Review of The Deer Hunter (1978) by Jordan P — 20 Dec 2018

I definitely felt this was a movie that could be divided into three acts. Act I is dedicated to the backstory of the characters, but ends up being very flat in trying to get us invested in them and doesn't really show us much of their personal quirks and aspirations.

I think the first Act is a failure because it is just a drawn out wedding with aimless drunken antics and no substance. Act II shows the bravery and leadership of the Michael character while also showcasing the horrors of war, especially the Vietnam war.

Here Nick feels abandoned and can't deal with his feelings so he tries to cling to apathy as his one link to sanity. Act III is the return of the characters back to their hometown, with none of them really the same, but with hopeful futures even though they have been in and out of a meat grinder.

Michael refuses to put up with the crap that his friends pull any longer, and can't seem to bring himself to take down a majestic deer after he spent so much time trying to escape hunters himself.

Stephen is forced out of his apathy by Michael, but he can't do the same with Nick, and as so often happens with our veterans, Nick takes his own life to secure his hold on the absence of feeling.

They mourn at his funeral at the end, but sing of America because Nick was a soldier fighting for originally what he felt was his duty, and it brings them comfort because in death it is difficult to see the point of anything.

To say that Nick died for his country would still be true, and it works for them to mentally handle. This is where the movie ends and I'm not sure the ending of the film is that great as it's very open-ended to interpretation, but I still can't say this is a bad film with all of the stellar acting and two thirds of the film being as adrenaline pumping as it was.