119 mins |
Rated
R (for language, and for some areas of violence)
Directed by Michael Apted
Starring Sam Shepard, Graham Greene, Fred Ward, Val Kilmer
THUNDERHEART
(Michael Apted, 1992, 119min)
(Staff Pick: Alexander)
Fri, 11/28 @ 10PM
Sat, 11/29 @ 10:30AM & 10PM
Sun, 11/30 @ 10:30AM
In honor of the great Graham Greene, 1952-2025.
Michael Apted's 1992 film Thunderheart is a neo-Western crime thriller that blends investigative drama with a portrait of contemporary Native American life. The film follows FBI Agent Ray Levoi (Val Kilmer), who is sent to a South Dakota reservation to investigate a murder amid rising tensions between pro-government and traditionalist Native groups. What begins as a procedural evolves into a personal and political journey for Ray, who is forced to confront his own partial Sioux heritage and the deep-seated corruption surrounding the case.
Apted, known for both his narrative and documentary work, infuses Thunderheart with an authenticity rarely seen in Hollywood renderings of Native issues. Drawing from real events, notably the Wounded Knee incident of the 1970s and Apted’s own documentary Incident at Oglala, the film skillfully navigates themes of identity, government abuse, and spiritual reckoning. Much of the film was shot on location in South Dakota, capturing both the natural beauty and socioeconomic struggles of reservation life.
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THUNDERHEART
(Michael Apted, 1992, 119min)
(Staff Pick: Alexander)
Fri, 11/28 @ 10PM
Sat, 11/29 @ 10:30AM & 10PM
Sun, 11/30 @ 10:30AM
In honor of the great Graham Greene, 1952-2025.
Michael Apted's 1992 film Thunderheart is a neo-Western crime thriller that blends investigative drama with a portrait of contemporary Native American life. The film follows FBI Agent Ray Levoi (Val Kilmer), who is sent to a South Dakota reservation to investigate a murder amid rising tensions between pro-government and traditionalist Native groups. What begins as a procedural evolves into a personal and political journey for Ray, who is forced to confront his own partial Sioux heritage and the deep-seated corruption surrounding the case.
Apted, known for both his narrative and documentary work, infuses Thunderheart with an authenticity rarely seen in Hollywood renderings of Native issues. Drawing from real events, notably the Wounded Knee incident of the 1970s and Apted’s own documentary Incident at Oglala, the film skillfully navigates themes of identity, government abuse, and spiritual reckoning. Much of the film was shot on location in South Dakota, capturing both the natural beauty and socioeconomic struggles of reservation life.
