Thunderheart

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Farah R Val Kilmer shines in this hidden gem with his stellar performance, elevating this already superb drama. Thunderheart tells a poignant and heartfelt fictionalized tale inspired by actual events. The care and dedication of everyone involved in making this film are apparent in the acting, cinematography, score, and attention to detail. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 07/01/24 Full Review Nathan H You wouldn't know it by any of the poster art, but it's an under-the-radar gem if not quite at masterpiece level. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 05/23/24 Full Review Cookie M Leaves a impression on your heart. This sets ture to this day. Emotional, powerful Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/15/23 Full Review jon c Director Michael Apted of 'World Is Not Enough' and 'Coal Miner's Daughter' fame leads Val Kilmer, the late Sam Shepard, Fred Ward, and Graham Greene This is a loosely based fictional portrayal of events relating to the Wounded Knee incident in 1973, when followers of the American Indian Movement seized the South Dakota town of Wounded Knee in protest against federal government policy regarding Native Americans FBI agent, Ray Levoi and his partner are tracking down a killer Ray is inexperienced but is also part Sioux yet is way too proud to admit it even to himself Tracking down this killer may require him to dig deep into his roots while also gaining the support of the local natives to gather intel The reservation officer Walter Crow only sees Ray as an outsider yet Grandpa Sam, the tribal elder sees something else A reincarnated Native American hero called Thunderheart of all things An Aboriginal rights movement is taking place at the same time putting tribe against tribe so Ray and his partner have to tread carefully without causing any difficult relations Jack Milton the president of the area also keeps an eye out for supporters disturbing the peace and blocks the tribal funds for their schools, businesses etc Yet the natives don't want the white man on their land so it's a constant string of bullets being fired even on innocent civilians The film is very violent but addresses the high tensions between the natives and the white majority hostility of dirty politics and social climate Kilmer is sensational being a man of two worlds; one side the American justice system the other an indigenous man The landscapes of the reservations are breathtaking to watch The plot has a bigger conspiracy behind it too guessing every step It's true these people have been at each other's throats since the days of Columbus, their lives are dictated by the same nation that conquered them, paper isn't power it's all around us, are the indigenous peoples ever truly free from the shackles of the whites?, there's the reality of freedom and the illusion of freedom, the natives can die but their spirits can't be broken Thrills, mysticism and political outrage are balanced throughout It's important also that the film brings up the many struggles these natives have had to endure for centuries There's the political/American side but the spiritual one as well that tells us we need to look more inward Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member FBI agent goes out to the Badlands to investigate a murder on Lakota Nation's Reservation. He finds his Indian past while helping the Nation rid itself of some nasty environmental coverups and foul play. Kilmer the youngest man ever to get into the prestigious Juliard School in NYC also has Indian ancestry as his character Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Audience Member The narrative isn't particularly interesting and is lifted by the actors, cinematography and almost off-beat storytelling. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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