Rolling Thunder **** (1977, William Devane, Tommy Lee Jones, Linda Haynes) – Classic Movie Review 11,190

Rolling Thunder (1977, William Devane).

Director John Flynn’s 1977 Seventies revenge film Rolling Thunder is a highly intriguing post-Vietnam thriller, in which a tortured former PoW, war hero Major Charles Rane (William Devane), sets off on the vengeance death trail after his family (wife and son) are killed in front of him by a gang of evil greedy thugs seeking to steal a briefcase full of silver dollars (one for every day he was a POW) from him.

The thugs torture him to try to find the location of the briefcase but his son reveals where it is to spare his father further agony. They then kill the wife and son and leave Rane for dead. Recovering and seeking the revenge he needs, he enlists the help of his war buddy Johnny Vohden (Tommy Lee Jones) to confront the thugs in a violent climactic showdown.

Rolling Thunder is a thoroughly worthwhile Seventies cult classic movie thanks to the excellent cast, Paul Schrader and Heywood Gould’s crisp screenplay (from an original story by Paul Schrader), Jordan Croneweth’s Panavision and DeLuxe color cinematography, Barry De Vorzon’s score and John Flynn’s robust handling.

Devane and Jones (as Johnny Vohden) are on their usual fine, extravagant form. There are strong contributions in all departments.

Also in the cast are Linda Haynes, James Best, Dabney Coleman, Luke Askew, Lisa Richards [Lisa Blake Richards], Lawrason Driscoll, James Victor, and Cassie Yates.

Rolling Thunder is directed by John Flynn, runs 95 minutes, is made by American International Pictures, Lawrence Gordon Productions and TBC Film Presentation, is released by American International Pictures (AIP) (1977) (US), Brent Walker Film Distributors (1977) (UK), Rank Video (1987) (UK) (VHS), 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD) and StudioCanal (2012) (UK) (Blu-ray), is written by Paul Schrader and Heywood Gould, from an original story by Paul Schrader, is shot by Jordan Croneweth, is produced by Lawrence Gordon and scored by Barry De Vorzon.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,190

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