Review of The Deer Hunter (1978) by Sidney S — 15 Sep 2012

A great emotional tale directed by Michael Cimino. The Deer Hunter is riveting, in depth, and ultimately tragic complete with a great story, awesome music and direction and some career making performances.

The great Robert De Niro gives one of his all time best as a man whom along with his best friend Nick, played brilliantly by Christopher Walken join the fight in Vietnam. Their closeness, is ultimately what leads to the film's emotional closeness with the audience. The film shows the relationships among the towns people, they're all friends as well as showing the impact the war and its effects it had on everybody.

Cimino's directing is truly great, focusing the first hour on the closeness between the friends, following this thrusting the characters into combat but it is not the war scenes itself that bring out the depth of the film, it is upon their capture and force to play Russian roulette that brings out the fear, adn determination to escspe and live. However the tragedy continues on upon returning, Michael sees his injured friends, remembers those that were lost, and sees the effect it had on them all. De Niro's performance is in depth and Oscar worthy. The film's emotional ending showcasing De Niro and Walken is bone chilling, and tragic no doubt a scene to bring out sympathy from the audience. Truly a great film on all levels, a masterpiece!