Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Thunderbolt and Lightfoot Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 27, 2014

Nominated for Oscar Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Michael Cimino's "Thunderbolt and Lightfoot" (1974) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French label Carlotta Films. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; exclusive interview with director Michael Cimino; and visual analysis of the film by French film historian Jean Douchet. In English, with optional French subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Surprise, surprise...

The film opens up somewhere in Idaho, where Thunderbolt (Clint Eastwood, Magnum Force), a bank robber disguised as a preacher, is forced to run for his life after a few heavily armed men (George Kennedy and Geoffrey Lewis) come looking for him. Not too far away from his church, Thunderbolt (Jeff Bridges, Starman) is picked up by Lightfoot, a handsome thief who has just stolen a used car.

At a rundown motel, the men party with two girls. But before the sun comes up, Thunderbolt’s girl, Gloria (June Fairchild, Drive, He Said), threatens to tell the world that she was raped because he refuses to drive her home. Lightfoot’s girl, Melody (Catherine Bach, TV's The Dukes of Hazzard), turns out to be far less demanding and leaves on her own.

On the following morning, the two heavily armed men appear again and nearly destroy Thunderbolt and Lightfoot’s car. After a wild chase, the boys ditch the car and later on end up getting a ride from an angry lunatic with a shotgun.

Shortly after they enter Montana, Thunderbolt reveals to Lightfoot that years ago his crew robbed a bank and then hid the money in a one-room schoolhouse in Warsaw. But only Thunderbolt and another older thief knew exactly where the money was placed, so when he suddenly died his accomplices concluded that he was planning to cheat them and started looking for him. Thunderbolt was left with no other option but to drop out for a while so that heads can cool off.

Hugely impressed by Thunderbolt’s story, Lightfoot asks his new friend to consider one last job. But before the old timer can make up his mind, the two are once again confronted by his former accomplices.

Michael Cimino’s directorial debut is a simple and predictable film that is enjoyable to watch because of two very simple reasons. First, there is terrific chemistry between Eastwood and Bridges that effectively softens the film’s rough spots. The majority of them are in the first half, where Thunderbolt and Lightfoot do not completely trust each other but feel that they have plenty in common. Bridges is particularly good as the cocky and very energetic thief who has an endless arsenal of great one-liners. Second, Frank Stanley’s lensing is surprisingly stylish. Indeed, many of the panoramic vistas look every bit as impressive as those seen in Terrence Malick's directorial debut, Badlands, which was completed a year before Cimino’s film. From time to time, Cimino’s film even mimics the laid-back attitude of Malick’s film.

The finale is very unusual. It gives the film its identity and forces one to reevaluate the journey of its characters.

There are a couple of memorable cameos. Bill McKinney (Deliverance) plays the crazy driver with the shotgun heading somewhere with the back of his car loaded with white bunnies. Jack Dodson (The Getaway) is the vault manager. Gregory Walcott (Plan 9 From Outer Space) plays the dealer that gets cheated in the beginning of the film. Even a young Gary Busey steps in front of the camera to let Lightfoot borrow his truck.

Thunderbolt and Lightfoot Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Michael Cimino's Thunderbolt and Lightfoot arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French label Carlotta Films.

The high-definition transfer appears to have been struck from the same master British distributors Second Sight accessed when they prepared their release of Thunderbolt and Lightfoot earlier this year (the only notable discrepancy is in the brightness settings, which are slightly toned down here). Generally speaking, detail and clarity are quite nice. The larger panoramic shots also boast very good fluidity (see screencapture #5). Contrast levels remain stable throughout the entire film while colors appear healthy and rather well saturated. Grain is retained and actually appears better resolved here than it does on the Second Sight release (the encoding is clearly better). Edge-enhancement is not an issue of concern. Lastly, there are no serious transition or stability issues to report in this review. Also, there are no large cuts, debris, damage marks, or stains. All in all, this is a strong organic presentation of Thunderbolt and Lightfoot that makes it very easy to appreciate Michael Cimino's unique style and vision. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

Thunderbolt and Lightfoot Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 and French DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0. For the record, Carlotta Films have provided optional French subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame. (If you are an English speaker and do not need them, you have to use your remote control to turn them off). The dialog is stable and clean. However, there is a limited range of nuanced dynamics. This should not be too surprising, however, as the film's original sound design isn't overly active (even during the shootouts depth and intensity are fairly modest). There are no pops, cracks, background hiss, audio dropouts, or digital distortions to report in this review.

Thunderbolt and Lightfoot Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Bande-annonce - original English-language trailer for Thunderbolt and Lightfoot. In English, with optional French subtitles. (2 min).

• Pour l'amour des personnages - in this new interview, director Michael Cimino discusses the production history of Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, his interactions with Clint Eastwood and Jeff Bridges during the shooting of the film, the script he wrote and Frank Stanley's cinematography, the important roles characters and nature have in his films, etc. The American director also discusses his contribution to the script for Ted Post's Magnum Force, his friendship with Clint Eastwood, John Ford's directing style, and French cinema and its unique relationship with ideas during and after the Nouvelle Vague era. The interview was conducted by Stephane Gobbo from Swiss magazine L'hebdo. It was produced by Allerton Films. In English, with optional French subtitles. (29 min).

• Ironie-masquee - presented here is a visual analysis of Michael Cimino's Thunderbolt and Lightfoot by French film historian Jean Douchet. In French, not subtitled. (26 min).

Thunderbolt and Lightfoot Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The inclusion of the new interview with Michael Cimino makes Carlotta Films' release of his directorial debut, Thunderbolt and Lihgtfoot, the best one on the market. Naturally, if you wish to own the film on Blu-ray, I urge you to consider importing this French release. The film's technical presentation is also very good. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.