Wonderful Movie

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Just perfect...

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Ray Lavoy is a part American Indian FBI agent assigned to work at the Bear Creek Indian Reservation in South Dakota to help diffuse tensions between "traditional" Indians and "pro-government" Indians. He works with another longtime legendary agent named Frank Coutelle. A murder of a tribal member who was a pro-government American Indian has turned the reservation into a hot zone of unrest. At first Lavoy works along government lines with Coutelle and follows protocol in trying to solve the murder. But along the way he begins to discover that not everything is what it seems, with the investigation, and with his American Indian ancestry. Throughout the investigation a local police chief named Walter Crow Horse(Graham Greene) tries to convince Lavoy that his murder investigation of a particular suspect is wrong and that he needs to rely on his American Indian roots to help him find the way.What I admired most about this movie was the scenery and how the movie used a fictional murder investigation to portray and try to tell the story of the real life American Indian Movement of the 1970's. If you know anything about AIM(American Indian Movement), you will constantly find yourself thinking during this film, "That character is based on....from AIM." In the movie, the traditional group is called ARM(Aboriginal Rights Movement). In the movie the fictional Bear Creek reservation looks to me like Pine Ridge reservation in Pine Ridge, SD.There were only two aspects of the film I did not enjoy. First was trying to understand the time frame, whether it was present day or sometime before. I got the impression the film was present day 1992, but because of all the history you start to think it is the 1970's. Second, the portrayal of FBI was a little over the top. Other than Ray Lavoy, the rest of the agents were portrayed as individuals who disrespect and mock American Indians and American Indian tradition. I imagine this was to help single out FBI agent Lavoy and how he struggles to understand American Indian culture.This is a great old film with a soundtrack that really makes the viewer feel like they are tied to the spiritual connection of the sacred land portrayed in the film. Solid acting, solid soundtrack, and solid plot make this a movie worth seeing.

The original showed Val Kilmer's character drinking peyote before the scene in the middle with the fire. This has been poorly edited out because we don't want people to experience anything spiritual in this day and age. Now that whole scene makes no sense at all... Why is he freaking out in front of the fire and having visions? Why does the Indian Sheriff say 'I know you're scared' when Val Kilmer pulls his gun out... Is he afraid of the dark? Is he afraid of the fire? No, they just edited out the whole point of the movie in that he couldn't solve the crime using just his logical brain, he had to step out of the normal state of mind and seek help from his ancestors and the spirit world through the use of OMG! DRUGS!.. But of course we can't allow that in this technical nightmare of a world that is coming... So, remember why peyote is illegal in the first place to keep people from communicating with the other realms... So better enjoy the digital realm because the real world is turning into hell quicker than you can say 'Why did they edit that out?'... Very disappointing and now the movie and that whole scene makes much less sense.

I saw this movie three times in the theatre when it came out. It's that good. Now it is on my "go to" shelf of DVDs. I choose "Thunderheart" when I'm feeling lost and struggling with choosing between Right and Easy.Amazing performances, the cinematography is breathtaking. Wonderful soundtrack. Perfect blend of drama and real events. Kudos for directing and editing that produced a tight, well woven plot. My favorite moments in the film are the subtle nuances that lead Levoy on his path--all of them filled with symbolism. When Grandpa Reaches gets Levoy to take a bite of the fruit and then leave the rest on the plate as offering; when Levoy spills the rest of his milk on the ground and the dog laps it up; when Grandpa Reaches "tricks" Levoy into taking the stone. No matter how many times I've seen it, there is one point that guarantees my tears-- "Run, Thunderheart, run...the soldiers are coming."

I just watched Thunderheart for the first time the other day. I found out about it a while ago when I was searching for movies about Native Americans that was not biased towards the whites being heroes and totally innocent of wrong doing (like the older westerns). So was this film worth watching for the reasons above and in general...Well....Wow! Just wow! What amovie! As many people on here already stated, this movie is totally underrated. The acting is overall fantastic and Val Kilmer and Graham Green gives truly memorable performances. The chemistry and development between Kilmer and Greens characters alone is a reason for seeing this movie. And Ted Thin Elk as Grandpa is really a joy to watch. The beautiful and vast badlands of South Dakota also plays an important role in the story. The suspense, action and the underlying deep emotions and problems are well balanced through out. It also gives you a little insight how life is on a modern Native American reservation, in this case the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.A very powerful and mesmerizing movie that stays with you for a long time!