Before The Deer Hunter (1978) and Heaven’s Gate (1980), writer-director Michael Cimino made his silver-screen debut writing and directing Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974). This light comedy/crime thriller stars the always cool Clint Eastwood, a goofy young Jeff Bridges, and a gruff George Kennedy as unlikely pals thrown together while trying to reboot a past success. Cimino delivers a decent movie that showcases Clint’s smile and lighter side as Kid Bridges’ silly antics get him to laugh on screen.
Buy Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (Special Edition) Blu-rayYoung drifter/car thief Lightfoot (Bridges) runs across former bank robber in-hiding John “Thunderbolt” Doherty (Eastwood) as he dodges his former heist crew who seek to erase him for a past discretion. The old gang, which consists of Doherty’s war buddy Red Leary (Kennedy) and his sidekick Eddie Goody (Geoffrey Lewis), continue to pursue Doherty and now Lightfoot as Red is dead set on killing them both. Doherty and Lightfoot take a shine to each other quickly as Doherty seems to appreciate the fact that the Kid’s antics make him laugh, leading to Doherty reluctantly taking the Kid under his wing.
After a bungled attempt on their lives, Red and Goody are persuaded to let Doherty and the Kid live and to band together to recreate their biggest (and most frustrating) heist, the Montana Armored Depository. Once they reach the city where the Armory is located, the newly formed crew take on day jobs to pool funds together as they establish a plan and gather supplies. With the necessary plans finalized and tools gathered, including an anti-tank gun, they set the heist in motion and stumble towards their cruel fates.
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot is an outlaw, buddy movie that explores male bonding, mentor roles, and men being men set to the plot of criminals making another attempt at a robbery they pulled off years before. It’s an entertaining watch but with a runtime of 115 minutes it’s about 20 minutes too long. It’s a good movie overall and the character building and bonding is humorous with some witty banter at times but there are some scenes that simply bog down the story, making for a sluggish build-up to the heist. One driving scene in particular with Bridges and Eastwood shows the pair getting along well and Bridges genuinely making Clint laugh through his lines. On the other hand, there are scenes like Bridges hooting at a woman on a motorcycle as he drives by her that are redundant as we already know the kid is a lady chaser and acts foolish to get their attention.
Cimino manages to incorporate the Montana landscapes and locations well into his scenes and sets up some beautiful wide shots. The ensemble cast do a fine job and possess an odd chemistry in their roles as criminals and tough guys, which lead to some funny moments. Keep an eye out for the small roles played by Catherine Bach (aka Daisy Duke), Gary Busey, Dub Taylor, Vic Tayback, the legendary Gregory Walcott and an uncredited Beth Howard (“dingy” Vera on TV’s Alice). Some of their scenes are very small and nearly “blink and you’ll miss them” occurrences.
Aside from TV and radio spots, there’s an audio commentary by film critic Nick Pinkerton and a 30-minute featurette with director Michael Cimino titled For the Love of Characters. The Cimino feature is informative as we listen to the director’s thoughts and recollections of making Thunderbolt and Lightfoot. He provides some good insight into what his and Clint’s thought processes were while filming the movie.
The Pinkerton commentary is very informative and he does a fine job of breaking down the movie from beginning to end. His commentary is a bit dry but he does provide many fun facts about the locations and the backgrounds of all those involved, making for an enjoyable second viewing. He discusses the many themes that run through the movie which include male friendship bonds, changing times in America, middle-class woes, and sexuality of both the hetero and homo variety. Pinkerton spotlights all the highs and lows as well as exposing the movie’s gay undertones and critique on the changing views of American masculinity.
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot is a decent movie with some good action, funny moments, and witty dialogue though it seems mostly to serve as a vehicle for Clint’s playful lighter side, even with its heavy-hearted, Steinbeck-esque ending.
