Thunderheart
- R
- 1992
- 1 hr 59 min
-
6.8 (13,935)
“Thunderheart”, starring Val Kilmer, Sam Shepard, Graham Green and John Trudell, takes place on an Indian Reservation in South Dakota and dramatizes events involving the American Indian Movement (AIM) and the US Government. These events include execution style deaths, water poisoning, violence against women, illegal uranium drilling and extortion. AIM was renamed ARM in the movie. The action of the movie centers around the investigation of the murder of Leo Fast Elk, a tribal elder. In order to appease the native population, FBI administrator Dawes assigns an FBI agent who is also part American Indian. Raymond Levoi arrives in South Dakota and meets his superior, legendary FBI agent Frank Coutelle (Shepard). Coutelle assures Levoi that the murderer is an ARM ‘terrorist’ named James Looks Twice (Trudell). Levoi and Coutelle drive to the reservation to examine the body and find Tribal Police Officer Walter Crow Horse (Greene) performing a burial ritual over the body. Crow Horse informs the FBI agents that Fast Elk was not murdered there, he was dumped there. Crow Horse also insists that Looks Twice was not the murderer. Ignoring Crow Horse's opinions, Levoi and Coutelle continue building a case against Looks Twice. Levoi endeavors gather evidence and discover the truth. Quickly he realizes that his partner Coutelle is less interested in the truth than in putting Looks Twice behind bars. With no one else to turn to Levoi accepts Crow Horse's help finding the real killer. While investigating the crime, Levoi realizes that he is also digging into his own past. Levoi had spent his life burying his Indian roots but, finds that he can no longer hide from who he is. Crow Horse, Lakota elder Sam Reaches and even murder suspect Looks Twice (Trudell) help Levoi discover who he is and where his loyalty lies. Ultimately, Levoi finds the real murder and comes to terms with his Indian heritage.
