Review of The Deer Hunter (1978) by Jason P — 22 Apr 2012
The last time I saw this I didn't realize just how little it's a war film. The Deer Hunter is about friendship and post-traumatic stress, in that order. 3 steelworkers from suburban Pittsburgh--men who have known each other their entire lives--venture out, (mostly) unafraid, into the jungles of Vietnam.
Mere minutes are spent in combat because it is what these men reveal about themselves before the war, and how these idiosyncrasies are intensified by its violence, that is the story. The Vietnam experience didn't shake the world they inhabit to its core; where it exists, this sort of world ought to be defended.
This is a serious contender for the saddest film I have ever seen. But as I think about it now, I can positively say it has more heart than any other film I've seen.
This review of The Deer Hunter (1978) was written by Jason P on 22 Apr 2012.
The Deer Hunter has generally received very positive reviews.
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