RAMBO III

US, 1988, 101 minutes, Colour.
Sylvester Stallone, Richard Crenna.
Directed by Peter Macdonald.

Rambo III was a box-office success of 1988. Sylvester Stallone had established the character of John Rambo, ex Green Beret fighter and American society victim, in Ted Kotcheff's First Blood. Stallone wrote a screenplay for Rambo II and focused on the question of veterans missing in action in Vietnam. George Pan Cosmatos directed this actioner. There were many disputes about Rambo III and finally second director Peter McDonald? directed the film, co-written by Stallone himself. It is slam-bang jingoistic action, full of explosions - set in Afghanistan, which made the film already somewhat out of date with the negotiations and the Russian withdrawal in '88-'89. It is very much the macho pro-American film. Richard Crenna re-creates his portrayal of Trautmann.

1. Popular action film? The popularity of Sylvester Stallone? His Rambo character? The Green Beret veteran? Action in Afghanistan? The parallels at the end with the western - and the Afghan cavalry to the rescue?

2. Production values: Thailand settings, Afghanistan? Mountain locations? Stunts, special effects? Musical score?

3. The focus on Rambo as a character, his reputation in the '80s? A byword for macho action? Military style?

4. The opening: Rambo in Thailand, at work on the buildings, his fights, the fight sequence? Trautmann and the American official watching? Their approach to Rambo? Invitation to Afghanistan? His refusal?

5. Trautmann and his work, going to Afghanistan? His being captured and imprisoned? The news coming to Rambo? His decision to go to Afghanistan?

6. Rambo's arrival in Afghanistan, contacts, his guide, the young boy? Getting the equipment? The status of the Russians, their presence? Their armed equipment? The Afghan rebels, the tribes? His meetings with them, proposals? The use of a few men for his mission?

7. The mission, his men, the boy? The dangers, riding, the infiltration into the Russian headquarters? The armaments? The underground? Attempting to find Trautmann? The conflicts, the deaths, the battles? The dangers? Rambo's shrewdness, his Green Beret skills? Getting Trautmann, getting out? The pursuit? In the underground tunnels? The air attack, bombardments? In the mountains? The final fights? The confrontation with the Russians, the leader? The Afghan cavalry coming and the final rescue?

8. The character of Rambo, a stereotype role? How much personal characteristics? Trautmann as a character, his position in the U.S., friendship with Rambo? Imprisonment, torture? The rescue, his helping Rambo?

9. The Afghan characters, stereotypes, participation in the mission? The boy?

10. The popularity of this kind of action film during the Reagan years?