Thunderbolt and <PERSON>
The directorial debut of <PERSON> (who would go on to rise with The Deer Hunter and fall with "Heaven’s Gate"), this is a freewheeling opposites-attract buddy picture, pairing <PERSON> (young, talkative, hyper) with <PERSON> (old [already], taciturn, laid-back) as a pair of run-and-gun criminals. The first half is the best, with their attraction for each other playing as barely-concealed subtext, placing the picture in the grand tradition of lovers-on-the-run movies. It’s less fun in the back half, when it moves into more standard heist movie territory, though that stuff is enjoyable as well. KL Studio Classics’ new 4K transfer does right by the striking landscapes and dusty country roads — and by <PERSON>, who was rarely more beautiful. 698