Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.5

Thunderbolt and Lightfoot Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 30, 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 British distributors Second Sight Films. There are no supplemental features on this release. In English, without optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Stuck in the middle of nowhere

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 British distributors Second Sight Films.

The basic characteristics we typically address in our reviews are mostly intact. For example, close-ups with plenty of natural light look very pleasing (see screencapture #12). The larger panoramic shots also boast good clarity and fluidity (see screencapture #4). Contrast levels remain stable, but there are a few minor fluctuations that occur during the second half of the film. Colors look natural. The best news, however, is that there are no traces of problematic degraining corrections. Unsurprisingly, grain is visible throughout the entire film. However, some encoding adjustments could have been performed so that it is better resolved. Edge-enhancement is not an issue of concern. Finally, there are no serious stability issues. Also, there are no large debris, cuts, and damage marks, but a few tiny flecks occasionally pop up here and there. All in all, this is a good organic presentation of Thunderbolt and Lightfoot that should please fans of the film. (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 is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0 (Mono). For the record, Second Sight Films have not provided optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature.

Depth and clarity are good, but the overall range of nuance dynamics is rather limited. However, such is the film's original sound design -- even the long car chases do not sound overly aggressive. The dialog is crisp and stable, but optional English subtitles should have been included because there are portions of the film where traffic noise and other sounds occasionally make it difficult to understand exactly what is said. There are no audio dropouts or distortions to report in this review.

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

Unfortunately, there are no supplemental features on this Blu-ray release.

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

I am not convinced that Michael Cimino's directorial debut Thunderbolt and Lightfoot is the classic some if its fans insist it is, but I very much like its laid-back attitude and sense of humor. I also like the fact that the film offers an unglamorized look at a country that no longer exists. British distributors Second Sight Films' Blu-ray release of Thunderbolt and Lightfoot does not have any supplemental features, but the film's technical presentation is very good. RECOMMENDED.