Rolling Thunder is a bleak and chaotic revenge thriller, brimming with the same moral darkness found in other Paul Schrader scripts. It plays like Taxi Driver relocated to rural Texas, swapping city lights for shotgun blasts and quiet desperation. William Devane gives a quietly intense performance, while Tommy Lee Jones practically steals the film with just a few lines. John Flynn’s direction is rough around the edges, but it suits the raw, nihilistic mood. It’s uneven in places, but there’s a visceral power that makes it difficult to forget.
Rolling Thunder is a typical "vet returns from Vietnam a hero only for his family to be murdered so he takes revenge" movie. The film starts off brutal but becomes plodding as it builds to it's violent climax. The picture is written by Paul Schrader who was also responsible for the brilliant Taxi Driver and the end scene of Rolling Thunder is very reminicent of the Martin Scorsese movie. However this is certainly not in the same league as that masterpiece. Still enjoyed it and it had enough to keep me entertained for 90 minutes.