Film of the Week: Rolling Thunder (1977)

Rolling Thunder is a low budget film about a Vietnam veteran who returns home. Upon his return he is robbed, and his wife is kidnapped. The veteran responds to this with a long bloody vengeance which plays out through the rest of the film. Rolling Thunder is one of the best examples of the underground vengeance cinema which grew to popularity in the 70s. Now these films didn't grow to popularity with mainstream audiences, mind you, but they thrived in the cheap movie theaters of the bad neighborhoods in big cities. These vengeance films were excessively violent, and usually had plots concerned with vengeance after the rape or murder of a close family member or friend. Rolling Thunder, though violent, is an entertaining film that lacks the "politically correct" atmosphere of most films today. For anyone who isn't too squeamish, and wants a great action film, I recommend Rolling Thunder.