Rolling Thunder (1977)

100% of critics liked it
(5 reviews)
81% of users liked it
(1,576 ratings)

William Devane plays a rare sympathetic role in Rolling Thunder, though his behavior is just as cold-blooded and sharkish as in any of his villainous assignments. Devane is cast as Maj. Charles Rane, a recently released Vietnam POW who is given a hero's welcome in his Texas hometown. Things sour… More William Devane plays a rare sympathetic role in Rolling Thunder, though his behavior is just as cold-blooded and sharkish as in any of his villainous assignments. Devane is cast as Maj. Charles Rane, a recently released Vietnam POW who is given a hero's welcome in his Texas hometown. Things sour pretty quickly, however: Rane's wife has lost all love for him, his son doesn't recognize him, and there are those in town who consider him a "loser" or "baby-killer." All he really has to show for his ordeal in Nam is a cache of silver coins bestowed on him by the more sympathetic townsfolk. A scumbag gang of thieves decides to relieve Rane of his money; they kill his family, then torture and disfigure Rane to ascertain the whereabouts of the coins. Now living only for vengeance, the taciturn Rane heads to Mexico to exact his own brand of justice on the fleeing crooks. Tommy Lee Jones co-stars as Rane's best friend, Johnny Vohden, who unquestioningly agrees to help Rane in his mission of revenge. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 39 min.
Directed By: John Flynn
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure

In Theaters: Jan 1, 1977 Wide
Studio: American International Picture

Critic Reviews

Stan Hall, Oregonian
A dark, gritty cult classic.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
It's the best cold-blooded Death Wish type of revenge film I've seen.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Bob S

Original grindhouse grist.
Graham J

This grindhouse classic rises above the level of a normal b-movie revenge flick and earns it's reputation as a low-budget American masterpiece. The scene of the gang stealing the coins from Major Rane is one of the most tense and terrifying scenes I've seen.
Tsubaki S

Now this is real exploitation vigilante greatness, when it looks like it's going to be a drama then it switches gears. Fun times for everyone.
Steve K

More 70's B-level cinema with William Devane. Another variation on the revenge flick, this one more somber than most. Keeps things realistic until the inevitable bloodbath begins.
Mister C

Fo those who don't know who this actor is.....or if you ever watched actor William Devane during the countless reruns of the 1980's prime time soap opera "Knots Landing" on television,um....sort of during my youth....you know he is an actor who can elevate even… More
Fo those who don't know who this actor is.....or if you ever watched actor William Devane during the countless reruns of the 1980's prime time soap opera "Knots Landing" on television,um....sort of during my youth....you know he is an actor who can elevate even the craziest material or did you know that William Devane could be one badass son of a bitch....the cracker you don't want to fuck with.....and some critics have labeled William Devane as the poor man's Jack Nicholson,a title he refuses to claim. despite his movies. For proof of this,check out the 1977 revenge thriller "Rolling Thunder". The film stars William Devane as a Vietnam veteran who loses his hand in a very nasty manner and in the process distributes some intense hardcore vengeance. Co-written by Paul Schrader(Taxi Driver,and later Blue Collar),the film appalled 20th Century Fox executives so much that they dumped it to several other studios(among them Columbia Pictures)which rejected it. It ended up being released thru Samuel Z. Arkoff's American International Pictures,who in turn saw audiences try to physically attack them after the sneakl preview performance. This film is NOT for the squeamish at heart due to its strong "R" rating for scenes of graphic violence and disturbing images to ever be seen on film. Check out the co-stars too ranging from Dabney Coleman to James Best.
Ken S

like taxi driver without the paranoia and double the bloodshed
Adam M

Tarantino's favorite movie; perfect dialogue; bad gang is pure evil w/o being unrealistic--together they're like one guy--the good guys are like ghosts
Wu C

Decent revenge flick. Slow pacing and weird shifts in tone make this an average film. The ending saves it overall.
Patrick D

This sucker is really a different sort of film. Maybe it's that it kinda has two slow burns, one that hits about 20minutes into the film, and then one that takes the duration to explode. The direction is amazing with this sucker, given the viewer some great sequences. William… More
This sucker is really a different sort of film. Maybe it's that it kinda has two slow burns, one that hits about 20minutes into the film, and then one that takes the duration to explode. The direction is amazing with this sucker, given the viewer some great sequences. William Devane is such an interesting anti-hero, that kinda distances himself from the viewer at the begining and then makes you love him for some reason. The end scene of this film is one of the most entertaining and violent in history. Writer Paul Schrader needs to be honored for his contribution to the film world.
Christopher B

Damn good vigilante film that maybe gets a bit more credit than it deserves since Tarantino decided to name his now defunct label after it. Still, a great kick arse, tough guy, you can never go home again movie.