The Masculinity of Rambo

The Masculinity of Rambo

by Nate Brennaman

            I recently went and saw Rambo: Last Blood in theaters and it made me think of how masculinity was viewed in the ‘80s. Sylvester Stallone, along with Arnold Schwarzenegger and maybe Jean-Claude Van Damme, represent the peak of masculinity of the ‘80s. Stallone’s Rocky Balboa and John Rambo illustrate how violence, strength, and muscles determine whether or not one is masculine.

            In 1982’s First Blood, John Rambo is depicted as a down-on-his-luck Vietnam veteran who has been rejected and neglected by society. This film is very different from the later Rambo movies. It is very much a commentary on America’s treatment of veterans and mental illness. It can also be read as a representation of the failures of physical strength. Rambo fights back against a corrupt police force, but is ultimately bested by his own internal demons and struggles. Physical violence can’t beat mental illness and trauma. In the end of the film, Rambo is reduced to tears when discussing the trauma of the war. In this first Rambo movie, Rambo is ultimately the victim; of war, society, and himself even. Victimizing Rambo “infantilizes and feminizes” him, as Kathleen McClancy puts it (517). A modern viewer of First Blood might view Rambo’s display of emotion as a positive, as I did the first time I watched it. However, at the time of the film’s release, the character’s emotional breakdown would have been viewed as a weakness (but not in a good way). John Rambo is a victim with “no power” at the end of the movie (McClancy 518).

            It is not until 1985’s Rambo: First Blood Part II that Rambo reclaims his power by returning to Vietnam and basically “winning the war” single-handedly. This film is a product of the American Male’s insecurities following the “loss” of the Vietnam War. As the first war that America “lost,” Vietnam is a soft spot for many Americans because this loss is viewed by some as a weakness, a failure of masculinity. If anything, it shows that violence and brute strength isn’t always the answer.

            Getting back to Rambo: Last Blood, this movie is an extremely violent, bloody, and brutal affair. John Rambo is once again a one-man army; this time fighting a Mexican drug cartel that kidnapped his surrogate daughter. I think this movie is a commentary of the aging Boomer generation, the men that fought in Vietnam. It is a “Grandpa Revenge Fantasy” and a reflection of this generation’s fear of aging and losing control. With the aging of this generation, is this the end of violent masculinity? No, it is not. Action films, like John Wick, as well as real-life acts of violence show how violence is still strongly tied to masculinity, even for youngers generations. However, I think there has been a reappraisal of masculinity and violence that has begun. This should continue on into the future.

Work Cited

McClancy. Kathleen. “The Rehabilitation of Rambo: Trauma, Victimization, and the Vietnam Veteran.” The Journal of Popular Culture, vol. 47, no. 3, 2014, pp. 503-519.  MLA International Bibliography, doi:10.1111/j.1540-5931.2011.00878.x.