THUNDERBOLT AND LIGHTFOOT

This may sound like a stupid question to ask, but have you ever imagined robbing a bank? It must be like an adrenaline rush shooting through your being, making you shudder with anticipation and desire. Just like this film, in fact! It was directed by Michael Cimino and stars Clint Eastwood, Jeff Bridges, George Kennedy, and Geoffrey Lewis. The film was made in 1974, and lasts for 115 minutes


Thunderbolt and Lightfoot


THE STORY:
Inside a small church situated in the middle of nowhere, a sermonizing preacher is chased out of his pulpit by an unknown assailant. The preacher eventually manages to escape from his predicament with the aid of a jovial young buck driving a car nearby.

The preacher is called the Thunderbolt (Clint Eastwood), the young buck is called Lightfoot (Jeff Bridges), and together, they drift off into the distance, getting to know each other along the way.

After a while, Thunderbolt discovers that Lightfoot is a rather randy chap, while Lightfoot, in turn, discovers that Thunderbolt was once a member of a gang of thieves.

Yep - that's correct - this 'man of the cloth' was previously a bank robber who is now hiding from his prior partners in crime. This is because they believe that he double-crossed them with the money from said robbery.

And did Thunderbolt do this? No - of course not - he hid the loot in one-room schoolhouse in Warsaw, Montana - a building that does not currently exist. Plus to make matters worse, two of Thunderbolts' ex-cronies, Red Leary and Eddie Goody (George Kennedy and Geoffrey Lewis), catch up to him and Lightfoot, not so long after this revelation is revealed.

Bad news, right? No - surprisingly not - because the very next day, this motley crew drives down to the city where this robbery took place, and they then decide to commit this robbery again. But before they do this, Lightfoot surveys the area as a gardener, Thunderbolt works in an ore refinery to acquire a metal gun cannon needed for the task ahead, Goody is a mobile ice-cream man who provides transportation, and Red acts as a facilitator between the other three, while night-cleaning in a department store nearby.

Well, I suppose that is why what next transpires is a somewhat strained affair. As plans are put in motion - ploys derive from a strange notion - a villain gives in to their baser emotion - and a discovery comes about with a wayward devotion.

The end for some.

THE REVIEW:
In my most humble opinion, I'd say 'Thunderbolt and Lightfoot' is a film with a difference - that difference being how the story was told and the elements that make up the plot. Well, just think about it for a moment, how many heist films have you watched, where the villains of the piece have to take day jobs first, just to earn enough money to commit the crime? Also, how many heist films have you seen, where a vicar is chased from his church by an armed assailant?

Not many, I'm sure - and that’s precisely what I like about this film – it’s different.

The film is different in its temperament, too. For example, its main protagonists - the characters played by Clint and Jeff - come across as somewhat laid back and relaxed in their demeanor. You don’t hear many ‘bad-luck stories’ to justify who they are and what they do! They’re comfortable in being themselves, and I find that rather refreshing for a film like this one.

To juxtapose this temperament are their pseudo-accomplices - the characters played by Geoffrey and George - who both exhibit rather strange quirks. With Geoffrey, it’s his tepidness, with George, it’s his anger, and together, they seem to balance out the whole gang perfectly.

On that note, I'd best tell you about some of the film-facts: (1) After this film was released, it was rumored that Clint thought he was upstaged by Jeff, and he blamed United Artists for its lackluster promotion, stating that this was the main reason why it did not do that well in the cinemas. (2) The director of this film, Michael Cimino, was given the chance to write and direct it because Clint Eastwood was very impressed with his rewrite on 'Magnum Force'. (3) Cimino encouraged Jeff Bridges to make Clint Eastwood laugh both on and off the camera. (4) Cimino modeled this film on one of his favorite films from the 1950s, 'Captain Lightfoot', which is about two Irish highwaymen. (5) Cimino originally wanted to use the song 'Cavatina' for this film. But when Clint objected to it, he used the song in his next film, 'The Deer Hunter'. Which one would you prefer? 'Cavatina'? Or this...

Overall, I have to say that 'Thunderbolt and Lightfoot 'is a somewhat perfect film. It has a nice storyline – a very catchy film score – and a cast of cinematic veterans playing at the top of their game.

THE REVIEW: A