam War vets.
This is hinted at in a single scene in the movie, when Teasle is shown sat in his office, which contains three medals: the Silver Star, the Purple Heart, and the Army Distinguished Service Cross Medals.
The medals, awarded for valour and bravery during combat, suggest that Teasle wasn't merely a mediocre grunt but an extremely skilled soldier, lending fascinating extra context to quite why he appears to loathe Rambo so much.