Watch Thunderheart For Free

I wanted to but couldn't!

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

This is one of my personal favorites. I gave it a 9 as I don't think that it's a perfect film, though it is very close. The acting is great and it's heart is in the right place. There are dozens of plot descriptions available here, so i will just tell you why you might love this film....a very honest and realistic portrayal of native Americans (by native Americans, like the excellent Graham Greene from 'Dances with Wolves').excellent location cinematography, it was filmed in the badlands.one of the most satisfying climactic scenes ever....it really feels good.the film has a fairly strong anti-government sentiment to it...(if you're all gung-ho for the US government, this film may not be for you).Thunderheart is based on actual events that happened on Pine Ridge Reservation in the 1970s. John Trudell, who plays Jimmy Looks-twice (the FBIs main suspect), was actually there! He is a real real-life Sioux activist whose character is loosely-based on Leonard Peltier. Some other quick tidbits, look for David Crosby of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young as a bartender in the bar room scene. I love the allegorical last shot of the film with Ray (Val Kilmer) in his car. Very fitting...which way to go? The whole film fits perfectly and usually I will say that many films wont appeal to every taste, however in the case of Thunderheart I will say this ....I don't know one person whose opinion I value who doesn't like this movie!further note: If you like this one try watching the 1970 classic 'Little Big Man'.

Thunderheart is a very slow pace movie, seeming almost boring in the first half. It has little to offer, except a few interesting moments like the gunshot on the boy and some visions of Ray. The dialogue sometimes gets a bit ridiculous, when they try hard to say something funny. And there's another thing I noticed. Frank Coutelle acts pretty much like Robert De Niro, which is (coincidentally?) one of the producers of Thunderheart. It doesn't fit him though, because I got the feeling that he was only copying any of De Niros behavior (even his hair style). They should have taken either another pattern or De Niro should just stand in front of the camera by himself instead of letting others act like a (quite good) copy of him.However, in the second part, the movie starts to get a bit more interesting. Still it stays very predictable. At the end, you get rewarded for your patience. There's a good plot twist, but I won't spoil it, since it was one of the few reasons I gave the movie 5 stars even though it was mostly boring as hell.

Loosely inspired by the so-called "Incident at Oglala", the killings of two FBI agents at the Pine Ridge Reservation in 1975, "Thunderheart" is a murder mystery, an action-thriller, and a window into Native American culture and beliefs. Val Kilmer in maybe his best performance, plays Ray Lavoi, an FBI agent sent to investigate a murder on a Native American reservation in upstate South Dakota. His superiors at the federal agency realize native American blood runs through his veins and decide he's the best choice to help conduct the investigation, believing that his Native American connection will help endear him with the locals to get the evidence they need to make their case. But the locals aren't fooled a bit, and they call him the "Washington Redskin". From the outset, Lavoi distances himself from his Native American heritage. He is paired with veteran field agent Frank "Cooch" Coutelle, played with equal realism by the incomparable Sam Shepherd, who simply wants to capture their prime suspect, build a case, and vamoose from the reservation land as quickly as possible. But things aren't quite as they seem.When Kilmer and Shepherd arrive on the scene, the reservation land is home to feuding gangs of local Native Americans who sport gas-guzzlers and rifles. And the FBI is already making a strong case against one of them, deciding that the murder is part of the on-going blood feud. The agents then meet Walter Crow Horse (Graham Greene), a reservation police officer and investigator who starts questioning the air-tight FBI case; he begins elucidating several aspects of the murder either missed or dismissed by the FBI. Kilmer is somewhat curious, but Shepherd dismisses him. At first Kilmer regards Greene as an adversary but as the film progresses, a friendship gradually emerges. However, when Kilmer meets Maggie Eagle Bear (Sheila Tousey), an Ivy League graduate who returned to the reservation to help educate her people, he learns there have been many more unsolved murders as a result of the blood feud. Which begs the question: why is the FBI involved in this particular case? Kilmer then meets the most interesting character of the film, "Grandpa Medicine Man" Samuel Reaches, played by a bona fide Rosebud Sioux Indian name of Ted Thin Elk who had seen very few movies during his lifetime before he was asked to play this role. Grandpa describes some prophetic visions he had received concerning Kilmer's arrival. Simultaneously, he tries to help Kilmer reconnect with his Native American heritage. Now Kilmer is caught between two worlds: his duties as a federal agent and to the FBI and the culture of the American Indians to which he is just beginning to rediscover. An outstanding and compelling movie from start to finish, with superb performances by all the main leads, particularly Shepherd, Kilmer, Greene, Tousey, and Fred Ward as the leader of the rival tribe. And a special acknowledgment to Ted Thin Elk as the Grandpa Medicine Man, who almost steals the show as the wise old Indian who also likes to watch Mr Magoo on television for philosophical reasons. (But look out, he also likes to trade for your valuables! Before you know it, you may have given up your $5000 Rolex Watch for a little rock!) This is just an incredibly underrated film and a quality you don't find in many of films of its type. If it were up to me, I would have nominated Ted Thin Elk for an Academy Award in the Best Supporting Actor category.

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!