A veteran bank robber posing as a preacher and a young drifter team up to retrieve loot hidden in a Montana schoolhouse. The loot is gone, so they decide to rob the same bank again with his old gang. Cimino made his directing debut with a road film that turns from funny to heartbreaking.
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot is a 1974 crime, action and drama film directed by Michael Cimino. This breakdown covers 4 techniques (2 narrative, 1 cinematography and 1 psychology), each with the scene where you can see it. If you like how it is made, On the Rocks uses several of the same techniques.
Pairing two characters of different generations or loyalties who must cooperate, so their friction drives both the comedy and the growth.
How this film uses it
Thunderbolt is an older bank robber and Lightfoot is a young car thief who happens to give him a ride. They are a bad fit at first, and their friction produces both the jokes and the growth. By the end, the older man has a friend.
Where to see it
The first ride. Lightfoot runs over a gunman and gives the preacher a lift, and Thunderbolt's identity as a bank robber comes out.
Giving a film 2 very different tones, such as comedy and tragedy, often split into halves. Each makes the other hit harder, and the film never blends them into 1.
How this film uses it
The film starts as a funny buddy caper, with a heist using a cannon and a sneeze from the trunk of a car. Then it turns brutal when Red beats the pair and takes the money. The shift makes the final loss hit hard.
Where to see it
The second half. Red beats Thunderbolt and Lightfoot unconscious and takes the loot.
Filming in recognizable real places so the setting acts like part of the cast. Streets, buildings and landscapes shape the mood of the story.
How this film uses it
The film was shot in small towns around Great Falls, Montana. Churches, schoolhouses and open roads give the story its mood. The land feels like part of the cast.
Where to see it
The opening. A gunman shoots at a preacher in a church, and Lightfoot accidentally runs him over.
Closing on an outcome that hurts even where it succeeds. A reunion lacks warmth or a win leaves the character empty.
How this film uses it
Thunderbolt finally finds the money and buys a Cadillac convertible. The win leaves him empty. Lightfoot, hurt and unable to move one side of his body, tells him how proud he is, then dies, and Thunderbolt snaps his cigar and drives on alone.
Where to see it
The final scene. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot retrieve the money, and Lightfoot dies in the new car.
Questions
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot: quick answers
What filmmaking techniques does Thunderbolt and Lightfoot use?
CineCode breaks down 4 techniques in Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974): Odd Couple Pairing, Tonal Bifurcation, Real Locations as Character and Bittersweet Ending.
Who directed Thunderbolt and Lightfoot?
Michael Cimino directed Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, released in 1974. CineCode also covers The Deer Hunter (1978).
What films are similar to Thunderbolt and Lightfoot?
Films that share techniques with Thunderbolt and Lightfoot include On the Rocks (2020), Life is Beautiful (1997), The Apartment (1960), Pan's Labyrinth (2006).
