Thunderheart facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Thunderheart |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Michael Apted |
| Produced by | Robert De Niro Jane Rosenthal John Fusco |
| Written by | John Fusco |
| Starring | |
| Music by | James Horner |
| Cinematography | Roger Deakins |
| Editing by | Ian Crafford |
| Studio | Tribeca Productions Waterhorse Productions |
| Distributed by | TriStar Pictures |
| Release date(s) | April 3, 1992 |
| Running time | 119 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English Lakota |
| Money made | $22,660,758 |
Thunderheart is a 1992 American mystery film. It is a Neo-Western movie directed by Michael Apted. The story was written by John Fusco. The film is based on real events from 1973. This was when the American Indian Movement protested against the government's policies about Native Americans. They took over the town of Wounded Knee in South Dakota.
The movie features Val Kilmer as Ray Levoi. He plays an FBI agent with Sioux heritage. Ray investigates a murder on a Native American reservation. Other main actors include Sam Shepard, Graham Greene, Fred Ward, and Sheila Tousey.
In 1992, the director Michael Apted also made a documentary. It was called Incident at Oglala. That film was about a Native American activist. Thunderheart was made by TriStar Pictures, Tribeca Productions, and Waterhorse Productions. TriStar Pictures released it in movie theaters. The film talks about important topics. These include fairness, fighting for rights, and solving crimes.
The movie came out in the United States on April 3, 1992. It earned over $22 million. This was considered a good amount of money for the film. Critics generally liked the movie when it was first shown. The movie's music was created by James Horner. It was released on November 24, 1992.
Contents
The Story of Thunderheart
The film begins with a murder on a Native American reservation in South Dakota. Leo Fast Elk, a member of the tribal council, is killed. FBI Agent William Dawes sends Agent Ray Levoi to investigate. Ray is chosen because he has some Sioux family background. This might help him talk to people on the reservation. But Ray feels distant from his heritage. He also does not speak the Lakota language.
Ray works with an experienced agent named Frank Coutelle. Frank thinks Maggie Eagle Bear is the main suspect. She is a peaceful Native American activist and teacher. He also suspects Jimmy Looks Twice, who leads a group called the Aboriginal Rights Movement (ARM).
First Clues and Suspects
Ray and Frank meet Walter Crow Horse, a tribal police officer. Walter does not trust the government. He does not want the FBI to take over the investigation. Frank believes Jimmy Looks Twice is the killer. He works with Jack Milton, the tribal council president. Jack has hired a private group to protect the reservation. This group is against Jimmy and the ARM. Jimmy is caught, but he escapes after a gunfight.
Walter tells Ray that the murder happened on Maggie's land. Ray goes to collect evidence. He finds bullet casings but Maggie tells him to leave. At first, the local people make fun of Ray. But an elder named Grandpa Sam Reaches tells him he has strong Native American roots. Ray goes back to Maggie's house to talk to her grandmother. He tells Maggie he respects her activism.
Growing Doubts and New Friends
While Ray is visiting, Jack's group shoots Maggie's son in the arm. They say the ARM did it. Ray drives Maggie and her son to the hospital. He gets into a fight with Jack's men there. Ray sees the difficult conditions and violence on the reservation. He starts to understand the problems Native Americans face.
Frank is sure Jimmy is the killer. But Walter tells Ray that the killer was bigger than Jimmy. The killer also stole Leo's car. This car was used to move the body. Leo's car is still missing. Frank ignores this clue. He tells Ray to find Jimmy instead of talking to Walter. But Ray keeps meeting with Walter and Grandpa Sam Reaches. He starts his own secret investigation.
Leo's car is found with a large jacket inside. This supports Walter's idea that the killer was a bigger person. Ray secretly takes a raffle ticket from the jacket. He takes it to Maggie, who organized the raffle. Maggie tells Ray she is worried about dirty water on the reservation. She thanks him for helping her son.
Uncovering the Truth
Ray visits Grandpa Sam Reaches and finds Jimmy. Ray now believes Jimmy is innocent. Ray warns Jimmy to leave quickly. He says the FBI will kill him. But Frank and other FBI agents catch Jimmy. Ray becomes angry. He suspects there is a big secret and a cover-up about Leo's murder.
After Jimmy is arrested, Maggie identifies the raffle ticket. It was bought by Richard Yellow Hawk. Richard is a convict on the reservation who uses a wheelchair. Ray visits Richard. Ray tells him to get out of his wheelchair, and Richard does. Richard admits he killed Leo. He says Frank and other FBI agents visited him in prison. They offered to reduce his sentence if he helped them. Richard caused problems between the ARM and the tribal council. Frank blackmailed him, threatening to send him back to prison.
The Final Confrontation
Ray is told to find "the source" of the problem. Ray and Walter go to Red Deer Table. Leo was investigating this place before he died. Ray tells Walter about a dream he had. It was about the Wounded Knee Massacre. He dreamed he was running from soldiers with other Native Americans. Walter says Ray had a vision. He tells Ray that he is "Thunderheart." This is a Native American hero from Wounded Knee. Walter believes Ray has returned to help his people.
At Red Deer Table, they find a government plan. It is to mine uranium on the reservation. This mining is polluting the water. It is also causing the violent conflict between the ARM and Jack Milton's men. Milton does not own the land. But he gets money from the mining leases. Ray and Crow Horse find Maggie's body at the site. Ray rushes back to Richard, but finds him dead in his wheelchair.
Frank, Jack, and their helpers chase Walter and Ray. Ray reveals he recorded Richard's confession. This proves Frank was involved in Leo's murder. Ray and Walter are trapped. But the ARM arrives to protect them. Frank and Jack are caught by the armed resistance. Ray is upset by the corruption. He decides to leave the FBI.
Meet the Actors
- Val Kilmer as FBI Agent Ray Levoi
- Sam Shepard as FBI Agent Frank Coutelle
- Graham Greene as Walter Crow Horse
- Fred Ward as Jack Milton
- Fred Thompson as William Dawes
- Sheila Tousey as Maggie Eagle Bear
- Ted Thin Elk as Grandpa Sam Reaches
- John Trudell as Jimmy Looks Twice
- Julius Drum as Richard Yellow Hawk
- Sarah Brave as Grandma Maisy Blue Legs
- Allan R.J. Joseph as Leo Fast Elk
- Sylvan Pumpkin Seed as Hobart
- Patrick Massett as FBI Agent Mackey
- Rex Linn as FBI Agent
- Brian A. O'Meara as FBI Agent
How the Movie Was Made
Filming Locations
The movie was mostly filmed in South Dakota. Some scenes were shot on the Pine Ridge Reservation. This was called the Bear Creek Reservation in the movie. Other early scenes were filmed in Washington, D.C.. Many Native American actors were in the film. Some of their roles were similar to their real lives. For example, John Trudell played an activist. He was also a real-life Native American activist, poet, and singer. Chief Ted Thin Elk played a respected Lakota medicine man. He was a Lakota elder in real life too. Badlands National Park and Wounded Knee were also used. These places are important because real events happened there in the 1970s. The Oglala Sioux people helped with the filming. They trusted the director, Michael Apted, and writer, John Fusco, to tell their story.
Movie Music
The music for Thunderheart was released on November 24, 1992. James Horner composed the score for the film. Some songs by artists like Bruce Springsteen were also used in the movie.
Marketing the Film
The Book Version
A book called Thunderheart was published on May 28, 1992. It was based on John Fusco's movie script. The book tells the story of the fictional events. It shows how an FBI agent's job to find the truth leads to a big conspiracy.
Images for kids
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Graham Greene played the role of Indian officer Walter Crow Horse.
See also
In Spanish: Corazón trueno para niños
