Directed by: John Flynn
Written by: Paul Schrader
Starring: William Devane, Tommy Lee Jones, Linda Haynes, James Best, Dabney Coleman
About two minutes ago I finished watching Rolling Thunder. How much machismo can be contained in one film? The answer: I don't fucking know but sweet, sweet Jesus this movie is loaded to the brim with machismo. I'm not talking about comic book bad arse like The Expendables or something gay like that, I'm talking about gritty tough. You can taste how fucking tough this is.
This film (the adrenaline rush of the film climax is still racing through me, sorry) I can proudly shout out into the black night that it is up on a pedestal with the grand daddy of vigilante films, Death Wish.
The film is set sometime after the Vietnam war. The main character Charles (William Devane) touches down in his home town after several years of being held in a Hanoi prison camp. He is given a hero’s welcome along with a friend who was in the same camp (played by a very young Tommy Lee Jones).
Upon trying to settle back into civilian life he discovers that his wife has been with another man for several years and wants a divorce. Also it would appear that he hasn't quite left the war as he has reoccurring nightmares of how he was tortured and a strange attraction to masochism. On top of many other problems he also has to get to know his son whom he left behind when he was an infant.
In a further ceremony Major Charles is awarded money and a Cadillac by the people of San Antonio. This money attracts the attention of some unsavoury characters.
One day Charles comes home to find that there a bunch of bad people in his house that want the money he was awarded. He kept his mouth shut and bared with a shit load of torture. In an act of frustration (as Charles is a real hard cunt) they shove his hand down a garbage compactor. His wife and son come home while all this is happening and cave in to the robbers request giving them the money. The robbers shoot everyone dead. Everyone, except for Charles.
The rest of the film is straight up bad arse. One of the coolest things about the movie is seeing how Charles gets around having a prosthetic claw. Dig this: he sharpens the claw and uses it as a weapon! And what a fucking nasty weapon it becomes.
The climax of the film (don't worry I won't spoil it) is incredible. I may even go one step further and say that it is one of the toughest shoot outs ever.
What makes this movie so gritty and nasty is the very well paced character building. It's may seem a little slow but there is a purpose. It's a fantastic build up that will knock the wind out of your sails. Kudos goes to William Devane for his brilliantly tough performance.
All in all this is a film that should be seen. Get onto this immediately as you will not regret it. If you do you will be heading straight into the heart of bad arse country.
- Review by Patrick Donohue
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