This is an original Japanese poster printed for the first Japanese release of Rambo—the film known internationally as First Blood. Although the movie was released in 1982, this poster was issued for the Japanese theatrical campaign in 1983, as reflected by the on-sheet copy. What makes this example especially remarkable is its format: at approximately 37 × 103 cm, it sits in a highly unusual middle ground between a standard Japanese speed poster and a full STB tatekan. We have never had another Rambo poster in exactly this size, and it is an exceptionally striking piece of period Japanese action-cinema paper.
Film background
Originally released in 1982, First Blood introduced John Rambo, the traumatised Vietnam veteran played by Sylvester Stallone, in what began as a tense, character-driven survival thriller rather than the more overt military spectacle the later sequels became. Directed by Ted Kotcheff and based on David Morrell’s novel, the film follows Rambo’s clash with small-town authority as persecution, memory, and violence spiral into a brutal confrontation. It remains one of the key American action films of the early 1980s and the foundation of one of cinema’s most recognisable franchises.
Poster design
A superbly bold Japanese design that strips the film down to pure impact. The upper section is dominated by a large close-up of Stallone as Rambo, his face half-shadowed and crossed by an ammunition belt, while the lower portion collapses into monochrome urban violence and armed confrontation. Cutting through the entire sheet is the enormous red vertical ランボー title, which gives the poster tremendous graphic force and makes it instantly recognisable from a distance. The narrow, elongated proportions only heighten that effect. It feels less like a conventional one-sheet and more like a theatre display banner—lean, aggressive, and extremely memorable on the wall.
Condition
Excellent. Please review the photos—they show the exact poster for sale.
It is over 42 years old!
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.
