Script review – “Rolling Thunder” by Paul Schrader

The original script for what became a major flop and cult film. It was rewritten by another writer, but even in this form it’s not hard to see why it was regarded as such a confronting work – or why Quentin Tarantino liked it, being full of intense violence, crazy leads with their own code of honour, and rednecks.

It’s about Charlie Rane (irritatingly referred to as both “Rane” and “Charlie” in the script) who comes back Vietnam after seven years as a POW. He’s regarded as a big hero (were POWS this praised? I was always hearing about them being ignored) and given a lot of money in back pay. This attracts the attention of some vile gangster types, who torture Rane to find the money – but because he’s so conditioned to have his mind leave his body when tortured, he can’t respond, even when they shove his hand in the garbage remover. So they rape and kill his wife, then shoot his son and him – he’s the only one who survives. He goes looking for payback.

It’s hardcore, even if there actually isn’t that much action when you tally the pages. There’s the killing of the family sequence, roughing up an informant, and the final shoot out. But what there is, is very intense.

The female charactes are appalling: Rane’s wife has had an affair and is going to marry another man but that doesn’t stop her trying to seduce her husband. And on his revenge odyssey Rane uses this big titted blonde bimbo who wants to sleep with him because he’s famous; even when she finds out his real purpose she still goes along with it because she’s… well, she’s stupid. Schrader adds these character scenes to get inside her air head but it only serves to emphasise how he could write women. (Why not have her as the dead wife’s sister, or the widow of a serviceman or something.)

The film is full of racists, even Rane (“Don’t you ever clean up behind yourself?” “That’s why God made Mexicans”). I know this is consistent with the world but it’s wearying. There’s a fascinating scene where Rane goes to a drive in and watches a porno while thinking of revenge, which you think, “gee this is reminiscent of Taxi Driver” – then Rane sees another guy watching a film and it’s Travis Bickle! Making a cameo!