Val Kilmer, Sam Shepard, and Graham Greene star in this powerful murder mystery with all the style and suspense of Witness. Kilmer stars as Ray Levoi, a hotshot FBI agent who’s thrust into a strange new world when he is sent to solve a murder on an Indian reservation. Hand-picked because of his part-Sioux ancestry, Levoi is teamed with a legendary older agent (Shepard) to capture a radical Indian protester. But once on the reservation, Levoi encounters the irreverent local sheriff (Greene), and the tribe’s religious leader (Chief Ted Thin Elk), who knows secrets about Levoi’s own lost heritage. And as Levoi’s awareness of the native culture grows, so does his belief that the U.S. government has framed an innocent man. A crackerjack mystery and a personal triumph of the heart.

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Video Quality

Thunderheart debuts on Blu-Ray in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio from a master that looks amazing. Sony handles the remastering of all of their titles, and we suspect this is a fresh master created in recent years based on the quality. The sumptuous natural film grain resolves ideally without swarming or clumping while providing impressive detail in every frame. Every location on the reservation comes through with tremendous clarity, especially in the texture of the earth, the clothing, and the production design.

The cinematography of Roger Deakins is exquisite, as always, and this disc translates the nuances with great consideration. Black levels are deep without any notable blocking or compression artifacts. Some dimly lit scenes could be a bit more refined, but most will not be disappointed. Highlights are contained well without veering into blooming. Facial features are complex and textured with divots in faces and stubble. There are bold splashes of color within the locale and lighting that make an impression with the hues faithfully saturating the frame. This upgrade is long overdue and has been handled with care by Sony.

Audio Quality

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment brings forth a Blu-Ray with a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that impeccably handles this material. Dialogue comes through clearly without being overshadowed by the powerful score from James Horner or any environmental effects. The music of the film maintains a fidelity that shows no signs of strain. The sound of weather effects such as wind and rain are capably defined and given a notable rendering in the speakers. The sounds of gunfire and other kinetic moments give the track a nice boost. Sony has done a first-rate job with this one. Optional English and English SDH are provided.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Screenwriter John Fusco provides a terrific commentary track that is very informative in which he discusses the development of the film, how the film aligns with real-life history, working with Native American elders to tell this story, the filming locations, the work of the performers, the score from James Horner, the look of the film by Roger Deakins, and more that is well worth a listen.

Theatrical Trailer: The two-and-a-half-minute trailer is provided.

Final Thoughts

Thunderheart is a great drama that treats adult audiences with respect by providing layered characters, gorgeous craftsmanship, and a story told with care. While there are limits to how well this story can represent the Native American perspective, screenwriter John Fusco took great care to try to represent the people being depicted with respect, especially for the time period in filmmaking. Val Kilmer delivers a solid performance, but Graham Greene steals the show in his key role. This is classic studio filmmaking, and we do miss having films like this for mature audiences. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray with a great A/V presentation and an informative commentary track. If you have been waiting for this to hit disc, you should be pleased. Recommended

Thunderheart can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.