Sylvester Stallone Compares Rambo To Classical “Greek tragedy” Because of Its Lack of Sci-Fi Explosions and Inhuman Stunts
Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer has received plenty of love from fans and critics alike not just for its star cast’s enthralling performance but also for the filmmakers’ vision of reenacting moments like Trinity Test without any help from CGI.
There are plenty of filmmakers and viewers who have this appetite for realism in the era where DC and Marvel Cinematic Universes rule the box office with their extraterrestrial plots and action sequences.
Sylvester Stallone, who has given Hollywood two iconic action franchises in Rocky and Rambo, appears to be on the side of Nolan when it comes to valuing the cinema that is unblemished by CGIs.
Why Sylvester Stallone Thinks Rambo Is Like Classical Greek Tragedy
It isn’t a far-fetched notion to say Sylvester Stallone was no less than a Greek God for his fans in the 70s and 80s thanks to his brilliant portrayal of Rocky.
The Italian Stallion rose from the ashes of street-fighting to become the world heavyweight champion by thrashing Apollo Creed; all while without losing the incredible luminescence in his eyes. He was in the 80s what Tom Cruise‘s Ethan Hunt was (perhaps still is since he never ages) in the 2000s.
However, the 77-year-old compared the story of his other famous character, Rambo, to a Greek tragedy. When asked about his thoughts on the ever-increasing influence of CGI and comic book characters in action cinema, he said:
“Yes, it is [frustrating]. [Great action movies are] like buying a vintage watch. Originally it was $35, and now it’s $35,000. Why? Because it’s handmade. It wasn’t over the top. It wasn’t supernatural. It was something a unique human being could achieve. That’s why I think First Blood is one of the first action films. I relied on body acting to tell the story. The character never talks, but you know exactly what’s going on through the other characters. They’re almost like narrators in his Greek tragedy. The guy never stops moving, and that’s what I call an “action film.” There’s not one CGI shot. The audience goes: That is pretty special.”
At the very basic level, Greek tragedies are often associated with plays that follow tragic tales of heroes who in their pursuit of greatness more often than not end up empty-handed, like the heroes of Sophocles. Rambo in a way was originally scripted like that, but things took a turn ultimately.
What Sylvester Stallone Changed in Rambo From the Original Script
Stallone’s First Blood was based on David Morell’s novel of the same title, which sees Rambo succumbing to his injuries at the end. Even in the original script, he dies after the attack from Hope Sheriff Will Teasle.
However, Stallone decided to talk with director Ted Kotcheff and persuaded him to alter the ending to ensure the audience wasn’t left disappointed seeing the hero who went through so much get killed.
The original ending was already filmed but Kotcheff came up with another twist which included Rambo shooting Teasle and ultimately surrendering himself to the authorities.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
