ROLLING THUNDER

US, 1977, 90 Minutes, Colour.
William Devane, Tommy Lee Jones, Linda Haynes, Lisa Richards.
Directed by John Flynn.

Though once again a personal vengeance thriller raising strongly felt questions about response to gross violence when the law seem inadequate, this film has several very interesting features. The first part showing the veterans'
homecoming and difficult adaptation is well done. Written by Paul Schrader, writer of Carrie and Taxi Driver (and thematically linked with the latter), the film criticises complacent America in the light of the fighting in Vietnam and the endurance of tortured soldiers. Waging war was justified and heroic there, what of war after abuses in Texas, U.S.A.? William Devane is good as the hero and Linda Haynes particularly good as his girlfriend. Grimly interesting.

1. The overall impact of the film? As representing American issues of the 70G? The effect on an American audience, non-American audience? Australia and the aftermath of Vietnam?

2. The background of Vietnam, American involvement, violence and death? A war far away from America? The atmosphere of patriotism of the 60s and 70s? The American image and the military image of involvement and heroism? Safeguarding American society? How is the film a critique of these attitudes?

3. The significance of the title, the indication of the vengeance theme? Who has the right to such vengeance? The loner individual and his wreaking of vengeance? Law and order, police?

4. The atmosphere of the opening and the presentation of San Antonio and the people of Texas? Mexico by contrast? The authentic location atmosphere of the film? Colour photography, musical score?

5. The opening sequence and the return home with the silent flying of the jet? The contrast with the noisy ceremonial jubilant group for the return? Heroism, the significance of the speeches, American glory, the atmosphere of tribute to the veterans? The attitudes of the soldiers as they returned after being away so long, after their imprisonment? The ceremonial especially for Charlie and the presentation by Linda of the coins? The visualizing of John and his family, Charlie and his wife and son?

6. The contrast with American society at home? How did American society fall to live up to its ideals and image? Charlie's wife welcoming him home, the son who seemed a stranger? Charlie's trying to adapt himself to the house? The drama of his wife telling him about the failure of the marriage, her adultery, the prospect of divorce? What message communicated about what happens when people are away? Human strengths and weaknesses? Endurance? Charlie and the endurance of torture and imprisonment? His wife and her failure to endure the loneliness?

7. The portrayal of the first night home: Charlie in his room alone, reliving the memories and the visualizing of the torture sequences? The editing in of these sequences? Themes indicated of adjustment? The contrast with Linda's help and his wife's?

8. His playing with his son and his hold over his son? The hope to build a life with him even though his wife wants to leave? The awkwardness of the sequences with Cliff and the discussion about what had happened? The discussion about what was to happen - and the re-enacting of the torture? Cliff as a torturer but unable to look at it?

9. The ugliness of the robbery and the deaths? The personality of the criminals and their mean-mindedness in wanting his coins? The brutality of their torture and the visualizing of the Vietnam torture? How were they different to his wife and to Cliff torturing Charlie? The extent of their torture and their exasperation at not making him speak? The ugliness of their violence in killing his wife and child as a revenge and a challenge? Their words and their harsh comments on his heroism?

10. The effect on Charlie? His silence about their identity? The physical injuries and the artificial hand? The secrecy of his intentions? John's visit to the hospital and his later getting him to help? His returning to Linda and his getting her to help and using her? Cliff's willingness to help him and track him down? The irony of Cliff dying for this cause?

11. The effect of the return from Vietnam and his seeming deadness? The comments on being alive and dead? A man brutalized in a war for his country returning to be disillusioned and exercising the same kind of brutality? Were his feelings and attitudes made clear, justified? The rights and wrongs of his actions, of his feelings? Cliff and his searching out the car and following? The violence and ugliness of his death? John's attitude of helping? Linda and her help and her warnings about the police? Why did she not ring the police and follow through with the call?

12. The portrait of Linda as a woman in San Antonio, her loneliness, age. experience? Her devotion to Charlie as a groupie? How well did the film portray her background and make a character of her? Her decision to leave her job, going to the unknown and help, her reaction to being a decoy? Her reaction to the brutality? The night at the motel and Charlie's decision to leave her behind?

13. The Mexican sequences of violence and torture? Charlie's shrewdness in assembling all the people after their being terrorized and catching them in the one place? The set-up and the sequence in the brothel? The violent shooting and smashing? The physical presentation of violence and vengeance being wreaked? where did audience sympathies lie?

14. The presentation of this violence as a war at home, the using of war tactics against this enemy? How did the film move the theme from law and order into open warfare themes? The film's exploration of the good and evil, human motivations, strengths and weaknesses, ugliness? A critical view in action fashion of American issues of the 70s?