Una calibro 20 per lo specialista

I remember watching this movie for the first time in the early eighties. I was still in elementary school but I still vaguely recall a scene where a young woman on a bicycle gets ambushed by Red Leary and gets away by clawing his cheek. Exciting stuff when u see a breast pop out on screen for the first time! If i'm not mistaken this would have been right before the scene where Jeff Bridge's character meets up with Red to go pick up the large caliber weapon. Where's the scene in the US DVD release? Other than the missing scene the movie was fun to watch again 30 years later. The cars and the print shirts, Jeff Bridges is simply awesome as a hippie drifting in the 70s. Clint Eastwood moves through the movie with a shattered shin and bad shoulder and still able to kick everyones ass when he has to. Awesome!

The film has a fairly leisurely pace to it, it's a bit of a slow burn for sure, but a very welcome one. There are so many interesting and enjoyable things in this film. It's part road movie and part heist film really. It's a fun film with Jeff Bridges playing a fairly eccentric and irreverent young character and Clint playing the more experienced and relaxed tough guy role. George Kennedy is also very good, and the film definitely finds it's share of funny moments. Michael Cimino was an interesting writer/director who in fact credits Clint Eastwood with giving him his directorial start with this film. Eastwood was apparently given the right by the studio to fire Cimino early on in the filming of this, but obviously never chose to do so. He co-wrote a couple of the earlier Dirty Harry scripts and then wrote and directed this film entirely. Cimino preferred to take his time in delivering his films, especially his early ones where he was given more control over them. In doing so, he really created a few films with some very interesting, well developed and not so standard characters. This is a very strong directorial debut. It really is too bad that Heaven's Gate was later considered a failure for him to some degree, as it seems after that film and he has talked about this, that he was no longer given the same kind of control over his filmmaking that he had previously enjoyed. I would've liked to see a lot more of his cinematic visions in full. Cimino was definitely an interesting, somewhat unique and patient artist. Hollywood studios on the other hand, sadly have rarely been patient with many artistic filmmakers.

7.5/10.

Like a tribute to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot were a contemporary edition of the duo.

Thunderbolt (Clint Eastwood) met Lightfoot (Jeff Bridges) quite serendipitously. Thunderbolt was running from his would-be killer only to be saved by the fast driving Lightfoot. Their fortuitous meeting started a friendship between the two that was like journeyman and apprentice for thieves.

The young Jeff Bridges stole every scene he was in. He had the boyish young looks and the bubbly personality to go with them. Eastwood was... well he was Eastwood. You don't get much range from him. He's stoic, few-worded, and gruff. I think Eastwood is at his best when there's another star there for contrast. This crime and friendship story had some funny moments, intense moments, and even somber moments. The story and acting were great. This was a quality film.

Michael Cimino's first film is an arresting fusion of early 70's road movie, 'Buddy' picture and 'planning a heist' action-thriller. That it manages to incorporate these elements into a poetic study of male friendship and the unquenchable restlessness at the heart of the great American pioneer/drifter mentality makes it a remarkable piece of work.

Cimino avoids the 'arty' distance of Terence Malick's 'Badlands' or the po-faced existentialism of Monte Hellman's 'Two Lane Black-top', but entertains the same thematic concerns within the framework of an accessible genre piece. From it's opening vista of a deserted wheat field, accompanied by the haunting strains of a single acoustic guitar, the film resonates with loneliness and loss. "Tell me where, Where does a fool go", sings Paul Williams, "when there's no-one left to listen, to a story without meaning, that no-body wants to hear?"

It is also funny and tender in it's observation of male camaraderie. Eastwood has never been more effective and affecting on-screen than in his interplay here with Jeff Bridges. We get a real sense of his character's connection to Bridges which makes the 'Midnight Cowboy'-ish ending genuinely moving.

Like all the great 70's movies, it has some wonderfully memorable scenes and dialogue: Dub Taylor ranting about the imminent collapse of the American economy at a nocturnal gas station; Bill Mckinney as a crazed speed-freak with a trunk full of white rabbits; Bridges encountering a hammer-wielding female motorcyclist, etc, etc.

Throw in some breath-taking scenic photography of Montana by Frank Stanley (prefiguring the use and role of landscape in relation to character later explored by Cimino in 'The Deer Hunter') and some beautifully understated character work in the smaller roles, and you have a fondly remembered minor classic ripe for some serious re-appraisal.

I really liked this movie. Cimino keeps the story simple, funny and pretty involving: A young hotshot (Bridges) inspires a has-been bank robber (Eastwood) to take another crack at the bank which nearly brought him down the last time he hit it, and along the way they are both sabotaged and helped by Eastwood's former buddies (Kennedy and Lewis).

In my humble opinion, Jeff Bridges is ace as "Lightfoot" in this movie. There simply would be no movie without him, or, well, it might, but it would've been boring as hell. Eastwood plays Eastwood, maybe a bit softer around the edges than Harry Callahan, and does his part well. Still, he is kind of drowned by Bridges, Kennedy and Lewis. They do other stuff besides just being tough and professional, and God bless the script and them for it. Bridges is so incredibly good in this, he jumps around, he tries to wind up Kennedy and tries to lure some enthusiasm out of Eastwood; I can not imagine anyone else but Bridges as Lightfoot. He steals the movie away (he's also does some drag-stuff here, classic). The scenes with the lady in the house, the tussles with Kennedy, the brunette and her friend, the lady on a bike with a hammer. You have a lot to look forward to here.

Cimino's picture is about a criminal who is tired and who just wants to take it easy, but a young dude, full of romantic ideas, tempts him back into the game. Along the way, the violence and mayhem that made Eastwood leave it all back then catches up with them and they have to fight for their lives.

The movie is a must-see for fans of Eastwood, Cimino, Kennedy and Lewis - but it belongs to Jeff Bridges.