Sylvester Stallone is renowned for his work as an action star, particularly in the Rocky franchise, which includes 1980s movies associated with one memorable song each, as well as the Rambo and Expendables franchises. They’re often gory and filmed to accentuate the impact of the action sequences, which explains why he’s mostly associated with heavy-hitting action blockbuster movies.

However, another common element in Stallone’s filmography as an action star is the role of politics in his movies. One of his more forgettable films, Judge Dredd, which was remade into an actually awesome sci-fi movie, is about the problematic aspects of a police state, although it’s heavily focused on the pulpy action, undercutting its political commentary.

While Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky IV and Rambo II are more popular today than when they were first released, neither of them carries the grounded, emotional, and politically relevant strength of the first movies. That hasn’t negatively impacted Stallone’s illustrious career of over 5 decades, but it’s an interesting realization, considering his uncredited role in a major political satire in 1970.

One Of Stallone’s Earliest Roles Was In M*A*S*H*

Robert Altman’s 1970 movie, M*A*S*H, based on Richard Hooker’s 1968 novel, MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors, is one of the most biting satires about the Korean War. Led by Donald Sutherland, Tom Skerritt, and Elliot Gould as the leading trio, the cast hilariously parodies the government and the military’s flawed approach to the conflict.

In a blink-and-you-miss-it moment, a young Sylvester Stallone can be noticed shortly after Donald Sutherland’s Hawkeye enters the camp. Stallone is in an uncredited role of a soldier who is sitting at the table with a beret on his head. This marked one of his earliest appearances ever, the same year he debuted in The Party at Kitty and Stud’s.

Related

10 Unique War Movies That Separate Themselves From The Genre

War movies can easily fall into the trap of relying on tropes and formulas, but these films defy expectations & distinguish themselves from the rest.

While it is an uncredited role, M*A*S*H is one of the greatest movies ever, and it’s an impressive name in Stallone’s filmography. Moreover, while it references the Korean War, the film’s satire is also heavily aimed at the attitudes towards the Vietnam War, which was ongoing at the time of release, a pertinent point for a future Stallone film.

Stallone Delivered His Own Vietnam War Critique Years Later

First Blood Criticizes The Treatment Of Vietnam War Veterans

Not only is it interesting that one of Stallone’s earliest on-screen appearances occurred in a war parody from 1970, but it is also intriguing to realize that he eventually led a film that critiqued the Vietnam War a little over a decade later. It might be the most political movie where Stallone has played a significant role.

1982’s First Blood is also about the Vietnam War, and this connection makes his uncredited role in M*A*S*H even more special. First Blood follows a Vietnam War veteran who is unfairly persecuted by local law enforcement and is forced to escape. He then single-handedly wages a war against the men who are after him.

While it is a visceral action movie meant to thrill audiences with its intensity, First Blood‘s accuracy in its depiction of Rambo’s survival tactics inevitably makes it a political Sylvester Stallone film. Since its action is so grounded, it doesn’t detract from the fact that the film represents the mistreatment of Vietnam vets by the corrupt police at the time.