Around the time Charles Bronson was making his Death Wish movies, the folks at American International were making their own little revenge picture, Rolling Thunder. While the Bronson films are fun to watch and appeal to the average mainstream movie goer, they lack the courage, character development and edge that drives this little gem of a film.
Rolling Thunder is the story of a damaged Viet Nam veteran (William Devane) who returns home after seven years of being tortured in a prisoner of war camp. When his family is murdered, he along with a desperate groupie (Linda Haynes) and another equally damaged war veteran (Tommy Lee Jones) join forces to hunt down the bad guys and kill them.
Add to the mix the wonderful character actors, James Best, Dabney Coleman and Luke Askew and Rolling Thunder becomes a movie that's hard to forget. From the subtle performance of William Devane to the ending shoot-out in a Mexican brothel, this drama about damaged people is a time bomb waiting to explode. But unlike most Hollywood films, it's the ticking of the bomb, not the explosion itself that creates the real boom.
Rolling Thunder is the story of a damaged Viet Nam veteran (William Devane) who returns home after seven years of being tortured in a prisoner of war camp. When his family is murdered, he along with a desperate groupie (Linda Haynes) and another equally damaged war veteran (Tommy Lee Jones) join forces to hunt down the bad guys and kill them.
Add to the mix the wonderful character actors, James Best, Dabney Coleman and Luke Askew and Rolling Thunder becomes a movie that's hard to forget. From the subtle performance of William Devane to the ending shoot-out in a Mexican brothel, this drama about damaged people is a time bomb waiting to explode. But unlike most Hollywood films, it's the ticking of the bomb, not the explosion itself that creates the real boom.
No comments:
Post a Comment