ROLLING THUNDER (1977)
A Vietnam Vet Seeks Revenge in this Spiritual Follow-Up to Taxi Driver.
Grade: B
The cinema of the 1970s is known for how frequently it exposed the worst of humanity. The general idea at the time seemed to be that people needed to know the stone-cold truth about the state of the world, and many classic movies reflected this mindset. Revenge was a frequent theme, displayed in films like Death Wish (1974), Mad Max (1979), and Rolling Thunder. The latter is cowritten by Paul Schrader, who had previously penned Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver (1976). Thunder offers a pulpier take on the ideas presented in that movie; it also features a war veteran struggling to reintegrate into society and concludes with a bloody shootout. It isn’t as well put together as Taxi Driver, but the lead’s performance, as well as the subtle approach to the story, help to elevate it slightly above the average revenge thriller.
Rolling Thunder opens in San Antonio in 1973 with crowds of schoolkids and grownups cheering the return of veterans and former P.O.W.s Major Charles Rane (William Devane) and Master Sergeant Johnny Vohden (Tommy Lee Jones) from Vietnam. Charles is showered with gifts from the city, but at home, things are not as great. In most movies like this, the victim and his or her loved ones are living a perfect life before the disaster happens, but that is not the case here. Charles’s son, Mark (Jordan Gerler) is emotionally distant, having not seen his father in seven years (he was one-and-a-half when Charles went away to war), and his wife, Janet (Lisa Blake Richards) admits to having an affair with a local cop named Cliff (Lawrason Driscoll) and wanting a divorce. Charles seems to take most of this in stride, but he wants more than anything to stay close to his son.
Then, out of literally nowhere, a group of hoodlums invades his home, demanding a case full of silver dollars given to him by the city. Mark proves his love for his father by giving it to them when they threaten Charles’s life, but mother and son are then murdered, and Charles is left for dead. Upon recovering, he is fitted with a metal hook (the burglars destroyed his right hand) and sets out for revenge, recruiting a local girl named Linda (Linda Haynes) and eventually Johnny.
The character of Charles Rane is one of the most deliberately subdued characters in revenge fiction. Devane portrays him as having very stunted emotions; he barely reacts both when his wife admits being with another man and when he is tortured by the burglars, due to his experience in the P.O.W. camp. Even after his family is murdered, his facial reactions are very subtle. He almost never gives direct voice to his feelings. It is only when he is in the middle of confronting his enemies that he lets himself go crazy.
The supporting characters are something of a mixed bag. Jones, whose star was still on the rise at the time, is not utilized much here until the climax, nor is his character really explored. Haynes gives a good performance as Linda, who provides an interesting backstory while joining Charles in target practice, but she never displays her marksmanship again. Charles eventually just leaves her in a hotel room with cash. Cliff is the most three-dimensional supporting character. In another movie he might have been an antagonist, but he genuinely cares about Charles and sets out to stop him from pursuing his vengeance, ultimately dying in the process.
Perhaps if Rolling Thunder had undergone another rewrite, it could have approached the same level of quality as Taxi Driver (if Scorsese had directed this, that would have been guaranteed). As is, the movie is good, but not great. The first act has the makings of a compelling drama as Charles tries to rebuild his life, but the intrusion by the burglars is so abrupt that it feels unearned. The ending is also sudden; after the dust settles, the two survivors walk away, and the credits roll. Nothing further is done to develop Charles’s character. Despite these flaws, the film is still able to stand on its own. And the fact that it is a favorite film of Quentin Tarantino’s (who devotes a whole chapter to it in his book, Cinema Speculation) helps to ensure that it won’t be forgotten.
Director: John Flynn
Screenplay: Paul Schrader, Heywood Gould (Original Story by Paul Schrader)
Producer: Norman T. Herman
Cast: William Devane (Major Charles Rane), Tommy Lee Jones (Master Sgt. Johnny Vohden), Linda Haynes (Linda Forchet), James Best ("The Texan"), Dabney Coleman (Maxwell), Lisa Blake Richards (Janet Rane), Luke Askew ("Automatic Slim"), Lawrason Driscoll (Deputy Cliff Nichols), Jordan Gerler (Mark Rane)
Comments