Starring: Val Kilmer, Graham Greene, Sam Shepard, Fred Ward, Fred Thompson, Sheila Tousey, Ted Thin Elk, John Trudell
Written By: John Fusco
Directed By: Michael Apted
Studio: Sony
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One movie I watched a ton in the 90s was the excellent neo-western political thriller Thunderheart, starring the late Val Kilmer and the late Graham Greene. The film is loosely based on events involving AIM and Wounded Knee, as well as the case of Leonard Peltier in the 1970s.

The movie follows FBI agent Ray Levoi (Val Kilmer), who is assigned to South Dakota after a homicide occurs on a Native American reservation. Ray is chosen because of his mixed Sioux heritage and teams up with another FBI agent Frank Coutelle (Sam Shepard), quickly realizing that laws are applied very differently on the reservation. He initially clashes with local tribal police officer Walter Crow Horse (Graham Greene), but the two eventually team up once they start to see the bigger picture of what is really happening there.

In the early 90s, I became heavily interested in Native American culture after discovering I might have a great-great grandmother with Native American ancestry. Rage Against the Machine’s “Freedom” led me to read about Leonard Peltier, which then turned into several papers I wrote on him in high school and college. Safe to say, this movie struck the right chords with me, not only because of the subject matter but also because of the performances.

This is definitely one of the best movies Graham Greene appeared in, even better than Dances with Wolves in my opinion. Val Kilmer is also excellent, especially in how he transitions from a by-the-book agent to uncovering what is really going on. The chemistry between Kilmer and Greene is both strong and occasionally funny.

The story itself is deeply intriguing, revealing a much larger conspiracy beyond the initial murder, which almost becomes an afterthought by the end. While inspired by AIM-related events, the story is not particularly close to what actually happened. The Wounded Knee incident involved the killing of two FBI agents, with Peltier becoming the scapegoat. While the film touches on corruption, wrongful arrests, witness coercion, and the killing of innocent people, it is not a direct retelling of the Leonard Peltier case or AIM history.

Sony has released Thunderheart on 4K (originally released by Tristar), and it easily looks better than it ever has on home video. The sweeping shots of the Badlands, captured by the legendary Roger Deakins, really shine on this disc. Unfortunately, the bonus features are lacking and mostly outdated, with nothing particularly new included.

In addition to Thunderheart, director Michael Apted also made the documentary Incident at Oglala, narrated and executive produced by Robert Redford, which is highly recommended. In the meantime, if you have never seen Thunderheart, it is absolutely worth watching, an excellent film featuring several lead actors and a director who are sadly no longer with us.

(Sent by AV Entertainment for review)

Features:
Audio Commentary featuring John Fusco
Archival Cast & Crew Interviews
Trailer

Video:
Codec: HEVC / H.265
Resolution: Native 4K (2160p)
HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Audio:
DTS 5.1

Subtitles:
English, English SDH

Bottom Line: Such a good movie with great performances from Val Kilmer and Graham Greene.
Running Time: 119 mins
Rating: R
Extras Rating:
Overall Rating: