Movie Review: Thunder Road (1958)
Synopsis: After leaving the Army, Lucas Doolin goes to work for his father, running illegal moonshine to various distribution points in the southern United States. It’s already dangerous work, with the United States Treasury Department looking to break up the operation and arrest him. However, Lucas also has another enemy, gangster Carl Kogan, who seeks to gain control of the independent producers, even if it means through violence.
Who’s in it? The movie stars Robert Mitchum, Gene Barry,
Jacques Aubuchon, Keely Smith and Sandra Knight.
Review: I had intended on watching another movie this
morning but wasn’t able to locate it in my library right away and since I only
had a limited amount of time, chose Thunder Road instead. This is a film I had
heard about but never took the time to watch until now. After seeing it, I can
honestly say I understand why it is considered a classic.
I think the thing I enjoyed most about this film was how it didn’t
attempt to glorify the moonshine runners, like other films or television series do. Instead, the filmmakers
portrayed them in a more realistic light – they weren’t necessary bad people,
and they were just trying to provide for their families but, at the same time,
they were engaging in an illegal activity.
Lucas (Mitchum) was also an interesting character. I would
describe him as an anti-hero because I don’t think he was necessarily one of
the good guys, but he did at least have lines he wouldn’t cross. This included
making sure his younger brother, Robin (James Mitchum) didn’t become a runner
too and refusing the affections of the innocent Roxanna (Knight), clearly to
protect her.
I also liked how the film kept details about his past up in
the air a bit. While many who knew him assumed he had been overseas in Korea,
there were hints that wasn’t the case and he instead already had a criminal
record from his time in the military. It was unclear how that would play into
the plot but at minimum, provided a good explanation about why Lucas seemed to
have a bit of a death wish.
The movie also proved not to be anywhere near as predictable
as I thought it would be. This is because Lucas was essentially trapped between
two possibilities, getting arrested and spending time in a federal prison or
getting killed by Kogan (Aubuchon) with no clear third option, especially when Lucas
is forced into a scenario that is clearly a trap. In fact, I was genuinely
surprised about how it did end, even though it was probably the only ending
that made sense given the circumstances.
Final Opinion: This is a solid film that has a mix of action
and drama with some memorable characters as well. It’s worth taking the time to
watch it, and not just as a last-second choice because you can’t find the movie
you wanted to watch.
My Grade: A
Here are some reviews of other movies from 1958:
Movie Review: The Thing That Couldn't Die (1958)
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