Review of Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974) by Cj K — 29 May 2009

Before he ascended to the zenith of his career and critical acclaim with the Oscar-winning epic THE DEER HUNTER (1978) and then plunged to his nadir with the costly western HEAVENâ??S GATE (1980) that broke United Artists as a major studio, writer & director Michael Cimino got his cinematic start with Clint Eastwood. He contributed to the screenplay of the DIRTY HARRY movie MAGNUM FORCE, and I believe it was the Russian roulette sequences that appear in the film that were his contributions, but I could be wrong. Incidentally, he helped pen the science fiction saga SILENT RUNNING with Bruce Dern.

Anyway, Ciminoâ??s first full-blown success as writer & director came with THUNDERBOLT & LIGHTFOOT. This Clint Eastwood & Jeff Bridges thriller ranks as one of the top ten perfect crime heist movies made during the 1970s and chronicles the friendship between an on the lam Korean War veteran and an equally footloose but fast-talking twentysomething who cherishes grand theft auto, wise acre remarks, and cliches.

They team up with Eastwoodâ??s old partners in crime to rob an armored car company and use a 20MM gun to blow gigantic holes in the safe. Not only is it a memorable heist caper with quotable dialogue, but also it is a top-notch drama with interesting characters, including Geoffrey Lewis and the immortal George Kennedy as a sadistic killer. Indeed, Jeff Bridges received as Oscar nomination for his sympathetic but unsavory bad guy.

Look for DUKES OF HAZZARD gal Catherine Bach in a minor role as well as Gary Busey. This film was one of the first really major crime movies to reward its protagonists--in a roundabout way--so that they come out on the other end with the loot. George Kennedy's death scene is memorable. The scene where Bridges is digging a swimming pool and a chick shows up naked from head to toe at her window was a surprise for audiences in 1974 since glimpses of bush were extremely few and far between. Great song, too.