Question: If Teasle was so desperate to kill Rambo, why did he tell the soldiers he wanted him alive?
oldbaldyone
8th Mar 2016
First Blood (1982)
13th Jan 2010
First Blood (1982)
Question: I was wondering, at the beginning when the cop is about to shave him, why does he freak out about the knife but can kill people with his own knife?
Chosen answer: Because it's a knife that someone else is holding and can use against him. It's common for people in dangerous professions to regard their weapons as tools. For example, police officers who commit suicide by handgun rarely use their service weapon, but rather a personal firearm.
Additionally, I believe it is made clear during that scene that Rambo had previously been tortured at some point, and one of the tools used was a knife. So the combination of being restrained and having someone approach with a knife caused him to basically have extreme PTSD and so he attempts to escape.
Answer: Teasle is a "my way or the highway" type of guy, as evidenced by his actions and the people he has on his team (they are either very aggressive, or extremely passive and do whatever they are told). When Rambo escapes, he is hell bent on ensuring that justice is served (even though he fabricated the crimes basically), so much so that he gets abusive and obsessed with serving it. he knows the national guard guys are likely to shoot first and ask questions later, so he tells them that he wants him alive, so that he can ensure justice if served. He is basically akin to Batman - justice will be served at any costs, except for killing them in cold blood.
oldbaldyone